National Scenic Area·California·119,075 acres
Mono Basin National Scenic Area
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 Wind to 25 mph Friday. Color may come down before it turns.
Weather Hard frost Sunday night. Peak may come early and go fast.
No new reports from the ground here this week.
When is peak fall foliage at Mono Basin National Scenic Area in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Mono Basin National Scenic Area around Oct 12, and the four days to aim for are Oct 11 to 14.
The area runs from about 6,383 to 8,306 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 22 days: the high stands around Oct 2, the low ground around Oct 12. That's 5 days earlier than our model alone would say, because this season's reports from the ground moved it.
| Week | In the area | Elevation at peak |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 14 to Sep 20 | Still green | |
| Sep 21 to Sep 27 | Starting to turn | |
| Sep 28 to Oct 4 | Nearly peak | 7,500 to 8,000 ft |
| Oct 5 to Oct 11 | Peak color | 6,500 to 7,000 ft, 7,000 to 7,500 ft |
| Oct 12 to Oct 18 | Peak color | 6,000 to 6,500 ft |
| Oct 19 to Oct 25 | Just past peak |
- 7,500–8,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 28%
- 7,000–7,500 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 69%
- 6,500–7,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1027%
- 6,000–6,500 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1249%
Height off 3DEP inside the area’s own boundary; each band carries the date our model gives that elevation, corrections and all. The percentage is how much of the area stands in it.
That’s 5 days earlier 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.
Sunday, October 11 to Monday, October 12
You’ll find it just past peak up high, peak color lower down.
Up at 7,000 feet the stands peak around Oct 6; down at 6,500 feet they hold on until about Oct 12. Pick your elevation for the day you come.
- 7,000–7,500 ftJust past peakpeak Oct 6
- 6,500–7,000 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 10
- 6,000–6,500 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 12
- Where to drive
- June Lake Loop (Route 158), about 15 miles · US Route 395 (Eastern Sierra), about 29 miles · Sonora Pass (Route 108), about 40 miles
- What turns
- willow, Fremont cottonwood, narrowleaf cottonwood, quaking aspen, water birch
What turns, and when
- willow32%
- Fremont cottonwood25%
- narrowleaf cottonwood19%
- quaking aspen12%
- water birch9%
- white alder3%
Also named across California, outside what the canopy read measures here: Black Oak, Bigleaf Maple.
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 Mono Basin National Scenic Area
- When is peak fall foliage at Mono Basin National Scenic Area?
Our forecast puts peak color at Mono Basin National Scenic Area around Oct 12, and the four days to aim for are Oct 11 to 14.
- Where is the best fall color at Mono Basin National Scenic Area right now?
On Nov 10 the area is leaves down. The last band to peak was 6,000 to 6,500 feet, around Oct 12.
- How long does peak last at Mono Basin National Scenic Area?
About four days at the top, Oct 11 to 14, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive. Across the area's elevations the color moves over about 22 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 26 days.
- Is Mono Basin National Scenic Area past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Oct 12, and on Nov 10 it's leaves down.
- What trees turn color at Mono Basin National Scenic Area?
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
Ansel Adams Wilderness and Yosemite and Emigrant Wilderness and Sierra are on the map above, with their own date.
- Peak Oct 8 best Oct 7 to 10
- Peak Oct 10 best Oct 9 to 12
Fall color roads near Mono Basin National Scenic Area
Nearest first. Distances are straight-line from the area, so allow more by road.
- 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.
- Sonora Pass (Route 108)
A remote Sierra crossing with scattered aspen groves and wide alpine meadows. Less visited than 395 but equally beautiful.
- 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.