Sierra Mountain Times

A vibrant grove of aspen proudly display their fall foliage along the border of Eagle Meadow in the Stanislaus National Forest last October.

Story and Photos by Thomas Atkins

Although Tuolumne and Calaveras Counties might not be in the top ten travel destinations for those in search of colorful fall foliage, the spectacular shades of color that the Sierra produces can often be surprising. And while the East Coast has thousands of tourists flocking to its legendary locations to view autumn’s adaptation to the season, residents in the Sierra have their own secret locales where they too can witness this dramatic transformation. Yet unlike the East Coast where the multicolored scenery is mostly created by maples, oaks and birch, most of the extraordinary colors of the Sierra are produced by golden groves of aspen. These legendary trees are mostly known for their bright golden-yellow foliage in the fall, but are capable of producing captivating shades of orange and red as well.

 A golden grove of aspen add color to Relief Reservoir below East Flange Rock in the Emigrant Wilderness.

Known as quaking aspen or mountain aspen, these elegant white-trunked trees are known to thrive between the elevations of 6,000 and 10,000 feet, painting everything from the meadows to the mountain slopes in glorious hues. As the temperatures drop and the leaves begin to turn, this colorful mountain collage quickly becomes a masterpiece of Mother Nature. These tall, fast growing trees are the most widely distributed tree species in North America, allowing all to witness this wonderful work of art. To see the most of these charming trees, it would be best to visit Utah and Colorado, which are home to the largest portion of the natural acreage of aspen in the World. Yet if you are in search of the most legendary of aspen, you need only to look in your backyard, the Stanislaus National Forest. That’s right, the Stanislaus National Forest is home to the two largest aspen in the nation! These legendary national co-champion trees were both placed into the California Register of Big Trees in 2007, and one of the aspen (located not far from Eagle Meadow) has a height of 75 feet and a girth of 168 inches!

A forest fire of fall colors exploding at Eagle Meadows last October.

Yet big or small, it is the delightful display of colors that the trees are known for, and between the months of September and November aspen groves begin to get their share of spectators, many of whom return to their favorite groves each year to soak in the stunning hues. Although some will claim that their grove of aspen is the best for viewing the changing of the leaves, the legends of vibrant colors change as often as the leaves themselves – for the weather plays a major role in determining when, where and what color the leaves will change, making it impossible to pinpoint the Sierra’s most colorful setting. Yet this is what makes the hunt for these heavenly hues so exciting! You never know what you will see because it all depends on what Mother Nature has in store. Yet the beauty of the Sierra is that you have a good 4,000 feet of elevation to work with, and if you missed the show in the higher elevations you can wait for the leaves to turn in the lower elevations.

A golden grove of aspen off the road leading to Eagle Meadow (5NO1).

For the best and most colorful results, it is usually best to visit aspen groves on numerous occasions so you don’t miss out. Often times you may show up to the show too early, resulting in nothing more than seeing the same old trees with the same boring leaves clinging to the branches that you’ve seen all year long. But at least you haven’t missed the show. It is better than arriving to the show late with nothing to see but a bleak and barren, bare-boned looking forest stripped of its splendor. Yet if you are persistent, or happen to time it just right and catch Mother Nature off guard, you will witness these trees at the absolute peak of their color capacity and take part in a performance that you will never forget – and it is these experiences that become legendary.

A view of Eagle Meadow from above.

Exactly a year from this weekend, I was fortunate enough to attend one of these legendary forest performances at Eagle Meadow in the Stanislaus National Forest. As I approached the upper end of the meadow I stumbled upon a grove of aspen, where at first glance I thought the forest was on fire! A firework display of yellows, oranges and reds seemed to be exploding in the trees and setting the meadow ablaze. Walking into the grove was a magical experience as I heard the leaves whisper in the breeze and watched the sun cascade through the vibrant leafy rooftop and piercing each leaf as if shinning through a stained glass window. The slender trees rose like ivory flag poles through the forest floor, proudly waving their colorful banners in the breeze for my entertainment. In some sections of the grove the aspen grew close together and were as thick as bamboo, while other sections allowed plenty of room to wander around the towering trees. As I stated earlier, there is no way to tell if this grove will be performing with the same vivid colors this weekend as it was a year ago, but either way, it is definitely worth the drive to the magnificent meadow.

Looking up through a Kaleidoscope of colors at Eagle Meadow. 

Although similar in elevation, last weekend I spent a day at Bell Meadow, another popular destination to witness fall colors in the Stanislaus National Forest, but the aspen leaves hardly had a hint of yellow…but who knows, this weekend could be a completely different story. Your best bet right now would be to search for aspen groves in the higher elevations (Relief Reservoir has some nice groves) or taking a trip over to the East Side of the Sierra. The Eastern Sierra is always a safe bet, as the colors seem to turn much quicker. In fact, I started to notice a change in colors on the East Side about a month ago and the avalanches of colors running down the canyon slopes seem to be much more effective against the bland, barren backdrop of the dry Eastern Sierra terrain. This is a perfect opportunity to make a road trip over Tioga Pass, Ebbetts Pass or Sonora Pass while they are still open. If you have time, I would recommend turning the trip into a loop to cover more of the diverse Sierra topography. With three passes to chose from you have the options of doing two different short loops (over Sonora Pass (Highway 108) and returning over Tioga Pass (Highway 120) or going over Sonora Pass and returning over Ebbetts Pass (Highway 4)) or you can do a longer loop over Tioga Pass and back over Ebbetts Pass. And if you do decide to go over Ebbetts Pass, be sure to go over Monitor Pass when cutting back to 395 – there are some amazing aspen groves along the way!

Eagle Meadow aspen in the fading light.

Yet whether you decide to do a drive, walk or hike, now is the time to do it! Take advantage of this golden opportunity and try to catch on the season’s most phenomenal shows. If you wait too long, fall will have lived up to its namesake and taken its toll on the legends of the fall, leaving nothing but a carpet of yellow and orange remnants scattered across the forest floor….

An avalanche of color cascades down Lost Canyon Mountain on the East Side of the Sierra.