Fall colors in California (yes, California!)

[Lethe200]

Nice article with good photos of some fall color, which is slowly coming to far Northern/Northeastern CA. The colors will be down around the Wine Country and the SFBA by late October/mid-November. Not a lot of maples here, but there are many other trees with beautiful fall colors, including aspens, sweetgum, Japanese maples, Chinese pistache, and.....vineyards!

The CA vineyards turn amazing colors on the hillsides - each variety of grape has its own fall colors. Some change early, some change later - since vineyards are planted in large 'blocks' up and down the hills, the show lasts until the first big rains: a massive patchwork quilt covering hundreds of miles in different shades of reds, bright yellows, and greens.

Driving on empty back roads around the hills, where few tourists venture yet you're only 10-25 min from the major freeways, is unforgettable. Even SFBA natives often miss this time of year.
Free link:
Where to find the best fall foliage in Northern California and Bay Area

 

[Robb.hisself]

Nice article with good photos of some fall color, which is slowly coming to far Northern/Northeastern CA. The colors will be down around the Wine Country and the SFBA by late October/mid-November. Not a lot of maples here, but there are many other trees with beautiful fall colors, including aspens, sweetgum, Japanese maples, Chinese pistache, and.....vineyards!

The CA vineyards turn amazing colors on the hillsides - each variety of grape has its own fall colors. Some change early, some change later - since vineyards are planted in large 'blocks' up and down the hills, the show lasts until the first big rains: a massive patchwork quilt covering hundreds of miles in different shades of reds, bright yellows, and greens.

Driving on empty back roads around the hills, where few tourists venture yet you're only 10-25 min from the major freeways, is unforgettable. Even SFBA natives often miss this time of year.
Free link:
Where to find the best fall foliage in Northern California and Bay Area

Thank you for reminding everyone outside of California that the state remains a colorful and wonderful place to live.

 

[Jamessmith0901]

I completely agree with the sentiment expressed in this article. Seeing the fall colors in Northern California is truly a breathtaking experience, especially when accompanied by the sight of the vineyards changing colors. It's a hidden gem that shouldn't be missed.

 

[David777]

I as a serious landscape and nature photographer didn't do any fall leaf field work this fall with the primary reason as a frugal retired peon, it has been too gasoline expensive. To drive from the SFBA to the Eastern Sierra where our best fall colors exist is a 600 mile round trip. At $5/gallon and 25 mpg that is about $125. For the same reason, that will affect my Tahoe skiing days this winter despite having an EPIC season pass. Additionally having done fall photography for decades, especially with my 4x5 film view camera, it becomes increasingly difficult to find subjects that are actually better than I've already shot. In any case, I did spend a lot of $$$ this spring locally and driving down to Southern California for wildflower landscape work that was exceptionally productive.

Here is a digitized for web use small image from a film 4x5 transparency from 2007 or 16 years ago in a quaking aspen grove after an early fall snowstorm dusting. I love just walking about and experiencing such places but won't do so given the long boring driving and gasoline cost. The orignal if drum scanned would easily be over 10,000 sharp pixels tall. I have many dozens of such high quality fall leaf images that when large 8k PC displays (NOT TVs) finally arrive in 2024 will finally be able to exhibit them in public.