Jump to content

Fall Color in California


tan

Recommended Posts

Does anyone know of a good location to photograph the color of Fall anywhere in California? Are there areas in California with a fair concentration of maple trees of the type which is common in Connecticut? What would be the best time of Fall season to capture the full intensity of Fall color?
Link to comment
Share on other sites

You won't find the intensity of colors that you find in Connecticut anywhere in California. I don't live there now, but I can attest to a very dull Fall foliage season in Southern California--it's a desert! Southern Cal has two main foliage seasons: dry and wet. In the dry season, the only places to find anything green is where there are sprinklers! In the wet season ("Wet" is a relative term here), the rapidly diminishing empty hills get covered with green scrub brush, which eventually dries up and causes all those lovely fires!

 

<p>

 

I'm sure that some California residents can offer opinions on Central and Northern Cal, but I would avoid Southern Cal. I would bet that the Sierras are the place to be.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

James Tarquin: Thanks for your input. Maybe I should make a trip to Connecticut this Fall. Where can I find the highest concentration of maple foliage i.e. the best photo spots, and when would be the best time to go?

 

<p>

 

Qiang Li: I have been in this country for only a couple of years and where I live (San Francisco) all I have seen is a couple of rows of maple trees here and there, mostly in Napa Valley. Maybe I should move to New England ...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Napa valley is supposed to have good fall color here. 2 years ago,

I drove to Glen Ellen, 'bout an hour and a half north of Berkeley

to go see a tree-lined street that was reputedly as colorful as a

typical street in New England during fall. It was quite colorful

although I got there just as the sun went below the hills to the west.

The grape vines do turn into various shades of yellow orange, and red

so it might be worth driving around Napa valley in late September or

early November.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Go where the Aspin trees are. They love water and altitude - 7,000 feet plus. Yellow leaves, white bark. High Sierras. Gold Country along highway 49 - try Goose Lake. A cluster of Quaking Aspin, a stream or lake, and a vivid blue sky. Yosemite has beautiful fall color. Ya just gotta be there!

Red Oak, Cottonwood, and Sycamores along stream banks at lower elevations. Suggest you stay out of Southern California.

 

<p>

 

And yes, Connecticut and Main win, hands down! Maple trees are pretty scarce in California.

Steve

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...