Hope Valley, California, just a hop, skip, and a jump from the Nevada State Line, is really starting to brighten up with fall color. It makes a great fall color drive near Carson City, Gardnerville, and Minden, Nevada.. As of Monday, October 6, it’s in the Getting Better category at around 40%. By this weekend, there should be even more color, weather permitting.
Upper Woodfords Canyon, on the way up to Hope Valley from Gardnerville, on Highway 88, also has some colorful areas where the trees are orange. This area is best viewed late morning to early afternoon before it loses the sunlight. The lower canyon is still mostly green.
Where to Find the Best Color Right Now in Hope Valley
Although many of the trees are still green in Hope Valley, there are some attention-getting spots, including:
• Across from Desolation Hotel
• The dirt road (trail) that shoots uphill next to the resort, although a small number of trees at the beginning of the trail are past peak
• The trees lining Highway 88 just past Desolation Hotel
• The hillside on the right of the road just before Blue Lakes Road (if you’re driving in from Nevada) Be very careful parking on the side of the road here. There isn’t much room, and the traffic is often whizzing past.
• Across the road from the long turnout on the west side of the valley. This area lights up especially nicely in the late afternoon.
Make sure you park off the road when taking photos, and be careful of traffic when you’re crossing the road.
How Long Will The Color Last?
There’s a storm coming in late Friday into early Saturday, October 11, and there’s a chance of snow above 7,000 feet. The winds that accompany the storm could strip some of the fall color off the trees, but if the color remains, the contrast between snow and the autumn foliage will make for some good photos. With the increased winds come increased fire danger, so please don’t drive on dry vegetation, don’t drag chains along the ground when driving, and heed all fire restrictions.
Since there’s still a lot of lime-green in Hope Valley, there should be fall color there through at least the weekend of October 18, depending upon the weather. What we call the Grand Finale Grove always turns last, so that may offer up some fall color after October 19.
Hope Valley/Woodfords Canyon Fall Color Report October 6, 2025
• Hope Valley – Getting Better (40%)
• Upper Woodfords Canyon – Getting Better (40%)
• Lower Woodfords Canyon – Still mostly green
