Seasonal Nature Report: Week of October 6

Fall foliage near Merced is just beginning this week, and the best early color is up high: quaking aspens along Tioga Road in Yosemite are near peak, while Yosemite Valley's dogwoods and bigleaf maples are a week or two from their main show. Closer to the valley floor, sandhill cranes have started arriving at Merced National Wildlife Refuge, and the first significant Sierra snow of the season could fall any week now.

This is the first of a 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 yet. October is when the Central Valley turns golden: cranes on the wetlands, cottonwoods along the rivers, and the first dusting of snow on the high peaks. For more ways to enjoy the season close to home, see this week's weekend guide for October 9-11, which includes the Lake McSwain trout derby and the second weekend of Sierra Art Trails in the Mariposa foothills.

Where Is the Best Fall Foliage Near Merced Right Now?

Fall color in the Sierra moves downhill as October progresses. Right now, the brightest display is at high elevation: quaking aspen groves along Tioga Road and the eastern passes reach their golden peak in late September and early October, so this is the week to catch them. On the Yosemite Valley floor at about 4,000 feet, dogwoods (red and pink), black oaks (golden-orange to brown), and bigleaf maples (bright yellow) are showing only early hints and typically reach peak from mid-October into early November. The foothills closest to Merced peak later still, in late October through November.

This week: high-elevation aspens along Tioga Road

For the most color right now, take the drive up Tioga Road (Highway 120) while it is still open for the season. Aspen groves along the road glow gold against granite and evergreen forest, and the drive itself, from Crane Flat up toward Tuolumne Meadows, is one of the highest scenic routes in the park. Tioga Road normally stays open into late October or November, but the first snow can close it on short notice, so check conditions before you go. No services are available along the road, so bring food, water, and a full tank.

Yosemite Valley: early hints, peak ahead

In the valley, the first dogwoods are starting to blush and bigleaf maples along the Merced River are showing touches of yellow. The classic viewing loop is the Valley Loop Trail near Sentinel Bridge, where the Merced River reflects the trees, with Happy Isles a favorite spot for red and pink dogwoods. Valley View, where El Capitan reflects in the river, is the classic photo stop as the color builds. The National Park Service fall color page tracks the season week by week, and Wawona, at a similar elevation, peaks a little later, from late October into mid-November.

Closer to home: foothill oaks and cottonwoods on Highway 140

The closest fall color to Merced is along the Highway 140 corridor from Mariposa through Midpines toward El Portal, at 2,000 to 3,000 feet. Cottonwoods along the Merced River are the first trees to turn, with yellow showing along the creeks this week, while the black oaks on the hillsides color up later, in late October through November. It is a scenic drive any week of the fall, and it doubles as the gateway route into Yosemite from the valley. The oak-dotted hills around McSwain and Lake McSwain, closer to home, follow the same late-October rhythm.

Bird Migration Watch: Sandhill Cranes Are Back at Merced National Wildlife Refuge

Sandhill cranes begin arriving at Merced National Wildlife Refuge in mid-September, and this week marks the start of the autumn-through-spring season when the refuge's wetlands fill with birds. The refuge hosts the largest wintering concentration of lesser sandhill cranes on the Pacific Flyway: numbers build through the fall, with more than 15,000 cranes in the broader Grasslands region by Thanksgiving and up to 20,000 cranes and 60,000 arctic-nesting geese over the course of a season. Migratory ducks, including cinnamon teal, have also returned, and the waterfowl concentrations grow steadily toward their November through January peak.

The best place to see them this week is the refuge's 5-mile auto tour route, entered at 7430 West Sandy Mush Road, Merced, CA 95341, about 8 miles west of Highway 59. The one-way gravel route is open year-round and free, with no permits required, and the refuge is open daily from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset. Early morning and late afternoon are the best times to watch cranes feed in the seasonal marshes and lift off in family groups. Stay in your vehicle on the tour route, and keep binoculars and a camera lens ready.

One honest note for birders: the Beckwith wildlife observation area at San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge, the favorite spot for cranes and Aleutian cackling geese, opens seasonally from mid-October through mid-March. It is not open yet this week, so plan that visit for later in the month.

First Snow Watch: The Sierra's October Window

October is the month when the Sierra Nevada typically receives its first significant snow of the season. Yosemite gets about 95 percent of its precipitation between October and May, and early-season storms have dusted the high country in October in most years. As of this writing, no major storm has hit the high peaks this week, so the first snow has not yet arrived, but the window is open and a storm could change the picture at any time.

When snow does arrive, Tioga Road (about 9,945 feet at Tioga Pass) and Glacier Point Road can close on short notice, and tire chains may be required in the park. Both roads normally stay open through early October, but seasonal closures begin as soon as snow accumulates, and neither road is plowed until spring once it closes for the season. Check the park's Tioga and Glacier Point road status page before heading up. For the best first-snow views from the valley floor, watch the granite walls from Valley View, where a dusting on the peaks reads clearly against the autumn trees.

Not Yet: What Hasn't Started This Week

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

• Peak valley floor color: Yosemite Valley's dogwoods, black oaks, and bigleaf maples peak from mid-October into early November, so the main show is still one to two weeks away.
• Foothill oak color: Highway 140 and the Mariposa foothills peak in late October through November, later than the valley.
• Beckwith trail: The seasonal observation area at San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge opens mid-October, not this week.
• First snow: No significant snowfall has been confirmed in the high country this week, but October is the typical arrival window.
• Spring blooms: Wildflower and blossom season returns in March through May. The Seasonal Nature Report will cover it then.

Enjoy the season, Merced. The cranes are back on the wetlands, the aspens are gold up high, and the first snow is just a storm away. 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.