Dayton State Park and the town of Dayton boast some of the best displays of cottonwoods in Northern Nevada. When they’re at their peak the whole area looks magical. I wasn’t sure if the leaves had survived the recent cold nighttime temperatures, so I visited there on Friday, November 8, 2024 to find out. Â
As far as the town of Dayton, about 60% of the leaves have turned brown, but there are still enough yellow leaves that when the leaves are backlit by the sun, they look amazing. A bit of green also remains, which means that there could be more color lighting up the town in weeks to come as the leaves progress.
In Dayton State Park, the situation is roughly the same, with maybe a little more of the leaves brown, about 70%. The remaining 30% of the leaves are golden and looking lovely.
I was there between 3:45 and 4:20 p.m. and the leaves backlit by the late afternoon sunlight were still worthy of photographs.
On Monday, November 11 (Veteran’s Day), there’s a storm predicted. This could mean the end of any color in Dayton or it could mean that the brown leaves are blown off leaving behind only the golden vegetation, which could make the area even more beautiful.
Dayton State Park is east of Carson City on Highway 50. It’s a great spot for a picnic and a gentle stroll down to the Carson River.
Dayton Fall Color Report as of November 8, 2024
Town of Dayton – Fading, which means Past Peak but with some places that are still colorful and photo worthy. The trees in town still had enough yellow leaves to look amazing when spotlighted by the setting sun around 4:20 p.m.
Dayton State Park – Also in the Fading category but I still found some places with good color.
