The best Northern California Fall foliage road trip lets you see the colours change with the seasons in “The Golden State”.
An 800-mile Northern California Fall foliage road trip takes you through a diverse selection of the best natural destinations in the northern half of California. You will see National Parks, National Forests, State Parks, iconic lakes, creeks, and mountains, and historic towns and cities, as you embark on an adventure that demonstrates the beauty of the Golden State as the leaves begin to change.
If you want to plant the best Northern California Fall foliage road trip possible, we highly suggest reading on.
The Best Northern California Fall Foliage Road Trip: How Far Is It, How Long Will It Take, & What Is The Best Route?
The best Northern California Fall foliage road trip covers 800 miles (1,287 kilometres) and takes 14 and ½ hours to drive. While the journey is relatively long, it is also surprisingly straightforward.
The best route for a Northern California Fall foliage road trip begins in San Francisco and sees you joining I-80 where it begins. You’ll largely follow this all the way to Sacramento, California, making sure to stop and make any detours you desire in Napa Valley. Upon leaving Sacramento, you will head north on I-5, which will take you to the town of Mount Shasta, from which you can explore the mountain it is named after.
When you’re done here, join California State Route 89 where it begins and drive its entire 273-mile (440-kilometre) duration, including the 30-mile section that runs through Lassen Volcanic National Park, to its conclusion in the town of Topaz, California. From here, simply join US Route 395 and follow it south 128 miles (206 kilometres) to your final stop of Bishop Creek, near Bishop, California, making any stops you desire along the way.
The endpoint of the journey is a 4-hour and 20-minute drive from the airport in both Las Vegas, Nevada, and Los Angeles, California, and 5 hours and 40 minutes from San Francisco International Airport, so you have plenty of options for getting home. There is also Eastern Sierra Regional Airport in Bishop, which offers seasonal flights to San Francisco and Denver, which could be useful for anyone able to arrange leaving their rental car there.
Best Time For A Northern California Fall Foliage Road Trip
The best time for a Northern California Fall foliage road trip may seem obvious: in the Fall. However, for people set on seeing the foliage and all the colours at their most vibrant, there is a time during the Fall that is better than the rest of the season. The time in question is mid-October.
The varying elevations of Northern California mean different regions see the colours change at slightly different times from mid-September to late November.
Making the trip during the second and third weeks of October should ensure the change is occurring at virtually every section of the route while you are there. Not only that, but this is also the time when the most different regions peak, ensuring you have the best experience possible in the most places, while also allowing you to avoid the peak of California wildfire season, which usually ends around early October.
Going during this period also allows you to link your Fall road trip up with Halloween and enjoy the festivities of both. This could be particularly opportunistic on this trip, as there are locations both on and near our route that rank among the best places to spend Halloween in the United States.
Best Places To Stop On A Northern California Fall Foliage Road Trip
At 14 and ½ hours in length, the best Northern California Fall foliage road trip is a journey best broken up into multiple parts. This will ensure you have plenty of time to stop, explore, and take in the sights and festivities you experience along the way. While there are plenty of great places on our suggested route to make a stop, two offer far more value than the others, and are where we would highly recommend making an extended stop.
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the Capital and sixth most populous city in California, as well as a city that is growing faster than any other city in the state. Established in 1839, it was named after the Spanish word for sacrament, due to the lush grapevines that lined the valley and riverside around it. Well-known for its natural beauty, it is often referred to as the ‘city of trees’, thanks to its having a higher tree-to-human ratio than any other city in the world.
This makes it a perfect stop on a Northern California Fall foliage road trip. We also recently ranked it among the best Halloween travel destinations for a ghost tour 2025, so it’s equally ideal for anyone looking to roll their Fall and Halloween festivities into one trip.
For anyone seeking a detailed rundown of exactly why Sacramento is such a great place to visit, the article we published here on the best things to do in Sacramento should provide all the information you need.
Best Hotel To Stay At In Sacramento, California – Delta King Hotel
Delta King Hotel is a historic boathouse hotel permanently moored on the Sacramento River, in the heart of Sacramento's Old Town. Its vintage décor and quaint period features perfectly match its historic surroundings, while its covered dining terrace offers stunning views of both the river and popular local attractions, including River Walk Park, Tower Bridge, and the Ziggurat.
All of its cabin rooms are spacious, air-conditioned, and equipped with flat screen televisions and coffee machines, while free Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel. Its convenient location then offers easy access to many of the city’s top attractions.
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park is the 3rd oldest and 8th most visited national park in the United States. It is also one of the most beautiful, famous, and popular natural destinations on Earth.
The northernmost of a trio of national parks known as the Majestic Mountain Loop, which also includes Kings Canyon and Sequoia, Yosemite is best known for its incredible collection of mountains and waterfalls, including one of the tallest falls in North America, Yosemite Falls. Its fall foliage is highlighted by the deep reds and yellows produced by its Big Leaf Maple and Dogwood forests.
Some highlights of the park include Yosemite Valley, with its galleries, hotels, lodges, museums, restaurants, and stores, as well as countless activities, forests, lakes, meadows, and rivers, all of which are alive with an incredible array of wildlife. This makes Yosemite National Park an ideal stop for nature lovers, historians, photographers, and anyone who loves the great outdoors.
However, with so much on offer in Yosemite National Park, we couldn’t fit it all into a few paragraphs. That is why we have also written a dedicated article that covers the park in much greater depth, which you can read here.
Best Hotel To Stay At In Yosemite National Park – Evergreen Lodge At Yosemite
Evergreen Lodge At Yosemite is a fabulous property that perfectly exemplifies the traditional style of the region. Surrounded by forests and nature, guests will be greeted by spacious rooms boasting seating areas, private bathrooms, luxury furnishings and linens, free toiletries, and tea and coffee-making facilities.
In the communal areas, you will find amenities like a bar, kids’ play area, games room, mini mart, outdoor pool and hot tub, and restaurant. This ensures that guests of all ages will have everything they need to enjoy a relaxing, entertaining stay.
Top Attractions On The Best Northern California Fall Foliage Road Trip
Napa Valley
Napa Valley is a world-famous wine region known for its picturesque vineyards, rolling hills, and Mediterranean climate. With hundreds of acclaimed wineries housed in everything from historic estates to boutique vineyards, it provides aficionados the opportunity to enjoy wine tastings combined with farm-to-table dining and artisanal cuisine.
Beyond this, though, the valley and its stunning natural beauty also offer attractions like scenic drives, hot air balloon rides, hiking trails, luxury spas, and charming towns like Napa, Yountville, St. Helena, and Calistoga to explore. During the Fall, the Big Leaf Maple and Black Oak trees backdrop the vineyards with a stunning shower of reds, yellows, and greens, creating a beautiful, unique scene to enjoy while you sample the local wines.
Mendocino National Forest
Mendocino National Forest is a 913,000-acre national forest that is incredibly unique, as it is the only National Forest in California without a paved entry or exit road. This makes it an incredibly isolated and natural destination, where you can enjoy its beautiful wilderness areas, rivers, and lakes, and activities like hiking, camping, fishing, hunting, biking, boating, backpacking, photography, and more in peace.
The fall foliage in Mendocino National Forest is at its most vibrant during the second and third weeks of October, when Oaks, Redwoods, and other species turn the landscape into a golden veil.
Redding, California
Redding is the largest town in California north of Sacramento and the economic centre of the Shasta Cascade region. Established in 1874, during the California Gold Rush, it is a destination filled with cultural, historic, and natural attractions for visitors to enjoy. While the city itself is not known for its Fall foliage, it is a destination that just should not be missed when following our route for the best Northern California Fall foliage road trip.
If you need any more reasons to stop here, check out the article we wrote dedicated to the best things to do in Redding, California, which you can read here.
Shasta-Trinity National Forest
Shasta-Trinity National Forest is a pair of national forests that merged in 1954 to create one mega forest spanning more than 2.2 million acres. The largest National Forest in California, it’s best known for the features it is named after: the 14,179-foot (4,322-metre) tall Mount Shasta, 30,000-acre Shasta Lake (the largest man-made lake in California), and 165-mile (266-kilometre) long Trinity River.
The forests contain numerous other peaks, lakes, and rivers, as well as byways, trails, forests, and wilderness areas, making it a popular spot for hiking, camping, backpacking, and climbing. The varying shades of orange, red, and yellow produced by its Cottonwood, Dogwood, Fern, Maple, and Oak forests then make it a fantastic sight for anyone on a Northern California Fall foliage road trip.
Castle Crags State Park
Castle Crags State Park is a natural beauty spot best known for its rugged mountain scenery, which includes the towering Castle Crags and other dramatic granite spires. With more than 28 miles of hiking trails, visitors can enjoy camping, fishing, photography, and exploring lush forests filled with diverse wildlife.
During the Fall, the Oregon Ash and Yellow Aspen trees in these forests manage to draw the attention away from the rock formations with their stunning colours, which are at their most vibrant in the second and third weeks of October.
Lassen National Forest
Lassen National Forest is a vast wilderness of mountains, forests, and volcanic landscapes filled with scenic hiking trails, sparkling lakes, waterfalls, and geothermal areas. It is incredibly popular for activities like camping and fishing, as well as winter sports when the weather allows.
While not nearly as famous as the adjacent National Park, its Cottonwood and Aspen trees paint the landscape with oranges, yellows, and reds in late September, making it a perfect stop on the best Northern California Fall foliage road trip.
Lassen Volcanic National Park
Lassen Volcanic National Park is the 11th-oldest national park in the United States. It is one of the only places on Earth to contain all four types of volcanoes, which include cinder cone, composite, lava dome, and shield. Many of its volcanoes are still active, and the park is home to the largest lava dome volcano on the planet, Lassen Peak, as well as incredible hydrothermal features like boiling pools, bubbling mud pots, and fumaroles.
With a range of wildlife that includes bears, deer, marten, and over 220 species of birds, as well as stunning views of the area from its many peaks, it is a great place from which to enjoy the region’s Fall foliage. This includes the park's very own Quaking Aspen and Willow forests, and meadows like Hat Creek Meadow, where the leaves and grass turn incredible shades of red, orange, and yellow in September and October.
The second and final of the 9 national parks in California that we will visit on the best Northern California Fall foliage road trip, Lassen Volcanic National Park is truly one of the most unique places on Earth. That's why we wrote an article that goes into great depth on the subject for anyone who wants to learn more about it, which you can read here.
Plumas National Forest
Plumas National Forest is a scenic mountain getaway known for its lush forests, sparkling lakes, waterfalls, wildflower meadows, rugged canyons, and more than 1,200 miles of streams and rivers, as well as its incredible biodiversity. It is a popular destination for hiking, camping, fishing, boating, and winter sports.
Its iconic fall scenery is created by the leaves of its Blazing Dogwood, Golden Oak, and Redbud trees changing between late September and mid-October, with the park being particularly vibrant during the first half of October.
Plumas-Eureka State Park
Plumas-Eureka State Park is home to a fantastic collection of preserved 19th-century mining buildings and equipment from the California Gold Rush. Outdoor lovers enjoy hiking its scenic trails through alpine meadows, pine forests, and the Sierra Nevada mountains, and engaging in activities like fishing, camping, and wildlife viewing. In the winter, it becomes a popular spot for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.
It features more of the Blazing Dogwood, Golden Oak, and Redbud trees seen in Plumas National Forest, and blends them with Maples and evergreens to create a truly unique Fall scene filled with golds, greens, oranges, reds, and yellows.
Tahoe National Forest
Tahoe National Forest covers more than 800,000 acres and is known for its towering pine forests, sparkling alpine lakes, and rugged Sierra Nevada mountain terrain. Visitors flock here to enjoy year-round recreation, with options including hiking, camping, mountain biking, fishing, driving scenic byways, exploring remnants of Gold Rush-era trails and cultural sites, and winter sports, all backdropped by stunning views.
The fall foliage in the forest is dominated by the Golden Aspen trees, which turn slowly between late September and mid-October.
Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in the United States, and its largest lake overall outside of “The Great Lakes”. Known for its crystal clear water, it is a glacier-fed lake that boasts some of North America’s purest and deepest waters. It’s an incredibly popular destination throughout the year, as it offers activities like sun-bathing, swimming, water sports, hiking, climbing, skiing, snowboarding, and gambling in the various casinos surrounding it.
Lake Tahoe is also extremely popular for the panoramic views it offers of the forested Sierra Nevada mountains surrounding it, making it a dream place to stop on a Northern California Fall foliage road trip to take in the colours. It is equally popular during the spring, for very similar reasons, and has become the 3rd most popular Spring Break destination in the United States, behind Panama City, Florida, and Miami, Florida.
Eldorado National Forest
Eldorado National Forest is a stunning, 600,000-acre wilderness in the Sierra Nevada mountains that is known for its rugged granite peaks, alpine lakes, wildflower-filled meadows, and dense mixed conifer and true fir forests. Many of these transform into a breathtaking blanket of red, orange, and yellow during the fall.
For most of the year, it is a popular destination for activities like hiking, backpacking, camping, boating, swimming, fishing, mountain biking, rock climbing, horseback riding, and exploring the Desolation Wilderness—one of the most scenic and pristine areas in the region. Then, in the winter, it’s an ideal spot for winter sports like downhill and cross-country skiing, snowshoe trekking, and snowmobiling.
Stanislaus National Forest
Stanislaus National Forest covers nearly 900,000 acres in the Sierra Nevada mountains and features dramatic mountain peaks, deep river canyons, alpine lakes, dense forests, granite ridges, and diverse ecosystems. Areas like Walker River Pass and Leavitt Meadow in Sonora Pass are ideal for a Northern California Fall foliage road trip, as their Aspen and Cottonwood forests boast a stunning array of colours.
The forest is extremely popular for activities like hiking, with everything from easy nature walks to challenging backcountry treks, fishing, swimming, kayaking, boating, photography, and both developed and wilderness camping. You can also explore the remnants of Gold Rush towns, logging camps, and Native American heritage sites, and activities like snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling are available during the winter.
Lee Vining, California
Lee Vining is a historic small town with just 200 residents that sits 6,874 ft above sea level, on the shore of Mono Lake. It is surrounded by stunning landscapes and natural features, while also boasting attractions like the Upside‑Down House landmark, Mono Basin Historical Society & Museum, Mono Basin Scenic Area Visitor Center, and Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve.
During the warmer months, you can enjoy activities like birdwatching, hiking, fishing, kayaking, swimming, climbing, and ranger-led tours while taking in dramatic vistas and sunrise/sunset light shows. Meanwhile, in the winter, it provides opportunities for ice climbing in Lee Vining Canyon, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, and easy access to June Mountain or Mammoth for downhill skiing.
June Lake
June Lake is a small mountain town affectionately known as the “Switzerland of California,” thanks to the stunning alpine scenery and crystal-clear lakes that surround it.
A haven for fishing, kayaking, hiking, photography, and camping in the warmer months, and excellent skiing and snowboarding at nearby June Mountain in the winter, these seasons are perfectly separated by its vibrant display of fall colours, which are produced from mid-September to early November by the region’s Quaking Aspen trees.
Mammoth Lakes
Mammoth Lakes is a Sierra Nevada resort town with a perfect blend of natural beauty and exciting activities. Mammoth Mountain and June Mountain provide trails for hiking in the summer and skiing in the winter, with the Devil’s Postpile National Monument and Rainbow Falls being two of the most popular hiking destinations. There is also an abundance of luxurious lodging options and attractions like museums and ecological reserves to enjoy.
During the fall, it offers a beautiful display of golden Aspens, which tend to be at their brightest and most vibrant during the first two weeks of October.
Bishop Creek
Bishop Creek is a destination near the town of Bishop known for its breathtaking alpine lakes, rushing streams, towering peaks, lush forests, and stunning scenic areas, such as the John Muir Wilderness.
It is one of the most popular spots in the region for fishing, hiking, boating, photography, picnicking, and camping, and it is especially renowned for its brilliant fall colours, which are produced primarily by Yellow Aspen trees and include vibrant yellows, golds, reds, oranges, and even pinks.
Final Thoughts On The Best Northern California Fall Foliage Road Trip
That concludes our guide to the best Northern California Fall foliage road trip. You should now have a great idea of when to go, what route to use, how long it will take, and what to see and where to stop along the way. All you have left now is to decide what to take with you, and then you can start getting everything budgeted for and booked, so you can look forward to enjoying it all for yourself as soon as possible.
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