National Forest·California·703,163 acres
Eldorado National Forest
Forecast issued Nov 10, 7:57am ET
Higher ground turns first, so the slopes above the road lead the valley by a few days.
Weather Hard frost Monday night. Peak may come early and go fast.
No new reports from the ground here this week.
When is peak fall foliage at Eldorado National Forest in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Eldorado National Forest around Oct 24, and the four days to aim for are Oct 23 to 26.
The forest runs from about 3,194 to 8,517 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 35 days: the high stands around Oct 7, the low ground around Nov 11. That's 7 days later than our model alone would say, because this season's reports from the ground moved it.
| Week | In the forest | Elevation at peak |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 21 to Sep 27 | Still green | |
| Sep 28 to Oct 4 | Starting to turn | |
| Oct 5 to Oct 11 | Starting to turn | 8,000 to 10,000 ft |
| Oct 12 to Oct 18 | Nearly peak | 6,000 to 8,000 ft |
| Oct 19 to Oct 25 | Peak color | |
| Oct 26 to Nov 1 | Peak color | 4,000 to 6,000 ft |
| Nov 2 to Nov 8 | Just past peak | |
| Nov 9 to Nov 15 this week | Fading | 2,000 to 4,000 ft |
| Nov 16 to Nov 22 | Leaves down |
- 8,000–10,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 712%
- 6,000–8,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1742%
- 4,000–6,000 ftJust past peakpeak Oct 3132%
- 2,000–4,000 ftPeak colorpeak Nov 1113%
Height off 3DEP inside the forest’s own boundary; each band carries the date our model gives that elevation, corrections and all. The percentage is how much of the forest stands in it.
That’s 7 days later than our model alone would say. This season’s reports from the ground moved it, and they outrank us.
Plan this tripIf you can only come on certain days
Set the days you can be here. Everything under them answers for those days, not for peak.
Friday, October 23 to Saturday, October 24
You’ll find it fading up high, starting to turn lower down.
Up at 8,000 feet the stands peak around Oct 7; down at 4,000 feet they hold on until about Nov 11. Pick your elevation for the day you come.
- 8,000–10,000 ftFadingpeak Oct 7
- 6,000–8,000 ftJust past peakpeak Oct 17
- 4,000–6,000 ftNearly peakpeak Oct 31
- 2,000–4,000 ftStarting to turnpeak Nov 11
- Where to drive
- Sonora Pass (Route 108), about 47 miles · June Lake Loop (Route 158), about 95 miles · US Route 395 (Eastern Sierra), about 115 miles
- What turns
- Fremont cottonwood, California black oak, white alder, willow, blue oak
What turns, and when
- Fremont cottonwood22%
- California black oak21%
- white alder14%
- willow14%
- blue oak14%
- bigleaf maple7%
Also named across California, outside what the canopy read measures here: Quaking Aspen.
Eastern Sierra aspens turn brilliant gold against granite walls, black oaks in Yosemite Valley go bronze and russet, and cottonwoods line the desert creeks in pale yellow.
Questions people ask about Eldorado National Forest
- When is peak fall foliage at Eldorado National Forest?
Our forecast puts peak color at Eldorado National Forest around Oct 24, and the four days to aim for are Oct 23 to 26.
- Where is the best fall color at Eldorado National Forest right now?
On Nov 10 the forest is fading. By elevation, the color is at peak at 2,000 to 4,000 feet.
- How long does peak last at Eldorado National Forest?
About four days at the top, Oct 23 to 26, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive. Across the forest's elevations the color moves over about 35 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 39 days.
- Is Eldorado National Forest past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Oct 24, and on Nov 10 it's fading. The low ground holds until about Nov 11.
- What trees turn color at Eldorado National Forest?
Quaking Aspen, Black Oak, Bigleaf Maple, Fremont Cottonwood, White Alder. Eastern Sierra aspens turn brilliant gold against granite walls, black oaks in Yosemite Valley go bronze and russet, and cottonwoods line the desert creeks in pale yellow.
This forecast is built from the species that stand here, their elevation and this September’s weather, and corrected in season by cameras, foresters and our own crew. Out here we score it against NASA's satellite record of when the canopy shuts down, read inside each unit’s own boundary: two dates in three land within 12 days of it. How this map is made
Nearby, and when they turn
Carson-Iceberg Wilderness and Tahoe and Stanislaus and Emigrant Wilderness and Hoover Wilderness are on the map above, with their own date.
- Peak Oct 31 best Oct 30 to Nov 2
Fall color roads near Eldorado National Forest
Nearest first. Distances are straight-line from the forest, so allow more by road.
- Sonora Pass (Route 108)
A remote Sierra crossing with scattered aspen groves and wide alpine meadows. Less visited than 395 but equally beautiful.
- June Lake Loop (Route 158)
A short loop off US 395 with dense aspen groves around four alpine lakes. The most concentrated aspen color in California.
- US Route 395 (Eastern Sierra)
The stretch from Bridgeport to Lone Pine. Every canyon draining the Sierra's east side holds aspens, and the backdrop of 14,000-foot peaks is unmatched.
- Bishop Creek Road (Route 168)
Climbs from the Owens Valley to South Lake and Lake Sabrina. Aspens line the creek the entire way, peaking in early-to-mid October.