Wilderness Area·California·112,782 acres
Emigrant Wilderness
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 Thursday night. Peak may come early and go fast.
Weather Wind to 25 mph Friday. Color may come down before it turns.
No new reports from the ground here this week.
When is peak fall foliage at Emigrant Wilderness in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Emigrant Wilderness around Oct 10, and the four days to aim for are Oct 9 to 12.
The wilderness runs from about 6,222 to 10,079 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 35 days: the high stands around Sep 19, the low ground around Oct 24.
| Week | In the wilderness | Elevation at peak |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 31 to Sep 6 | Still green | |
| Sep 7 to Sep 13 | Still green | |
| Sep 14 to Sep 20 | Starting to turn | 10,000 to 11,000 ft |
| Sep 21 to Sep 27 | Starting to turn | 9,000 to 10,000 ft |
| Sep 28 to Oct 4 | Nearly peak | 8,000 to 9,000 ft |
| Oct 5 to Oct 11 | Peak color | 7,000 to 8,000 ft |
| Oct 12 to Oct 18 | Peak color | 6,000 to 7,000 ft |
| Oct 19 to Oct 25 | Just past peak | 5,000 to 6,000 ft |
| Oct 26 to Nov 1 | Fading | |
| Nov 2 to Nov 8 | Leaves down |
- 10,000–11,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 196%
- 9,000–10,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 2525%
- 8,000–9,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 137%
- 7,000–8,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 722%
- 6,000–7,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 156%
- 5,000–6,000 ftFadingpeak Oct 244%
Height off 3DEP inside the wilderness’s own boundary; each band carries the date our model gives that elevation, corrections and all. The percentage is how much of the wilderness stands in it.
If 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 9 to Saturday, October 10
You’ll find it fading up high, just past peak lower down.
Up at 9,000 feet the stands peak around Sep 25; down at 8,000 feet they hold on until about Oct 7. Pick your elevation for the day you come.
- 9,000–10,000 ftFadingpeak Sep 25
- 8,000–9,000 ftJust past peakpeak Oct 1
- 7,000–8,000 ftJust past peakpeak Oct 7
- Where to drive
- Sonora Pass (Route 108), about 12 miles · June Lake Loop (Route 158), about 46 miles · US Route 395 (Eastern Sierra), about 66 miles
- What turns
- Fremont cottonwood, white alder, willow, California black oak, bigleaf maple
What turns, and when
- Fremont cottonwood30%
- white alder20%
- willow20%
- California black oak12%
- bigleaf maple10%
- quaking aspen5%
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 Emigrant Wilderness
- When is peak fall foliage at Emigrant Wilderness?
Our forecast puts peak color at Emigrant Wilderness around Oct 10, and the four days to aim for are Oct 9 to 12.
- Where is the best fall color at Emigrant Wilderness right now?
On Nov 10 the wilderness is leaves down. The last band to peak was 5,000 to 6,000 feet, around Oct 24.
- How long does peak last at Emigrant Wilderness?
About four days at the top, Oct 9 to 12, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive. Across the wilderness's elevations the color moves over about 35 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 39 days.
- Is Emigrant Wilderness past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Oct 10, and on Nov 10 it's leaves down.
- What trees turn color at Emigrant Wilderness?
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
Yosemite and Mokelumne Wilderness and Mono Basin National Scenic Area are on the map above, with their own date.
- Peak Oct 8 best Oct 7 to 10
- Peak Oct 24 best Oct 23 to 26
- Peak Oct 23 best Oct 22 to 25
Fall color roads near Emigrant Wilderness
Nearest first. Distances are straight-line from the wilderness, 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.