With the leaves changing colors and the weather cooling down, it’s time to get outside and enjoy the autumn season.  The following are three suggestions of the best places to see the season in Stanislaus County.

1) Take a bike ride through Turlock’s older neighborhoods

Lined with tall, beautiful trees, some of the older neighborhoods in the City of Turlock make for a perfect cycling route.  The old neighborhoods surrounding Crane Park offer a quaint location for those looking to get in some exercise while enjoying the fall colors. With the shopping center on Canal Drive nearby, exercisers can treat themselves afterwards to either a tasty treat from local ice cream parlor Lulu’s or enjoy a Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks to bring in the fall season.

Suggested Bike Route:

-Begin at Crane Park, heading northeast on Yosemite St.

-Turn left onto N. Berkeley Ave.

-Turn left onto Sierra St.

-Turn left onto Colorado Ave.

-Cross over at Canal Dr., to head eastbound on Canal Dr.

-Cycle down to N. Johnson Rd and turn right into Village Fresh shopping center

-Grab a Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks

-Head back to N. Johnson Rd and cross over Canal Dr.

-Head westbound on Canal Dr.

-Turn right on N. Berkeley Ave.

-Turn left on Yosemite St.

2) Caswell Memorial State Park

Located along the Stanislaus River, Caswell Memorial State Park is situated on the border of Stanislaus and San Joaquin Counties. Featuring 258 acres of wildlife and beautiful forestry, the Caswell Memorial State Park is a great location to enjoy the autumn season.

The park, originally owned by Thomas Caswell, was opened to the public in 1958 and has since offered guests with a wide variety of activities such as camping, swimming, fishing, picnicking, and hiking. Both the Fence Line Trail and the River Bend Trail offer easy hiking routes that all guests can enjoy.

The Caswell Memorial State park is open year-round from 8 a.m. to sunset. From 99, take the Austin Rd. exit and head south on Austin Rd. The park is located at the end of road.

3) The CSU Stanislaus

With hundreds of large trees, ponds and waterfalls, California State University, Stanislaus is a go-to spot each fall for scenic views of autumn’s changing colors.

Each year as the leaves start to fall and piles of orange and red leaves fill the walkways of the 228-acre campus, hundreds of visitors can be found enjoying the university either on a daily walk or bike ride.

The park-like campus is so well known for the beautifully colored leaves during the fall season that many photographers use the campus as the perfect background for autumn portraits.

California State University, Stanislaus is located at One University Circle in Turlock.