The Best Places to See Fall Foliage in Lake Tahoe

Fall color comes to Lake Tahoe and Eastern Sierra foliage starting toward the end of September and peaking in October, but the exact timing for when the leaves change color varies somewhat from year to year. If the weather remains mild and slowly cools down as autumn transitions into winter, the color show will last for several weeks, but if a sudden cold snap rolls in or snow falls early, the leaves may fall off the trees literally overnight.

If you do happen to be in the area during the peak of this bright autumnal display, there are several drives around the Lake Tahoe and the Eastern Sierra Nevada mountains where you can take in the season in all its glory. Up at Lake Tahoe, aspens are the predominant trees splashing the mountains with streaks of gold and orange, and there are numerous highways crisscrossing the Sierra Nevada mountains with great views of this beautiful fall display.

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Hope Valley

From South Lake Tahoe, go west on U.S. 50 until you come to the town of Meyers where you'll take a left onto Luther Pass Road (Highway 89) and continue until you reach the mountain town of Hope Valley at the intersection of Highways 89 and 88.

Hope Valley is a special treat with one of the best collections of aspen trees in the Sierra Nevada—just look around and you'll see gold and orange in every direction. You will see why this is a magnet for fall color aficionados and photographers, and will probably be joining bunches of them during your trip. Drive slowly and be on the lookout for preoccupied picture takers and wandering pedestrians when navigating the road this time of year, especially if the fall foliage is in full effect.

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Hope Valley to Reno

Autumn trees on highway outside of Markleeville — Jim Wiltschko / EyeEm / Getty Images

If you visit Hope Valley, take an alternate route back to Reno for more impressive views. Go east on Highway 88 toward Woodfords and Minden/Gardnerville. As you leave Hope Valley, the road passes through some unusually dense, colorful, and photogenic aspens near Sorensen's Resort, then winds down out of the mountains to return you to the desert. At the intersection with U.S. 395 in Minden, go north to return to Reno.

Rather than going to Minden, you can also turn onto Highway 89 at Woodfords and go to Markleeville where the Alpine County seat is surrounded by fall color. If you want to stay longer, there is lodging in town and nearby camping with a hot spring pool at Grover Hot Springs State Park. This park is busy with fall color campers at the height of the season. Past Markleeville, continue on Highway 89 to Monitor Pass and its expansive stands of aspen groves, then down the eastern Sierra slope to rejoin U.S. 395 south of Topaz Lake.

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Topaz Lake and Walker River Canyon

Topaz Lake in the Autumn, California — 4nadia / Getty Images

Although Topaz Lake is much smaller than Lake Tahoe, it also straddles the California-Nevada border. About an hour south of Lake Tahoe, drive the scenic route by taking U.S. 50 West from South Lake Tahoe, and then turn off onto Highway 89 all the way until Topaz Lake.

The area around Topaz Lake is spectacular if you hit it at the right time of year, and things get even better if you continue southwest where you'll cross into Mono County, California, as you drive along the western side of Antelope Valley to the town of Walker. Once there, you're just a short hike away from spectacular views at the Walker River Canyon, which is home to a winding display of deciduous trees arrayed along the water's edge.

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Incline Village

Stand of Aspens at Lake Tahoe North Shore — mollin / Getty Images

While you can access Lake Tahoe from either the Nevada (Reno) or California (Sacramento) sides, one of the best drives in the area happens between Reno and Incline Village on the northwest side of the lake: the Mt. Rose Scenic Byway.

Along the route, you can stop at the Mt. Rose Summit to take in the entire Lake Tahoe Basin; however, since this is the highest point with highway access in the region, the trees will also lose their leaves earlier than at lower elevations nearby, especially if there's an early-season snowstorm. If that does happen and you miss the foliage, try one of the lower elevation spots nearby. Or it may be best to accept defeat and embrace winter by heading to the slopes at one of the Mt. Rose ski lodges.

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Spooner Lake

Spooner Lake is about 11 miles south on Highway 28 from Incline Village and a good place to stop for an easy walk through the trees on a path around the lake. For an even better view nearby—but with a little more effort involved getting there—more ambitious hikers can hike further up the mountain to Marlette Lake where they'll be treated to several miles of non-stop golden aspens. The trails around Spooner Lake are also great for mountain biking, so if you're looking for a place to practice amongst the foliage, Spooner and Marlette Lake trails are perfect for your fall biking trip.

For more fall foliage nearby, you can continue south from Spooner Lake on Highway 28 until it turns into U.S. 50. Take this road south through Zephyr Cove, Stateline, and South Lake Tahoe, where color cascades from the mountain slopes down to the shores of the lake. However, since U.S. 50 is a busy highway, be careful exiting and entering when you stop to take in the scenery.

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Taylor Creek to Fallen Leaf Lake

Fallen Leaf Lake in the autumn — stevedunleavy.com / Getty Images

Take a hike along the Taylor Creek Trail in the fall and you'll be treated not only to the spectacular colors of autumn, but also the annual salmon run as the local fish swim upstream to spawn. The kokanee salmon begin their migration out of Lake Tahoe and into Taylor Creek each year in early October, which normally coincides perfectly with the peak fall foliage in the nearby trees. The salmon run is an amazing event to witness in person, and make sure to stop at the Taylor Creek Visitor Center where you can look through underwater glass for a more intimate view.

Follow the Taylor Creek Trail and you'll reach Fallen Leaf Lake, which is an easy trail and leads hikers to one of the most photogenic autumn spots in all of Lake Tahoe. However, be aware that because Taylor Creek is easily accessible from the resorts at South Lake Tahoe and the salmon run is a major attraction, it also tends to be one of the most crowded trails at this time of year.