Cottonwood Grove, Evening

Cottonwood Grove, Evening
“Cottonwood Grove, Evening” — Late-day light shines into a cottonwood grove along the Merced River, Yosemite Valley.

At the end of October I spent a couple of days photographing fall color in Yosemite Valley. Previously I posted about “three” main sources of fall foliage int he valley, listing big leaf maple, dogwood, and black oaks. But I left out another important tree, the cottonwood. This photograph was made within a grove of cottonwoods growing along a quiet section of the Merced River.

This particular spot is one that I’ve photographed quite a few times in the past. It is a little trickier to get there these days, since the park has limited access points in order to discourage visitors from trampling fragile locations that were once accessible. I had to search a bit to find a way to get here that didn’t violate the protected zones. Once I did, I walked along the river bank in later afternoon to this spot, where the trees grow thickly near the water.


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G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email


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