National Forest·California·1,139,906 acres
Sequoia National Forest
Forecast issued Nov 9, 7:48am ET
Higher ground turns first, so the slopes above the road lead the valley by a few days.
No new reports from the ground here this week.
When is peak fall foliage at Sequoia National Forest in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Sequoia National Forest around Oct 16, and the four days to aim for are Oct 15 to 18.
The forest runs from about 2,727 to 9,149 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 23 days: the high stands around Oct 8, the low ground around Oct 25. That's 1 day later than our model alone would say, because this September has been running warm.
| Week | In the forest | Elevation at peak |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 21 to Sep 27 | Starting to turn | |
| Sep 28 to Oct 4 | Starting to turn | |
| Oct 5 to Oct 11 | Nearly peak | 8,000 to 10,000 ft |
| Oct 12 to Oct 18 | Peak color | 6,000 to 8,000 ft |
| Oct 19 to Oct 25 | Just past peak | 2,000 to 4,000 ft, 4,000 to 6,000 ft |
| Oct 26 to Nov 1 | Just past peak | |
| Nov 2 to Nov 8 | Fading |
- 8,000–10,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 816%
- 6,000–8,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1334%
- 4,000–6,000 ftFadingpeak Oct 2030%
- 2,000–4,000 ftFadingpeak Oct 2519%
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 1 day later than our model alone would say. This September has been running warm, which shifts peak color.
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.
Thursday, October 15 to Friday, October 16
You’ll find it just past peak up high, starting to turn lower down.
Up at 8,000 feet the stands peak around Oct 8; down at 4,000 feet they hold on until about Oct 25. Pick your elevation for the day you come.
- 8,000–10,000 ftJust past peakpeak Oct 8
- 6,000–8,000 ftJust past peakpeak Oct 13
- 4,000–6,000 ftNearly peakpeak Oct 20
- 2,000–4,000 ftStarting to turnpeak Oct 25
- Where to drive
- Bishop Creek Road (Route 168), about 83 miles · US Route 395 (Eastern Sierra), about 109 miles · June Lake Loop (Route 158), about 124 miles
- What turns
- California black oak, blue oak, valley oak, Fremont cottonwood, white alder
What turns, and when
- California black oak30%
- blue oak28%
- valley oak14%
- Fremont cottonwood9%
- white alder6%
- willow6%
Also named across California, outside what the canopy read measures here: Quaking Aspen, 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 Sequoia National Forest
- When is peak fall foliage at Sequoia National Forest?
Our forecast puts peak color at Sequoia National Forest around Oct 16, and the four days to aim for are Oct 15 to 18.
- Where is the best fall color at Sequoia National Forest right now?
On Nov 9 the forest is leaves down. The last band to peak was 2,000 to 4,000 feet, around Oct 25.
- How long does peak last at Sequoia National Forest?
About four days at the top, Oct 15 to 18, with a week or so either side that's still worth the drive. Across the forest's elevations the color moves over about 23 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 27 days.
- Is Sequoia National Forest past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Oct 16, and on Nov 9 it's leaves down.
- What trees turn color at Sequoia 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
Sequoia and Kings Canyon and John Muir Wilderness and Inyo are on the map above, with their own date.
- Peak Oct 25 best Oct 24 to 27
- Peak Oct 5 best Oct 4 to 7
Fall color roads near Sequoia National Forest
Nearest first. Distances are straight-line from the forest, 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.