Wilderness Area·California·14,698 acres
Owens River Headwaters Wilderness
Forecast issued Nov 9, 5:27pm ET
Higher ground turns first, so the slopes above the road lead the valley by a few days.
Weather Hard frost Friday night. Peak may come early and go fast.
Weather Wind to 25 mph Sunday. Color may come down before it turns.
No new reports from the ground here this week.
When is peak fall foliage at Owens River Headwaters Wilderness in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Owens River Headwaters Wilderness around Oct 8, and the four days to aim for are Oct 7 to 10.
The wilderness runs from about 8,122 to 10,327 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 20 days: the high stands around Sep 24, the low ground around Oct 6. That's 2 days later than our model alone would say, because this season's reports from the ground moved it.
| Week | In the wilderness | Elevation at peak |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 7 to Sep 13 | Still green | |
| Sep 14 to Sep 20 | Starting to turn | |
| Sep 21 to Sep 27 | Starting to turn | 9,500 to 10,000 ft, 10,000 to 10,500 ft |
| Sep 28 to Oct 4 | Nearly peak | 8,500 to 9,000 ft, 9,000 to 9,500 ft |
| Oct 5 to Oct 11 | Peak color | 8,000 to 8,500 ft |
| Oct 12 to Oct 18 | Just past peak |
- 10,000–10,500 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 245%
- 9,500–10,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 2717%
- 9,000–9,500 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 3026%
- 8,500–9,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 329%
- 8,000–8,500 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 617%
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.
That’s 2 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.
Wednesday, October 7 to Thursday, October 8
You’ll find it just past peak up high, peak color lower down.
Up at 9,500 feet the stands peak around Sep 27; down at 8,500 feet they hold on until about Oct 6. Pick your elevation for the day you come.
- 9,500–10,000 ftJust past peakpeak Sep 27
- 9,000–9,500 ftJust past peakpeak Sep 30
- 8,500–9,000 ftJust past peakpeak Oct 3
- 8,000–8,500 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 6
- Where to drive
- June Lake Loop (Route 158), about 5 miles · US Route 395 (Eastern Sierra), about 16 miles · Bishop Creek Road (Route 168), about 43 miles
- What turns
- quaking aspen, Fremont cottonwood, white alder, willow, bigleaf maple
What turns, and when
- quaking aspen66%
- Fremont cottonwood11%
- white alder7%
- willow7%
- bigleaf maple4%
- California black oak4%
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 Owens River Headwaters Wilderness
- When is peak fall foliage at Owens River Headwaters Wilderness?
Our forecast puts peak color at Owens River Headwaters Wilderness around Oct 8, and the four days to aim for are Oct 7 to 10.
- Where is the best fall color at Owens River Headwaters Wilderness right now?
On Nov 9 the wilderness is leaves down. The last band to peak was 8,000 to 8,500 feet, around Oct 6.
- How long does peak last at Owens River Headwaters Wilderness?
About four days at the top, Oct 7 to 10, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive. Across the wilderness's elevations the color moves over about 20 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 24 days.
- Is Owens River Headwaters Wilderness past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Oct 8, and on Nov 9 it's leaves down.
- What trees turn color at Owens River Headwaters 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 Sierra and Hoover Wilderness and Dinkey Lakes Wilderness are on the map above, with their own date.
- Peak Sep 29 best Sep 28 to Oct 1
- Peak Oct 7 best Oct 6 to 9
Fall color roads near Owens River Headwaters Wilderness
Nearest first. Distances are straight-line from the wilderness, 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.
- 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.
- Sonora Pass (Route 108)
A remote Sierra crossing with scattered aspen groves and wide alpine meadows. Less visited than 395 but equally beautiful.