| People automatically think of New England for fall colors, but California has it’s share of foliage. Just three hours from the Bay Area and less than two from Sacramento, Butte County offers a quintessential fall experience – leaf peeping, the bustle of campus, Oktoberfest celebrations and incredible art and food events. Fall is harvest season in California wine country so while the wine is flowing,the vineyards have turned orange, maroon and crimson. Sonoma Valley, a 17-mile-long valley within Sonoma County that encompasses the city of Sonoma and the villages of Carneros, The Springs, Glen Ellen, and Kenwood, is the ideal drive to take in stunning rolling hills, gorgeous hotels and resorts, historic attractions and, of course, breathtaking vineyards. From its dramatic waterfalls, giant sequoias and unbelievably tall, sheer granite towers, Yosemite National Park is one of the most breathtaking places on earth and during the fall, its full of life and colors. Dogwoods, Big Leaf Maples, and the Black Oaks are but just a few that put on a showy display of autumnal color. Fall colors can usually be seen throughout the month of October but have been known to start in September at higher elevations and run into November. Colorful autumnal foliage and cool crisp air are just a few features of fall that visitors will enjoy in El Dorado County, California. Historic Hwy 49 (which runs the length of historic Gold Country) offers an array of colorful foliage – dogwood, aspen and maple light up the Mother Lode with orange, red and yellow. In Coloma, the Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park affords spectacular views along the American River as well as many stands of colorful trees. |
