National Forest·California·901,334 acres
Stanislaus National Forest
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 Saturday night. Peak may come early and go fast.
No new reports from the ground here this week.
When is peak fall foliage at Stanislaus National Forest in 2026?
Our forecast puts peak color at Stanislaus National Forest around Oct 10, and the four days to aim for are Oct 9 to 12.
The forest runs from about 2,422 to 9,151 feet, and the color comes downhill over about 22 days: the high stands around Sep 30, the low ground around Nov 7.
| Week | In the forest | Elevation at peak |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 14 to Sep 20 | Starting to turn | |
| Sep 21 to Sep 27 | Starting to turn | |
| Sep 28 to Oct 4 | Nearly peak | 8,000 to 10,000 ft |
| Oct 5 to Oct 11 | Peak color | 6,000 to 8,000 ft |
| Oct 12 to Oct 18 | Peak color | |
| Oct 19 to Oct 25 | Just past peak | 4,000 to 6,000 ft |
| Oct 26 to Nov 1 | Fading | |
| Nov 2 to Nov 8 | Leaves down | 2,000 to 4,000 ft |
| Nov 9 to Nov 15 this week | Leaves down | |
| Nov 16 to Nov 22 | Leaves down |
- 8,000–10,000 ftLeaves downpeak Sep 3022%
- 6,000–8,000 ftLeaves downpeak Oct 1129%
- 4,000–6,000 ftFadingpeak Oct 2522%
- 2,000–4,000 ftJust past peakpeak Nov 725%
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.
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 just past peak up high, still green lower down.
Up at 8,000 feet the stands peak around Sep 30; down at 4,000 feet they hold on until about Nov 7. Pick your elevation for the day you come.
- 8,000–10,000 ftJust past peakpeak Sep 30
- 6,000–8,000 ftPeak colorpeak Oct 11
- 4,000–6,000 ftStarting to turnpeak Oct 25
- 2,000–4,000 ftStill greenpeak Nov 7
- Where to drive
- Sonora Pass (Route 108), about 22 miles · June Lake Loop (Route 158), about 55 miles · US Route 395 (Eastern Sierra), about 75 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 cottonwood12%
- white alder8%
- willow8%
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 Stanislaus National Forest
- When is peak fall foliage at Stanislaus National Forest?
Our forecast puts peak color at Stanislaus National Forest around Oct 10, and the four days to aim for are Oct 9 to 12.
- Where is the best fall color at Stanislaus National Forest right now?
On Nov 10 the forest is leaves down. The last band to peak was 2,000 to 4,000 feet, around Nov 7.
- How long does peak last at Stanislaus National Forest?
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 forest's elevations the color moves over about 22 days, so there's peak color somewhere in it for roughly 26 days.
- Is Stanislaus National Forest past peak?
Yes. Peak was around Oct 10, and on Nov 10 it's leaves down.
- What trees turn color at Stanislaus 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
Mokelumne Wilderness and Hoover Wilderness and Yosemite and Eldorado are on the map above, with their own date.
- Peak Oct 12 best Oct 11 to 14
- Peak Oct 23 best Oct 22 to 25
Fall color roads near Stanislaus National Forest
Nearest first. Distances are straight-line from the forest, 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.