Sep 7, 2023 - News
Where to see fall foliage in San Francisco Bay Area
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Fall foliage in Golden Gate Park last October. Photo: Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
While fall in San Francisco doesn't quite compare to the season in other parts of the country, peak fall foliage in San Francisco will be here before you know it.
Driving the news: Using historical weather reports, tree species info and user data, travel brand SmokyMountains.com put together 2023 foliage prediction maps of the U.S.
- In San Francisco, leaves are predicted to start changing colors by Monday and the city will likely be past its peak fall colors by Oct. 23.
Within the city, hit up the Botanical Garden or the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park.
- Or, if you're down for a little road trip, word on the street is that you can catch some good views of fall foliage at the Filoli Historic House & Garden in Woodside, along the coast near Big Sur and in Yosemite National Park.
Of note: Your window to view the bright hues might be trickier to predict, as climate change impacts when leaves change — and how colorful they get.
- The green color in leaves comes from chlorophyll, the pigment that helps plants turn sunlight into energy via photosynthesis.
- As nights get longer and there's less sunlight in the fall, leaves stop making chlorophyll.