Where to See Bay Area Fall Foliage Near You

The clocks “fall back” this weekend, at 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 2.

And along with crisper weather, Halloween candy and thoughts of the holidays, this time of year brings another autumnal pleasure: seeking out fall foliage.

In the Bay Area, the yellows, oranges and reds don’t truly hit their peaks until November, according to this year’s predictions. So with October almost over, now’s the time to text the group chat to make plans for the perfect fall picnic — surrounded by the best colors the Bay has to offer.

And we’ve since done the work for you on this one on where to go — keep reading for five ideas for the ideal autumn gathering.

Jump straight to:

• Cruise along the Silverado Trail
• Soak in the spectacle of San Francisco’s gardens
• Take the scenic route in Sonoma County
• Get lost in Livermore’s sycamore groves
• Further afield: Explore new corners of Santa Cruz County

Explore Napa’s Silverado Trail

“Folks call us every fall asking: ‘Where can we hike and find Vermont?’” said Ryan Ayers, who works in community relations and outreach for Napa County Regional Park and Open Space District.

The reality is that “most of the native plants we have are not good for color change,” he said.

But there is one iconic Bay Area plant that does create a spectacular rainbow of fall colors,  Ayers said: The grapevines that make up the region’s iconic vineyards.

To get the best view of the changing colorscape, take a drive up Napa’s Silverado Trail, the affectionate nickname for the road running parallel to Highway 29 from San Francisco to Calistoga, and pass winery after winery blanketing the hills. The 29-mile scenic road winds through the valley, passing by some of the most famous wineries in the world.

If you’re looking for a hike amid the foliage, Ayers suggested heading to Moore Creek Park for a jaunt along the Moore Creek Trail — and, if you’re feeling extra ambitious, all the way to a “top secret swimming hole,” he said.

“There’s not a bad walk anywhere in there,” Ayers said of the park.

Picnicking pointers: Stop on the way and grab upscale to-go fare at Station St. Helena, or a full deli sandwich at Giugnis, a Saint Helena staple that’s been open since 1911. 

Then, Ayers suggested heading to Bothe-Napa Valley State Park, where you’ll find a spacious picnic area where you can enjoy your meal. For the history buffs or spooky season enthusiasts, nearby the picnic area is the historic Pioneer Cemetery, where early Napa Valley settlers — including survivors of the infamous Donner Party — are buried.

Find peace in San Francisco’s gardens

When searching for fall colors, it’ll help to know your trees — and the ginkgo is one of the key species that’s near-guaranteed to turn a brilliant yellow each fall.

Luckily for San Franciscans looking for a tranquil picnic spot, the Japanese Tea Garden is full of ginkgos on display — and it’s even free for city residents to visit.

“Some of them are starting to turn a little bit yellow now, and they will peak usually close to Thanksgiving,” garden supervisor Steven Pitsenbarger said. Gingkos can continue their colorful displays into December and “even into early January,” he said.

“A hotter summer and a colder winter will make more dramatic colors,” Pitsenbarger said — but although the Bay Area’s more temperate seasonal shifts can mean less dramatic fall changes than you’d see elsewhere, “even so, we still will always have some color,” he said.

That’s true, too, for the maples in the garden, many of which were planted this year along a new pathway, and will turn colors ranging from yellow to orange to red — and even deep purple.

Just a few steps away is the San Francisco Botanical Garden, whose Temperate Asia area and Moon Viewing Garden boast cherry, beech and alder trees, among other autumn staples, said Brendan Lange, spokesperson for Gardens of Golden Gate Park.

Picnicking pointers: The Botanical Garden is the perfect place to sit with a picnic, with its wealth of nooks and crannies — or you could spread out on the Great Meadow near the garden’s eastern entrance.

While you can’t bring your own food into the Japanese Tea Garden, there is a tea house inside where you can enjoy a warm beverage and light snacks while taking in the view. Despite being just 4 acres, the garden can get quite crowded, but Pitsenbarger said they have regulars who come every week who “notice all the subtle changes that happen throughout the year.” Meanwhile, other visitors will arrive, ”find a spot in the garden and hang out, and just watch and see how the earth turns around them,” he said.

“One of the better ways to experience the garden is to sit and kind of absorb things,” Pitsenbarger said.

Go for a scenic stroll in Sonoma County

Like Ayers, Sonoma County Regional Parks spokesperson Sarah Campbell was sure to manage the expectations of visitors who might be hoping to find East Coast-like fall colors in Sonoma County. “What people have in mind isn’t necessarily what you’ll find,” she said.

But casual walkers or bikers can still find fall vibes on the West County Regional Trail, a 5-mile paved wheelchair and stroller-accessible walkway that takes you the scenic route over wetlands, by farms and vineyards, and spits you out in the charming small town of Sebastopol.

The town is full of gems, from Florence Avenue’s “Junk Art” and countless antique and craft boutiques downtown to a 12-acre outdoor artists’ and artisans’ marketplace.

The rest of Sonoma County boasts a number of fall-friendly hiking areas, Campbell said, including the Big Leaf Trail at Shiloh Ranch Regional Park — be prepared, this one is “rugged,” she said. There’s also Riverfront Regional Park, with views of the Russian River and several small lakes.

Picnicking pointers: While the Gravenstein Apple Fair, featuring the world-famous Sonoma native fruit, is behind us, the Sebastopol farmers market runs all year long on Sundays and will easily fill your picnic basket.

After you’ve got the goods, you can head to Ragle Ranch Regional Park to enjoy your meal, and maybe even catch a glimpse of wildlife along Atascadero Creek.

Soak in the big leaves at Sycamore Grove Park in Livermore

For stunning — and colorful — sycamore trees, look no further than Livermore in Alameda County, where they’re abundant at Sycamore Grove Park. 

Sycamore trees “have a wide range on their bigger leaves, so it goes from yellow to orange-ish, almost a little red,” said park ranger and field supervisor Seth Eddings from Livermore Area Recreation and Park District’s Open Space team. “Not too much red, but a little bit.”

But it’s not just the trees that are abundant at Sycamore. The sweeping grasslands are a sight to behold, Eddings said, as is the wildlife — the park’s nature area has a wealth of wild animals, from bobcats and badgers to owls and mountain lions. And even, if you’re lucky, “if river otters: “My theory is if you see a river otter, they let you see them,” he said. “They’re very elusive animals.”

Eddings will host a free ranger talk on the wild cats of Sycamore at the end of the month.

Picnicking pointers: The park offers two picnic areas on either side of the park — one off Wetmore Road and the other off Arroyo Road. The larger sites near the ranger station can even be reserved for bigger private events.

Stop in downtown Livermore on your way for a spread of lunch options, or detour to locals’ favorite Ofelia’s Kitchen for true cafe staples.

Further afield: Grab some grub in Santa Cruz County’s Aptos

The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park in Santa Cruz County is best known for its evergreen redwoods. But it also follows a riparian corridor that features the big leaf maple, as well as sycamore, box elders, willows and cottonwoods, “that all have some great fall color,” said Sarah Shea, parks superintendent for Santa Cruz County Parks.

The park’s trails reach all the way south to the town of Aptos, whose Village Park, Shea said, is a great spot to catch the fall colors and sit down with your picnic.

For a full-day scenic journey, you can venture up Maple Falls, a 7–8 mile hike that takes you over creeks (and former creeks, where you can see fossilized seashells), through dense redwoods and fern forests and all the way up to a 30-foot waterfall.

Picnicking pointers: Within walking distance of the Aptos’ downtown area, the Aptos Village County Park is a great option for lunch, Shea said.

“It’s just down below the village, and so there’s lots of opportunities to grab a picnic and then head down to the park,” she said. If you want some local grub, check out Deluxe Foods or any of the handful of delis in the area for top-tier to-go eats.

Most importantly: Don’t forget to stop at Marianne’s Ice Cream on the way out to taste iconic fall flavors like pumpkin and maple nut.