Big Bear, Lake Arrowhead and San Jacintos

Today, we heard from Jim Carlton of The Weather Channel (the website to visit for the most complete and accurate reports on fall color across the USA), that he was getting word that color was appearing in San Bernardino National Forest (Southern California).

So far, we’ve not yet received many reports from Southern California.  So, we called local color spotters Todd Stepien of Lake Hemet Campgrounds, Dan McKernan of Big Bear and Steve Caloca of Lake Arrowhead and the San Bernardino National Forest for status reports.

They’re now out looking for fall color.  We encourage other Southern California readers to head to the mountains this weekend to report on what’s to be seen.  Here’s the latest.

15 – 30% – San Jacinto Mountains – Todd Stepien says there’s very little color yet showing among the black oak (orange) in the San Jacinto Mountains from Idyllwild south to Mountain Center and Lake Hemet.  The campgrounds at Lake Hemet are an affordable location to base a camping-based leaf peeping expedition to the San Jacintos, but wait a week or two for the color to develop.

30 – 50% – Big Bear – Dan McKernan says the Town of Big Bear is beginning to glow with yellow aspen and red eastern sugar maples.

30 – 50% – Lake Arrowhead – Steve Caloca reports a brightening of fall color in and about Lake Arrowhead.

One of the most spectacular locations for fall color in Southern California is Aspen Grove near the San Gorgonio Wilderness in San Bernardino National Forest.  We’ve received second-hand reports (not anyone who actually was there) that this grove is approaching peak.  That would be early, since it normally peaks later in October… so we ask Southern California spotters to send reports and photos to us.  Our email address is noted on the About page on this site.