North of Ojai, Sespe Wilderness sprawls for 219,468 acres in Los Padres National Forest, a protected canvas of chaparral, wild oats, pine-studded hillsides, and sandstone cliffs. It can be unbearably warm in the summer, but pleasant in the fall, when it becomes a golden-tinged playground for backpacking, day-hiking, horse-back riding, swimming, and wildlife-spotting.

With snow in the winter and a small symphony of fall colors in autumn, the Ice House Canyon trail below Mount Baldy is one of the best places to explore all that each of Southern California’s seasons has to offer. The canyon’s name is a historical reference to the days when ice was carved out of the canyon and carried out on the backs of mules to the valley floor. It’s a steep 3.6 miles hike to the Ice House Saddle, but some of the best fall foliage can be found in the early stretches of the trail, which is lined in maple trees and old cabins.

The San Bernardino Mountains are chock full of fall vistas, and there are plenty of hikes to explore and towns to visit for those seeking autumn leaves. If you like your fall colors with a tall lager, however, Lake Arrowhead’s Oktoberfest is one of the biggest around. It runs until October 27.

Located in La Cañada Flintridge, Descanso Gardens has plenty of flora to enjoy, including quite a few plants native to California. The gardens are open every day except Christmas between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Admission is $9.

Ah, Los Angeles: where you can enjoy fall colors, peacocks, and the house from Fantasy Island all at the same time. The underrated LA County Arboretum has plenty of fall foliage and costs a bit less than the more well known Huntington Gardens nearby.

It’s rare to find quaking aspens in California outside of the Sierra Nevada, and getting to this grove requires a bit of legwork, as detailed here. But as Jeff Hister of SoCal Hiker notes on his blog, witnessing the trees is a magical experience, especially when the leaves turn gold. “The slightest breeze sets these leaves in motion, leading to that ‘quaking’ effect,” he says. “It’s beautiful to see and a delight to the ears.”

While the Huntington Gardens in autumn might not pass for upstate New York, it’s a gorgeous place to see plants and trees you might not associate with the fall months, but nonetheless come into their own throughout the season. These include blooming desert plants and ginkgo trees.

This 86-acre garden in Claremont contains around 2,000 different plants native to California. It also happens to be a terrific place to see leaves of all colors during fall months. General admission is $8 per person.

This state park in the Santa Monica Mountains—populated with valley oak trees and sycamores offers plenty of seasonal color—particularly in tree-filled Tapia Park.

The Riverside County town of Idyllwild and nearby Lake Hemet have some tremendous fall foliage, with cottonwoods that turn bright yellow as the summer season comes to an end. Stop by in late November for the town’s annual Harvest Festival.

A drive across the scenic Ortega Highway, which snakes from the Palm Desert to San Juan Capistrano, is a great place to see some fall foliage. As an added bonus, the road is reportedly haunted, making it an appealing Halloween destination as well.

In Julian, you can find the best of both fall foliage and fall produce. Specifically, the town in northern San Diego County is known for its apples—and apple pie. And what’s a cool autumnal day without some good old fashioned apple pie?