Plan your dates
Check datesOverview
The Walker valley sits on the east side of the Sierra, and three things shape a trip there: whether the high passes are open, when the trout season starts, and how far the fall color has come. All three move with the weather, so this page tells you what to check and where, not what to expect on a given day.
We hold no live status. Where a status could appear, it is filled in on your screen from its source and disappears when it goes stale.
The high passes
Sonora Pass, Monitor Pass and Tioga Pass close for part of every winter and spring. Caltrans publishes the closure and reopening dates of past winters for each of them, and they show how far a pass can swing: the same pass has reopened weeks earlier or later from one year to the next. Past dates show a pattern, never a forecast.
Status on your screen, filled in when it is available:
- Sonora Pass:
- Monitor Pass:
- Tioga Pass:
Check the Caltrans QuickMap before you set out, or call the Caltrans Highway Information Network. For Tioga Road inside Yosemite, the National Park Service keeps its own opening and closing history, and its dates differ from the Caltrans table, so read each for what it says. Last updated .
The trout season
California's statewide trout rule opens inland streams and rivers on the last Saturday in April and keeps them open through mid-November. Lakes and reservoirs are open all year. Some waters have their own listing with a different season, gear rule or bag limit, and a few are closed, so look up the water you plan to fish in the state regulations before you go.
The state also publishes a fish planting schedule. For the West Walker River, Section 2 was planted in these weeks last season: to , to , to , to , to . That is history, not a promise about this year.
Fall color
Mono County Tourism publishes a fall color report. Check it close to your dates, because the stage changes week by week and by elevation. Status on your screen, when it is available: .
Where to stay
We have a handful of stays in Coleville, in the Walker valley. Our 18 Coleville stays each have one bedroom and sleep two to five guests.
Most guests drive in on US-395: from Reno it is about 77 miles, roughly 1 hour 45 minutes, and from Bridgeport to the south about 40 minutes. Monitor Pass and Sonora Pass close each winter and reopen in spring, so check Caltrans QuickMap before you set out. In snow season, come prepared with chains, an ice scraper, a shovel and a winter emergency kit, and check the weather and road closures before each drive.
Questions before you book
Will the pass be open when we arrive?
We cannot tell you. Closure dates move from year to year, so check the road agencies the day before and again on the day.
When does trout fishing start?
Streams open on the last Saturday in April under the statewide rule, and lakes are open all year, with exceptions listed by water. Check the state regulations for your water.
Is the fall color report a forecast?
No. It is a report of what has been seen so far.
Plan your dates
Tell us your dates, guest count and bedroom needs, and we will help you choose a stay and an arrival day with some margin. See also our Eastern Sierra destination guide.
A minimum stay may apply.
Want to hear when new dates are announced?
Places to stay
Eastern Sierra passes, trout and fall color: planning guide
Get event updates
One short email when the organizer changes something that affects your stay. Nothing else.
Ready to pick your dates? Tell us when you’re coming and how many are in your group, and we’ll match you with a home that fits.
Fall color at Conway Summit on US 395.