In the nearly three decades I’ve visited Hope Valley in the fall, there’s one grove that always turns last. I call it the Grand Finale Grove.
It’s located on the hillsides along Highway 89 on the way to and from Luther Pass.
As a side note, we don’t usually report much on California fall color, since there’s another website that does a great job with that already, but since this is just over the state line, and I’ve been getting people emailing me asking about what’s happening at Hope Valley, I decided to post this blog. We also had our wedding reception at Hope Valley, so I have a soft spot in my heart for the place.
This year, the Grand Finale Grove is living up to its reputation, but it may have been damaged a little bit from the latest cold snap and storm.
A lot of aspens still have their green leaves here, so it will probably still put on a show, but some of the trees next to the highway that usually turn red are already brown or a very drab red.
We’re still crossing our fingers the trees will look as good here as in the past. However, the National Weather Service’s detailed forecast discussion is predicting a possible storm starting Thursday night into Saturday. That could put the kibosh on the fall color show here, especially if it’s a really cold storm. We will have to see what happens next and keep our fingers crossed for the best.
Hope Valley Hasn’t Run Out of Steam Yet
Also, by the way, there is still some color in Hope Valley, although it’s mostly past peak. The grove of trees just west of the intersection of Highway 88 and 89 was looking photo worthy as of October 19, 2024 with a mixture of oranges, greens, and yellow.
The hillside just east of Blue Lakes Road was looking so nice on that same day that cars were lined up along the road so people could take photos of it. If you do this, make sure you’re parked completely off the road and beware of cars speeding past.
Patches of color light up the valley in other places, including some trees by the meadow that borders Crater Lake Road. Sunday – Wednesday of this week should be great days for leaf peepers to venture up to Hope Valley. A great fall color drive is to travel through Carson Valley on Highway 88 to enjoy the red maples on your way up to the mountains.
