CEDAR CITY — Early Sunday morning, a dusting of snow covered the roads, trees and meadows of Southern Utah’s mountains. Under crystal flakes, vibrant leaves of green, orange and gold glowed in soft sunlight.
Fall is here, but the season of color is fleeting. How can Southern Utahns get the most out of autumn this year?
Quaking aspens are the most common species of deciduous tree found in Southern Utah’s mountains; their musical leaves transform from green to yellow, orange and rarely, red, Cedar City News reported previously.
Because the trees reproduce via suckering — sprouting genetic clones from their root systems — a group of aspens could be a single organism, so their leaves will change at about the same time and to the same color. What color a particular aspen will express this autumn largely depends on its genetics, the article reads.
Maple and oak trees are known for their vibrant red or orange autumn leaves and are typically seen at lower elevations, Dr. Jacqualine Grant told Cedar City News last year. Grant is an associate professor of Geosciences at Southern Utah University.
Various factors impact which chemicals trees express, including sunlight, temperature and cloud cover. With above-freezing temperatures, leaves are more likely to be red, but an early frost could weaken its vibrancy. Rain and overcast skies could increase the intensity of this year’s fall color.
Leaves are green due to chlorophyll and orange, brown or yellow because of carotenoids — both are present during the growing season. Anthocyanins create red leaves in response to bright light and excess plant sugars, according to the U.S. Forest Service. As the days shorten, trees reduce their chlorophyll production until there is no trace of the chemical in their leaves, leaving behind the vibrant hues expressed by carotenoids and anthocyanins.
Fall color is peaking in Southern Utah’s mountains. And due to high winds and cold weather, they could be fleeting. With snow still dusting the ground at higher elevations, Brian Head, Cedar Breaks National Monument and Duck Creek expect additional precipitation Sunday night and Monday morning, with mostly gentle to moderate winds, according to the National Weather Service. More sunshine is forecasted for the rest of the week, starting Tuesday.
However, stronger gusts and cold temperatures hit the mountains over the weekend, which blew leaves off “some of the early changers,” Life of Brian Head’s Mike Saemisch wrote on Facebook. Despite this, colors “will still be great for a few weeks” in Brian Head, with high mountain forests still turning.
Where can a would-be leaf peeper peep leaves?
With elevations ranging as high as 11,312 feet above sea level at Brian Head Peak and as low as 2,350 at Beaver Dam Wash, Southern Utahns in Washington and Iron counties can follow autumn into the valleys as winter overtakes alpine meadows.
Alpine and subalpine:
Southern Utah’s high-elevation areas typically show the best fall color in mid-September to early October. Subalpine areas are best viewed from late September through mid-October.
State Route 143 from Brian Head to Panguitch, state Route 148 through Cedar Breaks National Monument, and state Route 14’s higher elevations are in peak color, with a high percentage of color change, according to Visit Cedar City-Brian Head. Duck Creek and Navajo Lake are also seeing a high rate of change, with some green still adorning the landscape.
The leaves in lower elevations are estimated to have a moderate percentage of change, with red and orange maples putting on a show and yellow aspens coming up quickly from behind. Find fall colors at these locations:
- State Route 14, through Cedar Canyon to Wood’s Ranch, Navajo Lake and Duck Creek.
- Right Hand Canyon to Kolob Reservoir and Kolob Terrace Road.
- Utah’s Patchwork Parkway — state Route 143 — through Parowan Canyon to Brian Head and Cedar Breaks.
- State Route 12 to Bryce Canyon National Park
- State Route 153, connecting Beaver and Junction to Fish Lake National Forest’s south end
- State Route 25, which is home to the Pando aspen clone.
According to Mixbook, a photo book brand, Fishlake was rated Utah’s most sought-after “hidden gem” according to a survey with 3,000 respondents.
“Set away from the more frequented destinations, this expansive forest landscape transforms into a stunning tapestry of reds, oranges, and yellows during autumn,” the website reads. “Its off-the-beaten-path appeal, trails, and diverse ecosystems offer a unique escape for nature enthusiasts.”
High Valley and Washington County
The rate of change at lower elevations is estimated to be low by Visit Cedar City Brian Head, with oaks and maples offering splashes of red among the green and yellow of other species. Watch the colors change at these locations:
- First Left Hand Canyon to Yankee Meadows Reservoir.
- Second Left Hand Canyon.
- East Kolob Canyon Road to the Kolob Canyons district of Zion National Park
- The canyons, trails and roads in and near Kanarraville and New Harmony
Southern Washington County will see changing colors in late October into November, with most trees still sporting green leaves with nary a hint of change. According to Visit Cedar City-Brian Head, the best place to view fall leaves in the area is Zion National Park via state Route 9 and Springdale.
Fall eclipse
This fall, Brian Head will be in the path of an annular solar eclipse, James Graven with Treehouse Communications told Cedar City News via email. Should the colors hold until Oct. 14, visitors could be amid vibrant autumn as they view the “ring of fire.” The town’s high elevation could offer clearer skies for the event.
Graven writes that the “ring of fire” is expected to last just over four minutes. Visitors should pack eclipse safety glasses to view safely. Brian Head Resort is offering to provide viewing glasses for those watching the event there. Those in Parowan will also have a “prime view,” according to Visit Cedar City-Brian Head.
Event details:
- What: A solar eclipse
- When: Shortly after 10 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 14.
- Where: Brian Head, Utah
To watch for changing autumn colors and conditions, Southern Utans can check the webcams located at Brian Head Resort and Zion National Park.
The drone footage in the video at the top of this article is courtesy of Brian Head Resort.
Photo Gallery
Maple trees show off their red leaves in a sea of green, Cedar City, Utah, Sept. 26, 2023 | Photo by Alysha Lundgren, Cedar City News The sun sets over Brian Head as the leaves turn, Brian Head, Utah, Sept. 26, 2023 | Photo by Alysha Lundgren, Cedar City News Autumn leaves stand out against a red stone background, Brian Head, Utah, Sept. 30, 2023 | Photo by Alysha Lundgren, Cedar City News Snow dusts alpine meadows near Cedar Breaks National Monument, Utah, Oct. 1, 2023 | Photo by Alysha Lundgren, Cedar City News Snow dusts alpine meadows near Cedar Breaks National Monument, Utah, | Photo by Alysha Lundgren, Cedar City News Fog bears down on the autumn landscape near Navajo Lake, Utah, Oct. 1, 2023 | Photo by Alysha Lundgren, Cedar City News Yellow leaves strike a contrast in snow, Navajo Lake, Utah, Oct. 1, 2023 | Photo by Alysha Lundgren, Cedar City News Fog rolls over Navajo Lake, Utah, Oct. 1, 2023 | Photo by Alysha Lundgren, Cedar City News Yellow leaves adorn an overgrown path in Duck Creek, Utah, Oct. 1, 2023 | Photo by Alysha Lundgren, Cedar City News Quaking aspens show off autumn color in Duck Creek, Utah, Oct. 1, 2023 | Photo by Alysha Lundgren, Cedar City News Vibrant aspens line Aspen Mirror Pond in Duck Creek, Utah, Oct. 1, 2023 | Photo by Alysha Lundgren, Cedar City News Maple leaves turn red, Cedar City, Utah, Oct. 1, 2023 | Photo by Alysha Lundgren, Cedar City News Maple leaves turn red, Cedar City, Utah, Oct. 1, 2023 | Photo by Alysha Lundgren, Cedar City News Maple leaves glow in the morning sun, Cedar City, Utah, Oct. 1, 2023 | Photo by Alysha Lundgren, Cedar City News Yellow leaves litter the trail in Duck Creek, Utah, Sept. 30, 2023 | Photo by Alysha Lundgren, Cedar City News Fishlake National Forest's Pando aspen clone changes color, Oct. 3, 2012 | Photo courtesy of the U.S. Forest Service/John Zapell, Cedar City News
Autumn color fills the canyons at Zion National Park, Utah, Jan. 27, 2015 | Photo courtesy of Zion National Park/Bryanna Plog, Cedar City News
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2023, all rights reserved.