When is peak fall foliage in June Lake?

In a typical year, fall color in the June Lake area peaks around October 3, with the best viewing from roughly October 2 to October 10. Weather can shift the timing by about a week either way.

How long does peak color last in June Lake?

Near-peak color usually holds for about 9 days. Color starts to show around September 21, and most leaves are down by about October 16.

Is June Lake early or late compared with the rest of California?

June Lake typically peaks about 5 days earlier than the California average of Oct 9. It ranks 6 of 11 California destinations from earliest to latest.

What trees color up around June Lake?

The main fall color in this area comes from quaking aspen and willow. See the leaf guide to identify them.

Foliage map › Destinations › California › Yosemite Valley

Yosemite Valley, California fall foliage

In a typical year, fall color in the Yosemite Valley area peaks around October 29, with the best viewing from roughly October 28 to November 5.

Typical peak: October 29
Best viewing: Oct 28 – Nov 5
Color starts: Around Oct 17
Leaves mostly down: Around Nov 11
Elevation: 4,000 ft

2026 foliage season

Typical season

Peak around October 29. 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 Yosemite Valley on the foliage map

Where to see the color around Yosemite Valley

Yosemite Valley sits at about 4,000 feet, between El Capitan and Half Dome, and its fall color comes later than in the high country. Black oaks turn gold and orange-brown across the meadows, dogwoods turn red and pink, and black cottonwoods turn bright yellow. Bigleaf maples glow yellow along the streams from below Bridalveil Creek past Sentinel Creek to Happy Isles, and a planted sugar maple near the Yosemite Valley Chapel turns bright red.

Scenic drive

The Wawona Road (Highway 41) enters the valley through the Wawona Tunnel, where Tunnel View looks up the valley to El Capitan, Bridalveil Fall, and Half Dome. Higher up, Glacier Point Road and the Tioga Road (Highway 120) have aspen and other color earlier in the season, but both close for the winter, and storms can close them sooner, so check road conditions before you go.

If you arrive too early or too late

Too early? Still mostly green

Head higher

Lundy Canyon, CA (28 miles away, higher up) typically peaks about 23 days earlier, and June Lake (Eastern Sierra), CA (29 miles away, higher up) typically peaks about 21 days earlier.

Too late? Already past peak

Look for lower valleys

None of the destinations we track within 150 miles of Yosemite Valley typically peaks much later. Lower valleys nearby are your best bet: color tends to hang on about 3 to 4 days longer for every 1,000 feet lower.

Nearby destinations

Trees you’ll see turning

Bigleaf maple

Common questions

When is peak fall foliage in Yosemite Valley?

In a typical year, fall color in the Yosemite Valley area peaks around October 29, with the best viewing from roughly October 28 to November 5. Weather can shift the timing by about a week either way.

How long does peak color last in Yosemite Valley?

Near-peak color usually holds for about 9 days. Color starts to show around October 17, and most leaves are down by about November 11.

Is Yosemite Valley early or late compared with the rest of California?

Yosemite Valley typically peaks about 18 days later than the California average of Oct 11. It ranks 11 of 11 California destinations from earliest to latest.

What trees color up around Yosemite Valley?

The main fall color in Yosemite Valley comes from bigleaf maple, California black oak, dogwood, and black cottonwood. See the leaf guide to identify bigleaf maple.

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.