Many people say “Winter is the season of love.” The love starts months well before Winter. Fall is a unique season. This season has its own smell, its own colors, and its own fascinating traditions. It is the first day of fall and I smell the cinnamon candles my mom bought. I see the house decorated in orange, red, yellow, and brown. But something was missing… the fall leaves! Typically fall leaves come a bit later in the season. But before the leaves “fall”, they turn into gorgeous colors. Different shades provide different backgrounds. The scenery always looks so beautiful. We have a wonderful tree in front of our house that sheds its leaves every year. It has been a tradition to take a family picture in front of the tree every fall. The tree has been a silent witness to my growing years.

The beautiful and colorful transformation of the foliage in the New England area of the Eastern United States is very well known all around the world. I have always heard about the New England Fall Colors from my parents. We even made a trip to New England States just to check out the Fall Colors. It has been a yearly tradition in my family to do road trips to check out the California Fall Colors. California Fall colors are no less beautiful. Be it the Shasta counties in the North or the Yosemite Valley in the east. My personal favorite is the fall colors of Napa and Sonoma County. Vibrant colorful grapevines arranged neatly in endless rows are a sight that is not to be missed.

San Francisco Bay Area Fall Colors


These are a few of the places which have some magnificent color display in Autumn/Fall.

San Francisco Bay Area Fall Colors

These are a few of the places which have some magnificent color display in Autumn/Fall.

  • Fall foliage in Napa Valley
    Fall foliage starts from mid to late October. You can enjoy the colorful spread by driving along the Silverado Trail from Napa to Calistoga. Detour into Zinfandel Lane or Rutherford Lane for a more spectacular display. Grab a bite or even a more elaborate meal at the picturesque Yountville downtown.
  • Alexander Valley in Sonoma county is another place to check out the fall color display
  • Yosemite National Park and Mammoth Lakes is another destination where the fall start early in September. Check the California Eastern-sierras guide and map for details. Check here. 
  • North and South – Lake Tahoe is a great destination. For details visit https://www.laketahoe.com/top-10-places-to-enjoy-fall-foliage-in-lake-tahoe/
  • Redding and Shasta counties.
  • If you are a San Francisco Bay Area resident ( where fall colors starts to show late October),
    • a very quick trip to Pleasanton at the intersection of Hopyard and Gibraltar is well worth the effort in early November
    • University Ave, Page Mill Road and its whereabouts in Palo Alto is another one such place to Fall in love.
    • Intersection of Fremont Blvd and Michael Ave in Fremont
    • Ardenwood area in Fremont
    • Cal-State Hayward Campus
    • Intersection of California Street & Hanover Street @ Palo Alto, CA
    • Intersection of Omar Street and Stevenson Blvd @ Fremont, CA
    • Filoli Garden, Woodside, CA
    • San Francisco Botanical Gardens
    • Japanese Tea Garden near Gate Park.
    • Drive to Grizzly Peak Blvd is also awesome. Follow the signs to the Botanical garden and Lawrence Hall of Science. This hilltop road offers a Panoramic view of the San Francisco bay with splashes of fall colors.

TRACK THE CALIFORNIA FALL COLORS

ACCESSIBILITY

  • ♿️Most of these places are ADA-compliant and are fully accessible on wheelchairs or mobility scooters. If you would like to venture into the vineyards for a closer look or a photo shoot, the road may be unpaved.
  • ♿️Most of the sites mentioned here are easily seen by driving around.

TIPS

  • For the exact details of the timings in California check out California Fall Colors – https://www.californiafallcolor.com
  • Yankee Foliage – http://www.yankeefoliage.com/live-fall-foliage-map/syndicate.php Is helpful to check out NewEngland fall colors
  • Fall colors in California happen late as compared to the East Coast.
  • Please check the timings before visiting any area.
  • While visiting the wineries make sure you go in the later half of the day when you can take beautiful pictures.