Northern Nevada leaf peeping guide: Where to see fall colors

Shades of orange, red, and gold fill Northern Nevada in autumn. Here are some of the best places to go leaf peeping this fall.

Sunny days are growing shorter and summer’s colorful wildflowers are fading away, but the arrival of autumn in Northern Nevada is anything but colorless. The diverse geography of the Sierra Nevada mountains and Great Basin desert bursts with tones of red, orange, and gold from September through November.

You won’t have to look far when up north in the Silver State to see vibrant fall color or jump in fluffy leaf piles. From a nature conservation area in the heart of Reno to a national park on the eastern border with Utah, here are some of the best places for leaf peeping in Northern Nevada.

Lamoille Canyon

NF-660, Spring Creek

Lamoille Canyon, near Elko, is so colorful it will make you forget you’re in the Silver State. Located up north in the Ruby Mountains, it is “one of the most stunning places to view mountain scenery in Nevada … especially breathtaking in the fall when the aspens are decked out in their yellow, orange, and red attire,” according to the Nevada Fall Color website.

Leaf peeping starts early here, peaking in early October, but the picnic area at the bottom of the canyon is known to brighten up later in the season. Enjoy the colors from your car as you drive along the 12-mile Lamoille Canyon Scenic Byway, which winds around the base of the mountain and climbs up to 8,800 feet. Alternatively, stop and get out to explore and take photos. A parking lot with restrooms, picnic tables, trails, and views is located at the end of the byway.

If you are up for a challenge, Travel Nevada recommends Harrison Pass, a more rugged drive that starts further south than the byway, to “be rewarded with not only golden colors, but reds and oranges as well.”

Oxbow Nature Study Area

3100 Dickerson Rd., Reno

Located on 22 acres along the Truckee River, Oxbow Nature Study Area bursts with fall color from late October through November. Whether hiking, biking, camping, or simply relaxing on a bench in this preservation area, visitors will enjoy the vibrant leaves of cottonwood, maple, willow, and ash trees on the water’s edge, and may even spot wildlife.

While it is an easy walk from the heart of downtown Reno, located at the end of the arts and cultural district on Dickerson Road, there is also a small parking lot on site. The family-friendly preservation area has restrooms year-round and easy trails that are accessible to people of all ages and abilities.

Great Basin National Park

Baker

For autumn foliage that’s “simply out of this world,” Travel Nevada recommends heading east to Great Basin National Park in September or early October. Fall color can be found all over the remote park.

While a short drive on the 12-mile Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive rewards you with droves of golden aspens, for even better rewards, you will want to stop and take a hike. When visiting in autumn, the National Park Service recommends hiking the 3.4-mile Baker Creek Loop, the easy Sage Steppe Loop, the more adventurous 1.3 miles of the Shoshone Trail in Snake Creek, or the Snake Divide Route for more experienced hikers.

If you’re passing Ely on your way to Great Basin National Park, take a short detour off U.S. 50, the Loneliest Road in America, to check out the scenic Success Loop, a backcountry byway with kaleidoscopic aspens, adjacent to Cave Lake State Park.

The 12-mile Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive at Great Basin National Park rewards visitors with gorgeous views and golden aspens. (Famartin/CC BY SA-4.0)

Tahoe and Tahoe Rim Trail

Lake Tahoe

There are several spots on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe with eye-catching fall foliage, particularly along the Tahoe Rim Trail, 165 miles of single-track trail that passes through two states, six counties, one state park, three national forests, and three wilderness areas. The fir, pine, and Aspen trees in this area are bursting with fall color from September through November, plus you’ll pass creeks, meadows, and panoramic views of the lake.

Here are a few specific spots worth exploring on the Nevada side of Lake Tahoe.

• Tahoe Meadows: A subalpine meadow with wildlife and bright foliage, this hourlong hike off Highway 431 is easy and family-friendly. It is a 1.3-mile loop trail with awesome views, just above Incline Village on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe.

• Sand Harbor State Park: Here you’ll find 55 acres of sandy beaches and sweeping forests filled with fall color. Best of all, this summer destination is not as busy this time of year.

• Spooner Lake State Park: With 50 miles of trails and convenient parking, Spooner Lake is a great place near Lake Tahoe’s East shore to hike, bike, fish, and picnic. The easy 2.5-mile loop around Spooner Lake rewards you with aspen groves, birds, and hidden shoreline. More experienced hikers can continue on to the Tahoe Rim Trail for an expansive  viewpoint high above Lake Tahoe between Spooner Summit and Kingsbury Grade.

Water Canyon Recreation Area

Water Canyon Rd., Winnemucca

“A top fall color destination,” according to NevadaGram.com, the upper and lower canyons of Winemucca’s Water Canyon Recreation Area fill with color by the end of October. In some cases, the brilliant oranges and reds of the cottonwood and aspen trees are set against crisp white snow as the canyon rises 2,000 feet above Winnemucca.

Free to visitors, the recreation area offers camping, picnics, hiking, biking, limited ATV use, restrooms, a year-round stream, and even a nine-hole disc golf course. Secluded yet easily accessible, Water Canyon Recreation Area is located approximately two and a half hours east of Reno on Interstate 80.