Seasonal Nature Report: Week of November 3

Fall foliage near Merced peaks this week: Yosemite Valley's black oaks, bigleaf maples, and dogwoods are at their fullest color along the Merced River and can hold into mid-November, while the Highway 140 foothills around Mariposa, the last county in California to peak, top out near November 8. This week also brings the first seasonal closure of Tioga Road, sandhill cranes building toward their November peak at Merced National Wildlife Refuge, and fall-run Chinook salmon still spawning at the Merced River Hatchery near Snelling.

This is the fifth weekly Seasonal Nature Report for Merced County and the nearby Sierra foothills, published every week through the fall color and spring bloom seasons. Each report covers what is happening in nature right now, where to see it best, and honest notes on what has not started or has finished. For more ways to enjoy the week close to home, see the weekend guide for November 6 to 8, and catch up on last week's nature report for the week of October 27 for the season's full arc so far.

Where Is the Best Fall Foliage Near Merced Right Now?

This is the peak week. The National Park Service's fall color page notes that fall color in Yosemite is usually at its height in late October and lingers until the first heavy storms, and regional foliage guides have seen recent-year peaks hold into the first two weeks of November. Mariposa County is the last county in California to peak, around November 8, so the color closest to Merced remains strong this week and next. In other words: this is the week to go.

This week: the Merced River corridor in Yosemite Valley at full color

The classic viewing loop is the Merced River corridor from Sentinel Bridge to Cook's Meadow, where the river still reflects the turning trees against the valley walls. Look for the bigleaf maples' yellow along the southern wall below Bridalveil Creek past Sentinel Creek, the black oaks' golden-orange on the lower slopes, and the red sugar maple beside the Yosemite Chapel. Cathedral Beach and El Capitan Meadow along Southside Drive frame the big granite faces with oaks and maples, Tunnel View gives the wide postcard view, and Mirror Lake and the Happy Isles area show red dogwoods at the east end of the valley. Weekday mornings are the quietest time to visit, and the valley is about a 1.5 to 2 hour drive from Merced via Highway 140.

Closer to home: Highway 140 redbuds and foothill oaks

The nearest fall color to Merced is along the Highway 140 corridor from Mariposa through Midpines toward El Portal, at 2,000 to 3,000 feet. This week the western redbuds are brilliant gold and crimson along the canyon walls, the black cottonwoods and willows glow bright yellow along the Merced River below the highway, and the black oaks show golden-orange on the slopes. Because this is the lowest-elevation entrance route, the show lingers into early November. The oak-dotted hills around McSwain and Lake McSwain follow the same early-November rhythm, and the historic town of Mariposa makes a good lunch stop along the way.

First Snow: Tioga Road's Seasonal Closure Has Begun

The high country is done for the driving season. Caltrans reports Tioga Road (SR 120) closed from Crane Flat through the park's high country as of November 2, starting as a snow closure and marking the beginning of the seasonal closure that typically runs from November through May or early June. Both Tioga Road and Glacier Point Road are never plowed once they close. The season's first significant snow had already fallen in the high country the week of October 21, and the National Park Service's current conditions page is the place to check before you drive.

Yosemite Valley stays open year-round, and the route from Merced, Highway 140, is the all-weather route into the park; Highway 41 and Highway 120 West also remain open with possible chain requirements during storms. The foothill roads around Mariposa and Catheys Valley on Highway 140 were clear and open as of this report. For Merced County itself, first snow at foothill elevations usually waits for colder storms later in the fall, and the valley floor typically sees its first frost from mid-November on.

Bird Migration Watch: Cranes Building Toward Their November Peak

Sandhill cranes are abundant on Merced National Wildlife Refuge from September through March, and November is the peak month of the autumn build: the refuge can hold 15,000 to 20,000 lesser sandhill cranes through the month, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service notes more than 15,000 cranes gather in the refuge's Grasslands portion by Thanksgiving. Migratory ducks and geese are arriving with them, and the seasonal wetlands fill with birds through the fall.

The best place to see them is the refuge's free 5-mile auto tour route, entered at 7430 West Sandy Mush Road, Merced, CA 95341, about 15 miles southwest of Merced off State Highway 59. The one-way gravel route is open year-round, free, and runs from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset daily, with two elevated observation platforms. Early morning and late afternoon are the prime times, when cranes fly between roosting and feeding areas. Stay in your vehicle on the tour route, and bring binoculars. For the full lowdown on the refuge, see the Trail or Park of the Week feature on Merced National Wildlife Refuge.

Salmon Run: Peak Spawning on the Lower Merced River

November is the heart of the fall-run Chinook spawning season on the lower Merced River. Spawning peaks from October through November, California Department of Fish and Wildlife surveys of the 28-mile lower reach from Crocker-Huffman Dam to near Cressey run from the first week of October, and the Merced Irrigation District releases pulse flows from upstream dams in October to help migrating fish move up the river. The upstream limit of the run is Crocker-Huffman Dam, and the best public viewing is right below it.

The prime spot is the Merced River Hatchery at 4998 Robinson Road, Snelling, about 20 miles east of Merced, where the fish ladder is open to the public and the hatchery welcomes visitors daily from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. A note on locations: spawning fish are best watched below Crocker-Huffman Dam, which marks the upstream limit of the run, so head for the hatchery rather than the reservoirs up at McSwain and Lake McClure. Use extra caution near the river during pulse-flow releases, when flows rise on short notice.

Not Yet / Done: What Hasn't Started or Has Finished This Week

A few seasonal phenomena are either still ahead of us or already past, and it helps to know the timing so you do not plan a trip around the wrong week:

• Done: the high-elevation drive season. The golden aspens along Tioga Road peaked in late September and early October, and with Tioga Road now closed from Crane Flat for the season, the high-country color is behind us until spring. The show has moved down to the valley floor and foothills, where it is peaking right now.
• Peak this week: Yosemite Valley is at full color and can hold into mid-November, with Mariposa County and the Highway 140 foothills peaking around November 8.
• Not yet: monarch butterflies. Only a slow trickle of monarchs has reached California coastal groves so far. Peak populations arrive from mid-November through December at sites like Natural Bridges State Beach and the Pacific Grove Monarch Sanctuary.
• Not yet: valley frost. Merced County's valley floor typically sees its first frost from mid-November on, and first snow at foothill elevations usually waits for colder storms later in the fall.
• Later: spring blooms. Wildflower and blossom season returns in March through May. The Seasonal Nature Report will cover it then.

Enjoy the season, Merced. The valley is at its fullest color, the cranes are massing on the wetlands, and the salmon are running in the river. And when you are ready to talk about your home, Monica is here, whether you are selling now or planning for the new year. Learn more about Monica's approach on her about page, and find the whole archive of guides on the blog.