The slender, white-barked trees paint the Western mountains with their beautiful yellow, gold, orange, and red colors in the fall. Aspens glow in a patchwork quilt of these different hues, against a background of dark green conifers, gray and black rocks, wispy clouds, and deep blue skies. (See Why Leaves Change Color)
The fall colors of the aspens are very important to many communities in the West. Many tourists travel hundreds of miles to view the dazzling colors of the aspen groves.
Each aspen grove includes one or more aspen clones. The aspen trees of a particular clone will change color at the same time because they are genetically related. Autumn is the time to see where the different clones are located.
Go to the Forest Service's Fall Colors web page for up-to-date information for this season.
Enjoy the fall colors of aspen in our Photo Gallery.
Click the thumbnail images below to see larger images of the fall colors.
Colorado. Photo by Andrew Kratz.
Colorado. Photo by Andrew Kratz.
Routt National Forest. Photo by Barry Lilly.
Routt National Forest. Photo by Robin Lilly.
Routt National Forest. Photo by Robin Lilly.
Poudre River Canyon, Roosevelt National Forest. Photo by Barry Lilly.
Poudre River Canyon, Roosevelt National Forest. Photo by Barry Lilly.
Poudre River Canyon, Roosevelt National Forest. Photo by Barry Lilly.
Colorado. Photo by G. Austin.
Cove Mountain, Utah. Photo by B. Campbell.
Mammoth Creek, Cedar City Ranger District, Dixie National Forest. Photo courtesy U.S. Forest Service.
Fishlake National Forest. Photo by Mark Muir.
Fishlake National Forest. Photo by B. Campbell.
Fishlake National Forest. Photo by B. Campbell.
Mount Timpanogos, Uinta National Forest. Photo by Robert Shorn.
Utah. Photo by I. H. Johnson.
Hope Valley, Alpine County, California. Photo by Linnea Hanson.
Eagle Lake Ranger District, Lassen National Forest. Photo by T. Rickman.
Eagle Lake Ranger District, Lassen National Forest. Photo by T. Rickman.
Eagle Lake Ranger District, Lassen National Forest. Photo by T. Rickman.
Crater Lake, Eagle Lake Ranger District, Lassen National Forest. Photo by T. Rickman.
Crater Lake, Eagle Lake Ranger District, Lassen National Forest. Photo by T. Rickman.
Crater Lake, Eagle Lake Ranger District, Lassen National Forest. Photo by T. Rickman.
Bucks Lake, Plumas County, California. Photo by Linnea Hanson.
Howland Flat, Plumas National Forest. Photo by Linnea Hanson.
Feather River Ranger Districts, Plumas National Forest. Photo by Linnea Hanson.
Feather River Ranger District, Plumas National Forest. Photo by Linnea Hanson.
Bald Onion area, Feather River Ranger District, Plumas National Forest. Photo by Linnea Hanson.
Grubbs Cow Camp, Plumas County, California. Photo by Linnea Hanson.
Oroville-Quincy Highway, Plumas County, California. Photo by Linnea Hanson.
Taylor Creek, Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. Photo by Linnea Hanson.
