As we near summer’s official end, we can’t help but start to plan for the new season and everything it has to offer. Seeking out colorful fall foliage is always on our list of things to do during the fall season! Of course, timing is everything when it comes to planning a leaf-peeping adventure. Thankfully, the good folks at SmokyMountains have made it easy to see exactly when and where you can expect to see fall foliage in Northern California at its peak. Take a look:
Leaf-peeping is made easy with the help of the Fall Foliage Map from SmokyMountains.com. With this nifty tool, you can get a good idea of when and where fall foliage will be at its best in regions of Northern California.
Here in California, we tend to have to be patient when it comes to the arrival of fall foliage. It isn't until the week of October 11 that parts of NorCal will see "near peak" or "peak" foliage, mainly in the Tahoe and Gold Country areas.
Similar to any meteorological forecast, leaf predictions will never be 100% accurate. However, SmokyMountains is pretty confident with their process and algorithm after nearly a decade of publishing the predictive fall foliage map.
Starting the week of October 18, "near peak" and "peak" foliage will spread to the Shasta Cascade area, Sacramento Valley, and parts of the Sierra Nevada. Expect colorful displays of autumnal hues like red, orange, and gold!
Much of the Golden State will be past peak foliage by the week of October 25. However, the North Coast and Bay Area will both still be in the early stages of peak foliage. Timing is truly everything when planning a fall adventure in Northern California.
Lucky for us, there's no shortage of landscapes in NorCal that shine during the fall season. Our fall foliage road trip will take you to some of autumn's most scenic views, including Mt. Shasta, Lassen Volcanic National Park, and Castle Crags State Park.
The fall foliage map started out as a fun project but rapidly became one of the top fall resources in the country with tens-of-millions of people using it annually. Start planning your adventures now - you don't want to miss the window for brilliant fall foliage!
A big thank you to SmokyMountains.com, a travel brand that markets the Smoky Mountain region and hosts
travelers, for creating this beyond useful tool! They are focused on delivering incredible vacation experiences for the millions of annual travelers to the regions and the fall leaf map is one of the ways they positively impact vacations. To learn more, be sure to visit their website!
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