Fall colors in the Eastern Sierra Nevada

BISHOP, CA OCTOBER 6, 2019: Aspen leaves are changing just above Cardinal Village in Bishop, CA October 6, 2019. (Francine Orr/ Los Angeles Times)

Aspen leaves are changing just above Cardinal Village in Aspendell, Calif. (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times)

By Francine OrrStaff Photographer

Oct. 8, 2019 10:40 AM PT

The Eastern Sierra is putting on a show of fall colors, where rugged granite canyons are framed by golden orange and crimson colors.

Aspen leaves are turning yellow in Aspendell

Aspen leaves are turning yellow in the unincorporated community of Aspendell in California’s Inyo County. (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times)

Early in the morning the aspen leaves have varying color over South Fork Bishop Creek, near the entrance to Parchers Resort on South Lake Road in Bishop, Calif. (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times)

Detail of yellow and orange aspen leaves in Table Mountain Creek in Bishop, Calif. (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times)

Changing leaves contrast against the granite

Changing leaves contrast with the granite next to Parchers Resort on South Lake Road in Bishop, Calif. (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times)

A yellow and orange aspen next to Weir Pond in Bishop, Calif., a popular spot for fly fishermen. (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times)

Colorful aspen trees surround Lake Sabrina just outside of Bishop, Calif. (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times)

Aspen leaves are turning yellow in the unincorporated community of Aspendell in California’s Inyo County. (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times)

Detail shot of yellow aspen leaves in Bishop, Calif. (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times)

A time exposure over the South Fork Bishop Creek, near the entrance to Parchers Resort in Bishop, Calif. (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times)

People fishing in Bishop, Calif. (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times)

Frost collects on the edges of a fallen aspen leaf at the edge of North Lake in Bishop. (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times)

Colorful hillsides reflect in North Lake in Bishop. (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times)

A splash of color in the brush that lines Tuttle Creek Rd looking west toward Lone Pine Peak in Lone Pine. (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times)

California Travel & Experiences

Francine Orr

Francine Orr was a staff photojournalist for the Los Angeles Times from 2000-24. She is currently a Knight fellow at the Graduate School of Visual Communication at Ohio University. Previously, she was a staff photographer at the Kansas City Star. Orr served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Yap, Federated States of Micronesia. While there, she learned how to be a quiet observer and gained a love for stories. She was raised in Colorado and earned bachelor’s degrees in both history and art from the University of Saint Mary. In 2022, Orr received the coveted Dart Award for Excellence in Coverage of Trauma and the National Headliner Award. She also won the 2020 Meyer “Mike” Berger and was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in feature photography in 2012.

Fall colors in the Eastern Sierra Nevada

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