Kingston Canyon and Central Nevada Fall Color Report 2026
I drove up Kingston Canyon on October 8, 2026 and pulled over into a turnout, in awe of the ribbon of red, orange, yellow, and green aspens that curved along the base of a mountain. The most dramatic autumn color in the canyon right now is just below Groves Lake. […]
Mather Overlook: Autumn Color That Makes You Go “Wow!”
Although the aspens on Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive are mostly past peak, Great Basin National Park still has some color that will make you go “Wow!”. One of the places where the autumn foliage is peaking is the hillside visible from Mather Overlook on Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive. It looked […]
Great Basin National Park Fall Colors 2026: Upper Reaches At Peak
Mother nature surprised us. When Liz Woolsey from Stargazer Inn and Bristlecone General Store sent us the first report from Great Basin National Park a couple weeks ago, it seemed as if some of the trees in the upper elevations had reached peak and that color might be limited on […]
Rabbitbrush: Prelude to Fall Color
Just before the fall foliage starts in Nevada and Eastern California, you might notice small bushes loaded with yellow blooms. These plants are called rabbitbrush, or more specifically rubber rabbitbrush. The plant also goes by gray rabbitbrush, yellow rabbitbrush, or chamisa. You’ll find it growing along roadsides or covering whole […]
Hope Valley Autumn Color Is Near Peak
Before we take off on our journey to view the fall foliage in eastern Nevada, we’re issuing a Go Now alert for Hope Valley, California. As of Friday, October 2, much of the valley is Near Peak to At Peak. Overall, I’d rate it at 60% of the trees are […]
A Gold Mine of Fall Color
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 […]
Mount Rose Highway Fall Color Report 2026
There’s good news and bad news about the Mount Rose Highway (State Route 431),. If you want to see aspens turning color in autumn, this is one of the closest places to Reno. The good news? There is some fall color. At the upper reaches of the highway, about 50% […]
Great Basin National Park: How is the Fall Color in 2026?
I have fond memories of Great Basin National Park, Nevada’s only national park. There was the time I jumped up on the picnic table to get away from the skunk that wandered into our campsite. My brother called him Hunk the Skunk. Don’t worry, though. That was the only time […]
Hope Valley Starting to Turn
Patchy color is showing up at the eastern end of Hope Valley. Hope Valley is in California. But because it’s near Gardnerville, Minden, and Carson City, Nevada, and relatively near Reno, it makes for a convenient autumn drive. That’s why we decided to report on it in Nevada Fall Color. […]