September / October location suggestions

I'm looking for some new locations to do some shooting in September and October. Suggestions for favorite locations with best time of day to shoot, etc, greatly appreciated! (No long backpack trips, though - have to be able to get back home for birth of first grandchild due around October 1st!)

I live in central Oregon and am considering taking a couple week-long trips this fall.

Thanks for the suggestions!


Marcy

Hi Marcy,

The entire coast is great this time of year. Sunsets seem to be pretty consistent and the weather is usually mild.

Thanks, Bryan - I'm really looking more at places "off the beaten track" that aren't visited too often. You are right about fall being a wonderful time to be at the coast, and it is still on my list. I've been thinking of maybe going up to the Steens or somewhere remote like Leslie Gulch, but we will see how much time we can take off - still may end up around Newport or Seaside.

Thanks for the post!!

Marcy

With the option of "taking a couple week-long trips" you've got plenty of possibilities, Marcy.

There are some really nice groves of aspens up on Steens Mountain that start turning golden around mid- to late-September. Fish Lake and Jackman Park are the main sites, both with nice camping. Check with the BLM office in Burns or the Frenchglen Hotel for current conditions in a week or so. Keep in mind, however, that this is hunting season also, so be sure to wear some blaze orange or other bright colors when you're out and about.

Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge also has some nice aspen groves on the west side and right up in the campground area.

Further east, the Elkhorn-Blue Mountains National Scenic Byway is a beautiful route in Fall. I found lots of aspens, cottonwood and larch providing color in that area on a mid-October trip a couple of years ago.

Early to mid-October is also great for fall color in central and northern Washington. Lots of good aspen and cottonwood and larch around Yakima Canyon, Icicle Creek near Leavenworth, the Methow Valley and the mountains in the NE part of the state.

Back in central Oregon, closer to you, the rabbitbrush turns bright yellow this time of year, providing a different kind of fall color in the sagebrush desert areas. The Crooked River Scenic Byway just south of Prineville has nice scenery and some campgrounds right on the river that are practically empty at this time of year.

So many choices, so little time... : )

Thanks, Greg - I appreciate all the great ideas! We haven't spent much time in the Steens or Hart Mtn areas, so have put that at the top of our list. (Bryan's idea above about the coast also sounds great, but I'd really like to explore some "new" country.) Appreciate all the great suggestions!

..Marcy
Redmond, Oregon
http://www.highcascadesphotography.com