Natural History Wanderings

California Fall Color has the following fall color reports for Plumas, Shasta, Butte, Tehama and Trinity Counties

GO NOW – 50 – 75% – Plumas County – Aspen around Antelope Lake are approaching peak, with some lime, though mostly fluttering yellow and orange.  Most other trees in the Greenville area are also near peak.  Joe Willis reports on his blog (Black Oak Naturalist) that in Quincy, a  sweet gum, or liquidamber, on the northeast corner of the courthouse lawn is currently putting on a great show, as is a nearby mountain ash which is loaded with bright orange berries and some of its leaves are turning red. Joe also recommends looking closely at the black oak leaves, a mix of green and orange. The coming two weeks are anticipated to be optimum viewing for Plumas County, as the color is expected to drop, thereafter.

GO NOW! – 50 – 75% – Trinity County – Colors are brilliant along CA-3 near Trinity Center and Coffee Creek, with bigleaf maple warming the highway with orange and yellow and Pacific dogwood blushing red and pink.  Lower down, along CA-299 bewtween (Weaverville) and Whiskeytown NRA, wild cucumber are beginning to glow chartreuse, while bigleaf maple are bright yellow and lime.

15 – 30% – Butte County – There hasn’t been much change in the past week, though this changes quickly and when it does, it can be spectacular. Optimal areas to see fall color in Butte County remain Bidwell Park in Chico, Chico State University, the Highway 99 corridor, and Highway 32 corridor.

15 – 30% – Shasta County –  Similar to Butte County, more lime is turning to yellow, though it’s still at higher elevation.  Along the Sacramento River Trail in Redding, near the Sundial Bridge and at the Anderson River Park, you’ll see orange oaks, some bigleaf maple and riparian shrubbery.

0 – 15% – Tehama County 0-15% – There’s been little change at lower elevations in Tehama County.  All the action is occurring above 6,000′.  A good route to see it is along Hwy 36 from Red Bluff to Chester.

See photos and more reports at:  California Fall Color.