Fall, also known as autumn, marks the transition from summer to winter. Temperatures begin to cool, days become shorter, rain begins to arrive and the leaves on deciduous trees turn stunning shades of orange, amber, yellow and gold as they transform green landscapes and trees into a palette of warm colors. Fall colors are very fleeting, with peak colors usually lasting only a few weeks. Depending on location, elevation and the type of trees, fall colors can begin in late September and early October and last all the way into early November.
Places like Colorado, Vermont, New Hampshire and the Eastern Sierra are famous for fall colors, but I’ve always found the fall colors in the Pacific Northwest and Oregon to be highly underrated. I’ve lived in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest my entire life, but I’ve always enjoyed the mix of evergreen trees and fall color we often get here. One of the most famous locations for fall colors here is the Portland Japanese Garden. I’m a lifelong Oregonian, and having lived within 20 minutes of it most of my life I have been visiting this spot most of my life. The colors can be very fleeting, as rain some years can knock the delicate leaves off the Lace Leaf Japanese Maple trees before peak color arrives. When the weather cooperates though, the colors are otherworldly. This location is world famous in the fall, and for good reason.
Places like Tumwater Canyon in Leavenworth, Washington and the Portland Japanese Garden get most of the attention when it comes to fall colors in the Pacific Northwest, but I’ve always found the Columbia River Gorge stunning in the fall. The area below Crown Point lights up with color each and every autumn, and waterfalls like Starvation Creek Falls, Multnomah Falls and Latourell Falls take on an entirely new kind of beauty with fall colors framing the waterfalls. The mix of trees, waterfalls, rivers and sweeping vistas against the backdrop of fall color is not one to be missed.
Perhaps my favorite location every fall was the old Boardman Tree Farm. Originally planted in the early 1990s as a sustainable source of wood for paper and pulp products, the tree farm consisted of 30,000 acres of evenly spaces Pacific Albus Hybrid Poplar Trees in equal rows and plot sizes. They hit full maturity for harvest every 7-8 years, and with 30,000 acres worth there were always tens of thousands of acres worth every year growing. Every autumn, fall colors would arrive at the same time transforming this place into a forest of fall color stretching as far as the eye can see. I was heartbroken when the tree farm was sold in 2016, and all the trees cut down to make way for something else. I spent decades coming here, and I’m very grateful I was able to experience it so many times before it was gone.
The Cedar Creek Grist Mill in Woodland, Washington is another favorite every autumn. Bigleaf Maple and other trees surround this area, turning brilliant yellow and orange hues each and every fall. The Cedar Creek Grist Mill itself was built in 1876, and is now over 149 years old. There’s also a covered bridge here, and the entire every feels like a time capsule of fall color where time has stood still for over a century.
The Willamette Valley can get some stunning fall colors, especially the Hazelnut Trees, with fall colors that can range yellow to orange to red and even purple depending on the exact species of tree. A beautiful tree tunnel of fall color has always been a favorite of mine here. One of my favorite fall sights in the valley is a pumpkin patch at sunset. The warm pastel hues in the sky against the orange colors of the pumpkins in the field are always a beautiful sight.
Yosemite National Park is another underrated location in the fall. The Dogwood Trees below El Capitan are magical when the fall colors arrive, and the wonderful autumn colors reflecting in the slower waters of the Merced River as the granite walls of Yosemite Valley rise up above is always a sight to see. Everything seems to slow down, and the way the colors interact with the environment is more intimate than some place, which is why I think it tends to slip below the radar.
Fall has long been one of my favorite seasons. I love the fleeting colors and the cold, moist air. It always feels like things slow down, and I’ve always found fall to be very peaceful and serene. I hope everyone viewing my Autumn and Fall Color Fine Art Photography gallery experiences the same feeling of wonder and awe that the fall season has always brought me.
