Fall Colors in the Sierra Nevada can be found in many locations, however, the classic locations are on the eastern side of the Sierra and stretch from Monitor Pass south to Independence. Additional Fall Colors can be found on the western side in places like Yosemite Valley, and east of Porterville.
Classic Locations
The table below contains references to various locations related to taking photos of Sierra Fall Colors.
Two forms of GPS coordinates are given, Google maps, and standard Degrees, Minutes, seconds.
You are encouraged to submit locations via comments that will be included in the table.
Location Name | Type of Location | Comment | Directions | GPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olmstead Point | Scenic pull out View of Half Dome and Cloud's Rest | Popular pull out on Hwy 120 when driving to Eastern side | About 10 miles before Tuolumne Meadows | 37.940102, 119.028153 +37° 48' 40.13", -119° 29' 7.02" |
| Ellery Lake | Park and walk, great reflections | Nice stop on the eastward journey after Tioga pass | 2nd lake just below Tioga Pass, pull off into campground | 37.938858, -119.244472 +37° 56' 19.89", -119° 14' 40.10" |
| Saddlebag Lake Road | Great Panorama opportunities. | Great views of the crest | A couple of miles east of Tioga Pass | 37.938858, -119.268336 +37° 57' 34.16", -119° 16' 6.01" |
| Poole Power Plant Road | Clumps of aspens | This is the valley below Tioga Pass road coming down into Lee Vining | Off of the Tioga Pass Rd. | 37.930718, -119.164434 +37° 55' 50.58", -119° 9' 51.96" |
| Mobile Gas Station | Eatery | One of the better places for dinner | Corner of Hwy 120 & Hwy 395 | 37.947305, -119.113701 +37° 56' 50.30", -119° 6' 49.32" |
| Lower Lundy Canyon | Actually 3 different photo locations; Lower Lundy between Hwy 395 and the lake, Lundy Lake, and upper Lundy canyon | Classic location, lots of reference to this location | Lundy Canyon Rd off of Hwy 395 | 38.037073, -119.165153 +38° 2' 13.46", -119° 9' 54.55" 38.085955, -119.191889 +38° 5' 9.44", -119° 11' 30.80" |
| Upper Lundy Canyon | Photogenic Aspens, beaver dams | Lots of great location, and some nice hiking from the roads end. | Take the dirt road past the resort . | 38.021636, -119.265246 +38° 1' 17.89", -119° 15' 54.89" |
| Mono Lake Tufa | Classic sunrise location | Take grad filters, or HDR because of the high contrast at sunrise | This is the south Tufa viewing area | 37.940052, -119.027459 +37° 56' 19.49", -119° 1' 37.18" |
| Conway Summit | Fall colors as groups of trees | Nice view from Hwy | On Hwy 395 at the top of the pass, north of Lee Vining | 38.091494, -119.180230 +38° 5' 29.38", -119° 10' 48.83" |
| Virginia Lakes | Classic location | 38.085955, -119.191889 | ||
| Dunderberg Meadow | Aspens, peaks, meadow, colors | One of the best locations we have found | Take Dunderberg road off of the Virginia Lakes road. Elevavation 8,500' to 9,000' | 38.107164, -119.237079 +38° 6' 25.79", -119° 14' 13.48" |
| Summer Meadow | Very similar to Dunderberg Meadows | Colors seem to be later in the year than Dunderberg | TakeGreen Cr. Rd. off of Hwy 395 (about 3 miles south of Bridgeport on the west side, also about 3 mile north of the Bodie Rd.) at the Y take Summer Meadow Rd | 38.151646, -119.264974 +38° 9' 5.93", -119° 15' 53.91" |
| Bodie | Ghost Town | A town in arrested decay | Drive up Cottonwood Canyon Rd, north of Mono lake rather than road in from 395. Take Hwy to Hawthorne, about 5 miles from 395 there is a sign for Bodie, take it | 38.204600, -119.016293 +38° 12' 16.56", -119° 0' 58.65" |
| Bodie Ridge | Aspens, wildlife, view of Mono lake | wildlife, and a view of the Sierra crest, mono lake, and Bodie. Good panorama | At the top of Cottonwood Rd, turn West on small dirt road | 38.189231, -119.013415 +38° 11' 21.23", -119° 0' 48.29" |
| Cottonwood Canyon Rd | Alternative Road to Bodie There are some old ruins along the road, and a spring that are nice photos | A prettier way into Bodie, and you can stop at Bodie ridge on the way in. | 38.113636, -119.047693 +38° 6' 49.09", -119° 2' 51.69" |
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| Obsidian Dome | Interest rock, hard to photograph | More Obsidian than you can imagine. It is not the glass dome, but rather a pile of rocks. | 3 miles in on Obsidian Dome road between off of Hwy 395 between June lake & Mammoth | 37.763444, -119.025721 +37° 45' 48.40", -119° 1' 32.60" |
| Toomey's Restaurant, Mammoth | Highly recommended by Yelp | Founded by the same chef as the mobile station | ||
| June Lake Loop | Classic location for fall colors, although I don't think it is as good many others. | 37.808642, -119.056005 +37° 48' 31.11", -119° 3' 21.62" |
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| Aspendell | Can be very pretty with the pond and Aspens | West of Bishop on North Lake/South Lake road (Hwy 168) | 37.232219, -118.598953 +37° 13' 55.99", -118° 35' 56.23" |
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| South Lake road | Some of latest turning aspens | Beautiful waterfall surrounded by aspens | Take a left off Hwy 168 | 37.214438, -118.566470 +37° 12' 51.98", -118° 33' 59.29" |
| Lake Sabrina | Great water and aspen shots | West end of hwy 168 | 37.213145, -118.611331 +37° 12' 47.32", -118° 36' 40.79" |
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| North Lake | Some of the earliest turning Aspens | Off of Hwy 168 shortly before Lake Sabrina | 37.229175, -118.620668 +37° 13' 45.03", -118° 37' 14.40" |
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| South Bishop | A beautiful tree in a pasture | On US 395 | 37.344079,-118.395466 +37° 20' 38.68", -118° 23' 43.68" |
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| Bristle Cone Pines - Shulman Grove at 10,000' | First pull out, and naturalist area in the Bristle Cones, | The altitude typically makes it difficult to do much. There is often a little snow (inch or 2) | ||
| Convict Lake | Has beautiful swirls in the rock, but is east facing | Just south of Mammoth Lakes, it is 2 miles in | 37.594942,-118.851899 |
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| Bristle Cone Pines - Grove of the Patriarch at 11,000' | Highest point you can drive in California open to public, 11,000 ft | You will need sun block | An hour beyond Shulman Grove, desolate moon scape | |
| Lembert Dome, Toulumne Meadows | Great view of the Sierra's, Panoramas and view of Cathedral Peak. | 37.877597, -119.352321 +37° 52' 39.35", -119° 21' 8.36" |
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| Unnamed spot exiting Tenaya Lake | Long lens shot of singe tree growing out of a granite dome | |||
| Lee Vining Power house creek | Aspens below the powerhouse in Lee Vining | Park on 395 in Lee Vining and walk down the canyon | 37.955070, -119.118175 +37° 57' 18.25", -119° 7' 5.43" |
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