Let’s go Leaf Peeping in the Eastern Sierra!

They say the best area to see fall color in California is on the eastern parts of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. To be more precise, the places to go leaf peeping in the Eastern Sierra are the eastern slopes of the Sierras, June Lake, Convict Lake, Twin Lakes, Lake George, Conway Summit, Viginia Lakes, Lundy Canyon and Bishop Creek Canyon, to name a few.

For several autumns, I’ve been wanting to go that side. Every fall, I’d think of it ahead of time but would miss the fairly-short fall color window — year after year! This year, however, we got to make a quick trip that side in early fall and made sure we did ‘some’ leaf peeping in the Eastern Sierra.

We didn’t get to see the whole area dressed in fall color as the colors seem to come in phases. (And then there are a couple of weeks when most parts in the area are at their color peak. We were too early for that.) So we saw some color here and there. This blogpost will tell you where you might see some fall color if you go leaf-peeping in the Eastern Sierra in the first week of October.

Tioga Pass

Around this time of the year, you are likely to see patches of yellow on the eastern parts of the Tioga Pass/ Hwy 120 as it passes through the high Sierras in Yosemite National Park.

I repeat, all the color we saw on the roadsides and the slopes were on the eastern side of the park. To be more precise, it was after the Tenaya Lake area and towards the descent to Eastern Sierra that all the color was. (Note: I’m talking about early October. Feel free to use this info. if you’re planning to go leaf peeping in the Eastern Sierra next year or sometime in the future. 🙂)

In case you missed the previous post, visit– When Fall Colors arrive in Tioga Pass

Where to go for some Leaf Peeping in the Eastern Sierra:

June Lake Loop

June Lake Loop, which lies between Lee Vining and Mammoth Lakes is one of the most popular places to see the fall color of the area. The 15-mile scenic route is lined with Aspens that make it look like you’re driving through a painting; when fall color is in its full glory, that is.

When we drove through the route this time (we were there a few summers ago), we didn’t see color all through the drive but there were several gorgeous yellow patches along the way.

Convict Lake

When we got to Convict Lake later that evening, we found that the area’s peak had passed. What was left were some faded fall colors on the fringes of the lake and on the slopes on the other side of the lake.

Even with the muted colors the lake was a pretty sight. The water was still and glassy and it was the rocks that stole the show that day. (More about Convict Lake in another post, soon.)

Mammoth Lakes Basin

The next morning we drove around the lakes of the Mammoth Basin, stopping at the Twin Lakes Vista, Lake Mary and Lake George.

The drive to the vista point was a lovely one. The colors of the season shone in the morning light was a beautiful a prologue to the exceptionally lovely sight that was in store for us.

Twin Lakes

Twin Lakes Vista was another pretty picture with green in the foreground and the background and a happy yellow bordering some blue waters in the middle ground! The place was a perfect postcard, a sight that’s going to be etched in my memory for a very long time.

Lake Mary

Lake Mary, like Convict Lake, was more about the beauty of the lake than the color, that day. The surroundings were on the drier side and it was the lake itself and the granites in the backdrop that was the highlight of the area.

Lake George

After looping around Lake Mary, we drove uphill to Lake George, which was at a higher elevation. The parking lot and a good part of the road leading to it was packed with cars and trucks, and we had to do a few rounds of driving around the parking area before we found a spot.

This was another postcard, I tell you! Tall grey mountains, placid reflective waters, a couple of boats and dashes of yellow on the slopes … it had it all!

Lundy Canyon

The final stop of this trip, which was all about leaf peeping in the Eastern Sierra, was Lundy Canyon and I must say it was quite the grand finale! The road into the canyon, the lake that’s the canyon’s centerpiece, and the yellow foliage of the Aspens had me ‘almost’ have my fill.

(That’s only for now. I’d like to back to a fully colored June Lake Loop, sometime. Man! My economics book was right: WANTS are unlimited! And one ‘want’ does lead to another! 😁

Until next time, Eastern Sierra! 💛💛

More:
Fall color on Tipsy from the TRIP
From Yosemite
From the Eastern Sierra

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