Escape To California's Underrated County Before Fall Ends For Vibrant Foliage And Mountain Views

The USA is a fall color heaven, and New England reigns supreme. Go there to watch huge sweeps of forests turn red and yellow amid the postcard-worthy Acadia National Park and along the ridges of the White Mountains. Meanwhile, over on the West Coast, good old California has its own share of prime leaf-peeping destinations. There are the incredible landscapes of the Inyo National Forest for one, where you can watch the fall colors cascade down the Sierra Nevada. Or there's Plumas County, a land beyond Tahoe where sylvan valleys and tree-covered mountains dominate the skyline.

Underrated Plumas has a whole load going for it when the autumn months creep near. Under-the-radar state parks beckon within the Sierra Nevada here, while the 1.14 million acres of the vast Plumas National Forest unfold over giant mountain peaks and deep valleys where rivers carve through the woods. And that's not even mentioning the quaint and charming towns, which include beer-loving Quincy and the logging outpost come outdoorsy hub of Graeagle.

All that's the setting for a fantastic fall show that comes courtesy of the abundant maple and black oaks that call Plumas their home. To catch a glimpse, either drive northwest from the Reno-Tahoe International Airport for about 1.5 hours or go northeast for around 2.5 hours from Sacramento's main airport. You'll be looking to get on Highway 70, which is one of the main north-south routes cutting through Plumas County, and a doozy of a scenic drive to boot, especially in the fall. Have your camera at the ready, folks!

One thing you should know: Plumas County is a biggie. It corrals over 2,550 square miles of land, so you'll need to pinpoint the precise locations you want to go a-chasing those kaleidoscopic fall color changes. The good news is that a few spots stand out, perhaps none more so than the eye-wateringly stunning Feather River Canyon byway. It's a 60-mile route of wildflower meadows, crashing waterfalls, and scenic valleys that starts to showcase those sought-after fall hues around the first week of October. You can access the drive from Blairsden, Quincy, or Graeagle in Plumas County itself and proceed along the North Fork of the Feather River from there. Simply cruising will be stunning — expect vertiginous gorges rising on both sides of the road and vintage bridges arcing across the water, all hemmed in by beautiful sweeps of forest. And there are hiking detours galore for those who want to delve deeper, including a branch of the ever-legendary Pacific Crest Trail.

Farther north, Plumas claims a corner of the Lassen Volcanic National Park. That's another corker for leaf peepers, since crowds disperse and pockets of aspen trees begin to show colors below the outline of sometimes-snow-capped Mount Lassen. Or there's the underrated Plumas-Eureka State Park, where unique Gold Rush history sites are mingled in with cottonwood and willow stands. It's a great place to go to escape the crowds and get some fall viewing all to yourself.

Plumas County also has you covered when the time comes for that hard-earned après leaf-peeping. A string of ultra-handsome, uber-welcoming highland towns runs down the main Highway 70 as it cuts in from the eastern edge of the Sierra Nevada. They offer heart-warming bed-and-breakfasts, cozy cafes, and boutique shopping — just what the travel guide ordered after long days of forest watching!

Quincy is the jewel in the crown here. Sat at one end of the aforementioned Feather River Canyon, it's the perfect base station for scenic drives in the fall, and it oozes a rich history of its own — it began life as a far-flung mining outpost way back in 1858! You can take a walking tour of the downtown area to move past notary buildings and classic homesteads that have been around for more than a century. Oh, and the fall isn't only for color-changing woodlands here. It's also high time for the Mountain Harvest Beer Festival, a blowout of all things wine, hops, and locavore food that swings by sometime in October.

Head north to the upper reaches of Plumas and you can hit Chester, which languishes on the side of Lake Almanor. It's a prime gateway to the wonders of Lassen Volcanic, another of the region's fall-time gems. It's also home to unique antiques emporiums and the historic Bidwell House B&B, a quintessentially North Cali inn with all the bells and whistles including home-cooked breakfasts, a wrap-around porch, and individually appointed rooms.