Alpine Aspen Festival

Hope Valley (9/26/16) Debbi Waldear

Now, this is our kinda festival… one dedicated to autumn aspen, and it happens in Alpine County.

Alpine is California’s smallest county by both land area and population. Not even 1,200 people live there.

Located South of Lake Tahoe, it is surrounded by El Dorado, Amador, Calaveras, Tuolumne and Mono Counties. Alpine was created in 1864, during a silver rush, from bits and parts of each of those counties.

The county was named Alpine because it resembles Switzerland, though Switzerland is 21 times bigger and has over 4,000 times more inhabitants.

Hope Valley (9/26/16) Debbi Waldear

Hope Valley (9/26/16) Debbi Waldear

Autumn is a special time in tiny, remote, Alpine County. Quaking aspen, black cottonwood and willows decorate its meadows and streams with yellow, gold and orange. And, all this autumn splendor is canopied by the bluest of blue skies.

The most famous of Alpine County’s fall color viewing areas is the Hope Valley (intersected by CA-88, Carson Pass). There, large stands of aspen line streams, a long, scenic meadow and high mountain rangeland.

On Oct. 8 and 9, the Hope Valley will host the Alpine Aspen Festival along Blue Lakes Road with: guided nature walks, horseback rides, fly-fishing and outdoor yoga, demonstrations of Dutch oven cooking, photography and watercolor workshops, native-American cultural demonstrations, tent talks on local history and alpine folk music.  

CLICK HERE to reserve your place at the Alpine Aspen Festival (recommended).

Hope Valley, Alpine County (7,300′) – Patchy (10-50%)