Autumn leaves have faded and fallen from trees high in the Catalina Mountains — but a sort of “autumn encore†is underway in lower reaches of the range.
There, trees and late-blooming shrubs are showing brilliant yellow and red hues in mid-November.
Earlier in the fall, aspen, maple and oak trees higher in the Catalinas were flashing their own seasonal shades before eventually shedding the color.
But now — along the lower seven or eight miles of the Catalina Highway northeast of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ — you’re likely to spot autumnal color ranging from the bright yellow blooms of turpentine bushes to gold leaves on trees.
FIND SOME COLOR
Here are some colorful sites along the highway:
- Along the first miles, watch for rocky slopes with turpentine bushes festooned with scores of blooms.
- The Molino Canyon Vista site at the 4.3-mile point on the highway has more of the colorful bushes as well as some plants with bright reddish leaves.
- Near the 5-mile point, as you approach a turnoff for the Molino Basin Campground, a stream bed below the highway sports numerous trees of several kinds with leaves of yellow and gold.
- From a parking lot outside the campground, it’s possible to descend carefully to a stream bed and follow it to some photo-worthy color.
- A stop at the Gordon Hirabayashi Recreation Site past the 7-mile point on the highway includes views of colorful leaves there and across the highway from the site.
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Shrubs and trees are showing brilliant yellow hues of autumn in lower reaches of the Catalina Mountains. — Credit: Doug Kreutz / ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥
