It has been a yearly tradition in my family to do road trips during this time of the year to check out the California Fall Colors. Be it the Shasta counties in the North or Yosemite Valley in the east or the colorful vineyards. California Fall colors are not just beautiful, they are quite dramatic too. We learned that this time while visiting the Eastern Sierras. 

Eastern Sierra fall colors are one of the best in California. The golden patches all over the desert landscape light up reflecting the bright sun rays, giving it a fiery look. It almost looks as if patches of the desert are on fire. The blue lakes also turn yellow. The sugar maples all around turn the place golden. Eastern Sierra includes Bishop Creek, June Lake, Aspendell, Lundy Canyon, Virginia lakes, Mammoth lake, and Mono County. Additionally, we also covered  Hope Valley and Truckee. 

The color change in this area starts in late September and continues until  1st week of November. Since most of these places are drivable it is quite a suitable trip for wheelchair users. Two to three days would be ideal to cover all these places.   

On the way to Yosemite, you can stop along the small towns of Oakdale and Groveland. Oakdale is known as the Cowboy Capital of the World. The Tioga pass is very scenic where you can view the spectacular colors of Yosemite sugar maples of the valley and the beautiful Lake Ellery. Enjoy a quick stop at  Lee Vining junction of CA – 120 and US – 395 and start the scenic drive towards Bishop. The view of Mono lake from the freeway is simply breathtaking. These colors are all along US – 395. On your way to Bishop,  June lake loop and Mammoth lake loops are the two must-see ones. Just follow the signs and surround yourself with colorful aspens and maples. The reflection of those aspens in the lake looks amazing during the golden hour. Park your car on the shoulder and enjoy the view.

Bishop is a little town nestled in between two mountain ranges. The town has beautiful fall colors and if you are lucky you can experience snow in the mountains too. The drive towards Bishop Creek Canyon and Aspendell is breathtaking along CA – 168. Take the inner roads for the lake and you will soak yourself in the amazing canopy of colors. The reflection of the colors in the lake is crisp. They have some accessible parking and a ramp where you can enjoy a picnic and take some pictures. 

After covering these places you can go back to US – 395 and continue north of Lee Vining through Mono county. The Lundy Canyon loop is another very beautiful drive. The fall patches on the mountains look very dramatic. The Virginia Lake region has more volume. You will find vast stretches of orange and yellow and red. And the best part is that it is entirely visible from the freeway. And there are spots on the freeway where you can park your car and take pictures. 

Keep continuing on US – 395 North and then take CA – 89 for Hope valley and Truckee. Hope Valley fall colors are legendary. The roads are lined with tons of beautiful fall Aspens that turn bright yellow. The mixture of traditional pines and aspen give it a very unique look. Wylder hotel and Red Creek Falls cabin are the two places where you can see beautiful colors. You can continue to the beautiful town of Truckee for a quaint dinner at the end of the day and possibly halt for the night.

♿️ Wheelchair accessibility ♿️

  • Most of the places are drivable throughout but if you want to take pictures you can park In the vista pt.
  • On Tioga Pass there are a few vista points from where you can see the valley. Make sure to check that the ground is even.
  • Half dome is clearly visible from Olmsted point. They have accessible parking.
  • The intersection of US – 395 and CA – 120 has a quick-stop shop where you can grab a bite. They have accessible parking and a rest area. From there you get a fantastic view of Mono Lake.
  • June lake is a completely drivable loop. You can park your car on the shoulder and click some pictures near the lake.
  • In Mammoth lake loop you can go to Tamarack Lodge and Resort where you will find some accessible parking and a beautiful view of Twin lake.
  • Near Bishop Creek Canyon there are accessible parking and a ramp to get a clear view of the lake.
  • Lundy Canyon and Virginia Lake can be enjoyed from the car itself.
  • There is some accessible parking in Wylder Resort in Hope Valley to enjoy the colors.
  • Check out www.californiafallcolors.com for the latest updates on fall colors.