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Mammoth Lakes, California fall foliage
In a typical year, fall color in the Mammoth Lakes area peaks around October 7, with the best viewing from roughly October 5 to October 13.
- Typical peak
- October 7
- Best viewing
- Oct 5 – Oct 13
- Color starts
- Around Sep 25
- Leaves mostly down
- Around Oct 20
- Elevation
- 7,880 ft
2026 foliage season
Typical season
Peak around October 7. Turn on JavaScript to see today’s estimated status and the five-week outlook.
The season at a glance
Bar height shows how good the viewing typically is on each day, from September 1 through November 30. Colors show the stage, from green through peak red to bare.
Open Mammoth Lakes on the foliage mapWhere to see the color around Mammoth Lakes
Mammoth Lakes sits at about 7,880 feet on the east side of the Sierra, below Mammoth Mountain. Lake Mary Road climbs from town into the Lakes Basin, past Twin Lakes, Lake Mary, and Horseshoe Lake. Just south of town, Convict Lake sits in a steep-walled bowl below Laurel Mountain and Mount Morrison, with aspen along the shore, and nearby McGee Creek canyon is another well-known place for aspen.
Scenic drive
US 395 runs south from Mammoth Lakes past the turnoffs for Convict Lake and McGee Creek, with the Sierra crest rising to the west, then on to Tom’s Place and Rock Creek Canyon and over Sherwin Summit toward Bishop. To the north, US 395 leads to the June Lake Loop.
If you arrive too early or too late
Too early? Still mostly green
Head higher or farther north
Rock Creek Canyon, CA (19 miles away, higher up) typically peaks about 10 days earlier, and Monitor Pass, CA (79 miles away, farther north) typically peaks about 5 days earlier.
Too late? Already past peak
Head lower
Yosemite Valley, CA (35 miles away, lower down) typically peaks about 22 days later, and South Lake Tahoe, CA (104 miles away, lower down) typically peaks about 7 days later.
Nearby destinations
- June Lake (Eastern Sierra), CATypical peak Oct 8, about the same time. 11 miles away.
- Rock Creek Canyon, CATypical peak Sep 27, 10 days earlier. 19 miles away.
- Lundy Canyon, CATypical peak Oct 6, about the same time. 30 miles away.
- Yosemite Valley, CATypical peak Oct 29, 22 days later. 35 miles away.
- Bishop Creek Canyon, CATypical peak Oct 4, 3 days earlier. 35 miles away.
Trees you’ll see turning
Common questions
When is peak fall foliage in Mammoth Lakes?
In a typical year, fall color in the Mammoth Lakes area peaks around October 7, with the best viewing from roughly October 5 to October 13. Weather can shift the timing by about a week either way.
How long does peak color last in Mammoth Lakes?
Near-peak color usually holds for about 9 days. Color starts to show around September 25, and most leaves are down by about October 20.
Is Mammoth Lakes early or late compared with the rest of California?
Mammoth Lakes typically peaks about 5 days earlier than the California average of Oct 11. It ranks 5 of 11 California destinations from earliest to latest.
What trees color up around Mammoth Lakes?
The main fall color in this area comes from quaking aspen and willow. See the leaf guide to identify them.
Estimates come from the Leaves.com model of typical years, based on latitude, elevation, and distance from large bodies of water. They are not live observations. How it works.