395 Fall Color 2026 | Over Sonora Pass To The Eastern Sierra: Late Leaves, Perfect Reflections

Every October, photos of golden aspens along Highway 395 in the Eastern Sierra flood my feed, and this year we finally took a weekend to bring the family. Over two days we covered the June Lake Loop, Mono Lake, Twin Lakes in Mammoth, Convict Lake, and Lundy Canyon. Honestly, we went a little late: in many places the leaves were mostly gone, and the color was nowhere near as dramatic as the photos online. But the weather was perfect and there was almost no wind, so every lake was flat as a mirror, and the reflections were a joy to shoot.

Overview

• Day 1 (10/17): Over Sonora Pass (Hwy 108) into the Eastern Sierra with a stop at Donnell Vista; south on 395 to Conway Summit for aspens and a first look at Mono Lake; the June Lake Loop in the late afternoon, with reflections at Silver Lake and aspens along the road; then sunset at Mono Lake South Tufa
• Day 2 (10/18): Twin Lakes in Mammoth in the morning, then Convict Lake; lunch back in Lee Vining; Lundy Canyon in the afternoon, where we finally found a fully golden aspen grove

In one line: the fall color was about 70%, the reflections were 100%.

Day 1 | Over Sonora Pass And South On 395

Instead of the usual Tioga Pass, we crossed the Sierra on 108 over Sonora Pass. Around 3 p.m. we stopped at Donnell Vista, an overlook on the edge of a cliff above a deep granite canyon and Donnell Reservoir, under a completely cloudless sky.

This stretch of 108 is twisty and steep, with blasted rock cuts along the road. On a quiet section my wife struck a ballet pose in the middle of the lane.

Once down the mountain, we headed south on 395. The first real fall color stop was Conway Summit, the highest point on 395. The valley below was dotted with yellow aspen groves, but they were clearly thin, and many trees were already bare. That was when we realized we were late this year.

A few minutes down the other side, a roadside overlook takes in all of Mono Lake: gray-blue water, two islands in the middle, and a wide dry basin around it. My wife and I took a selfie there.

June Lake Loop: Reflections At Silver Lake

A little after 5 p.m. we turned onto the June Lake Loop (Hwy 158). This was the best color of the day: yellow-green aspens on both sides of the road and the pale gray face of Carson Peak straight ahead. Traffic was light enough to stand in the road for photos.

Right after turning onto the Loop, the road runs straight at a sharp pointed peak. The low sun was lighting up its rock face, and the aspens on both sides were just starting to turn.

By the time we reached Silver Lake, the sun had dropped behind the ridge. There was no wind at all, and the mountains and trees were mirrored perfectly in the water. That was the moment the trip started to feel worth it. Our son ran around the shore with a stuffed shark on his head and became the mascot of the day.

A trail by the lake runs into an aspen grove that still had plenty of leaves, yellow mixed with green. Back on 158, this stretch had the densest yellow of the day.

Sunset At Mono Lake South Tufa

We reached South Tufa around 6:20 p.m., just after sunset. It is a short walk from the parking lot to the shore. The horizon slowly went from orange to pink, and the lake was so still you could barely tell where the water ended and the sky began. Tufa towers stand in the shallows, black silhouettes against a pink sky, like another planet.

We took a family photo of all four of us here.

As the light faded, the lake turned into one big sheet of glass, broken only by a few water birds.

Day 2 | Twin Lakes, Convict Lake, And Lundy Canyon

Twin Lakes, Mammoth

We started the morning at Twin Lakes in the Mammoth Lakes Basin. After 9 a.m. the water was still windless; the distant ridge and a line of pines were reflected crisply, and you could see the rocks on the bottom. A small spillway at the outlet kept up a steady rush of water.

A little farther up the road, a pullout looks down over the whole basin. The color here was faint, mostly green.

Convict Lake

We got to Convict Lake around 10:30. The striped white mountain wall behind the lake (around Mount Morrison) is the signature view, and the aspens and shrubs along the shore still had some yellow, which looked lovely mirrored in the water. That is why it is the cover photo.

The water was clear enough to see the rocks below. The boys spent a long time on the boardwalk and skipping stones at the shore, and our older son even played along with my wife for a few posed shots.

Part of the lakeshore trail runs under yellow trees. That short section looked good, but overall a lot of leaves had already fallen.

We drove back to Lee Vining for lunch. After a morning of lakes, both boys were starving.

Lundy Canyon: The Most Golden Aspens Of The Trip

The last stop was Lundy Canyon. Shortly after turning off 395, the road passes Lundy Lake, a deep blue lake between two slopes with a golden meadow along the shore.

In the meadow stands a huge old willow with low, spreading branches like an open umbrella. We took a lot of photos underneath it.

Farther in, we finally found what looked like the photos online: a whole aspen grove still fully golden, the leaves glowing when you look up into the sun. Unfortunately it was the only one; many trees around it were already bare. A week earlier, the whole canyon would probably have been much better.

Practical Notes

• Route: from the Bay Area, Sonora Pass (108) has less traffic than Tioga Pass but is curvy and steep, so prepare kids who get carsick. Both passes close in winter; check Caltrans road conditions before you go.
• Timing: Eastern Sierra color moves from high elevation down. Early to mid October is usually peak around June Lake and Lundy. We arrived on 10/17, which was already on the late side. Check that week's fall color report before you go.
• Reflections: wind is lowest in the morning and evening. We shot Silver Lake and Mono Lake in the evening and Twin Lakes and Convict Lake in the morning, and all were glassy.
• Mono Lake sunset: at South Tufa, the walk from the parking lot to the shore is short. The pink sky lasts about half an hour after sunset, so don't leave right away. It gets cold quickly after dark, so bring a jacket.
• Food: Lee Vining is the most convenient stop between Mono Lake and Lundy Canyon.

Takeaways

• Fall color is all about timing, and one week makes a big difference. Lundy Canyon and the June Lake Loop still had solid patches of yellow; Conway Summit and Convict Lake were already thin.
• When the color falls short, the reflections make up for it. On a windless day, Silver Lake, Mono Lake, Twin Lakes, and Convict Lake were all mirrors.
• Mono Lake at sunset was better than I expected. The pink sky and tufa silhouettes were the most photogenic moment of the trip.
• Four or five lakes in two days is a good pace for kids: short stops, a little walking, some stone-skipping, no long hikes.