The eastern side of Hope Valley, California was “a gold mine of fall color,” according to my husband, professional photographer Patrick Wilkes.
We hiked up the gated dirt road next to Desolation Hotel the evening of Thursday, September 24, and we were surprised at how far along the color was here for so early in the fall season. There’s some green, but a lot of yellow, too. Enough yellow that we’re calling this area Near Peak (70%).
Not only were most of the aspens Near Peak, but the ground cover was looking lovely as well.
Across from the hotel, the aspens were at the Near Peak stage (60%), while the trees along the highway to the west of the hotel were Getting Better (40%).
Friday’s windstorm may have blown some of the leaves off the trees that line the dirt road next to the hotel, but many of the aspens along the highway probably had not progressed far enough to be as vulnerable to the wind.
We still haven’t made our way over to the western part of the valley yet, so if you have any photos of that area, send them to kim @ nevadafallcolor.com. If you’re a professional photographer, we’ll link to your website in the post about the photos. You can find the requirements here.
Hope Valley Fall Color Report, September 24, 2026
Eastern End of Hope Valley – Varies from Getting Better (40%) to Near Peak (70%)
