Wilderness Area·California·653,633 acres
John Muir Wilderness
Forecast issued Nov 10, 5:22pm ET
Higher ground turns first, so the slopes above the road lead the valley by a few days.
Weather Hard frost Wednesday night. Peak may come early and go fast.
Weather Wind to 40 mph Saturday. Color may come down before it turns.
No new reports from the ground here this week.
When is peak fall foliage at John Muir Wilderness in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at John Muir Wilderness around Sep 29, and the four days to aim for are Sep 28 to Oct 1.
The wilderness runs from about 6,845 to 12,092 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 21 days: the high stands around Sep 23, the low ground around Oct 14.
| Week | In the wilderness | Elevation at peak |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 31 to Sep 6 | Still green | |
| Sep 7 to Sep 13 | Starting to turn | |
| Sep 14 to Sep 20 | Starting to turn | 10,000 to 12,000 ft |
| Sep 21 to Sep 27 | Nearly peak | 12,000 to 14,000 ft |
| Sep 28 to Oct 4 | Peak color | 8,000 to 10,000 ft |
| Oct 5 to Oct 11 | Just past peak | |
| Oct 12 to Oct 18 | Fading | 6,000 to 8,000 ft |
| Oct 19 to Oct 25 | Fading |
- 12,000–14,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 236%
- 10,000–12,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 1937%
- 8,000–10,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 134%
- 6,000–8,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1423%
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.
Monday, September 28 to Tuesday, September 29
You’ll find it just past peak up high, starting to turn lower down.
Up at 10,000 feet the stands peak around Sep 19; down at 8,000 feet they hold on until about Oct 14. Pick your elevation for the day you come.
- 10,000–12,000 ftJust past peakpeak Sep 19
- 8,000–10,000 ftNearly peakpeak Oct 1
- 6,000–8,000 ftStarting to turnpeak Oct 14
- Where to drive
- Bishop Creek Road (Route 168), about 10 miles · US Route 395 (Eastern Sierra), about 29 miles · June Lake Loop (Route 158), about 46 miles
- What turns
- Fremont cottonwood, willow, white alder, quaking aspen, California black oak
What turns, and when
- Fremont cottonwood27%
- willow18%
- white alder18%
- quaking aspen18%
- California black oak11%
- bigleaf maple9%
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 John Muir Wilderness
- When is peak fall foliage at John Muir Wilderness?
Our forecast puts peak color at John Muir Wilderness around Sep 29, and the four days to aim for are Sep 28 to Oct 1.
- Where is the best fall color at John Muir Wilderness right now?
On Nov 10 the wilderness is leaves down. The last band to peak was 6,000 to 8,000 feet, around Oct 14.
- How long does peak last at John Muir Wilderness?
About four days at the top, Sep 28 to Oct 1, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive. Across the wilderness's elevations the color moves over about 21 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 25 days.
- Is John Muir Wilderness past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Sep 29, and on Nov 10 it's leaves down.
- What trees turn color at John Muir 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
Sierra and Ansel Adams Wilderness and Sequoia and Mono Basin National Scenic Area are on the map above, with their own date.
- Peak Oct 4 best Oct 3 to 6
- Peak Oct 9 best Oct 8 to 11
Fall color roads near John Muir Wilderness
Nearest first. Distances are straight-line from the wilderness, so allow more by road.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Sonora Pass (Route 108)
A remote Sierra crossing with scattered aspen groves and wide alpine meadows. Less visited than 395 but equally beautiful.