MT. INDEPENDENCE, Vt. – With the tamaracks brightening to lemon yellow in the Northeast Kingdom and foliage at full color in the valleys of southern Vermont and along Lake Champlain, this year’s season still offers much to enjoy.
At higher elevations the under-story foliage in many places is just coming to peak even though the taller trees in the canopy have dropped their leaves. This second-stage foliage show offers a bright and close up backdrop for hikes on woodland trails and drives along country roads.
Best Bets: The foliage is at peak or slightly past in the southern reaches of the Connecticut River Valley, the broad Lake Champlain Valley and along the shores of Lake Champlain.
On the western side of central Vermont amber corn fields, dark green meadows and multi-colored marsh grasses contrast pleasantly with the changing foliage. Suggested are: Rte.73 west from the Brandon Gap to Brandon; Rte. 53 around Lake Dunmore to Salisbury and Whiting; Rte. 30 north to Cornwall, or south along Lake Bomoseen to Poultney and Manchester; and Rte. 22A between Addison and Fair Haven. The big maples along Rte. 74 from Shoreham to the Champlain ferry are at peak.
Also suggested are Rte. 7 from Middlebury south to Rte. 3 in Pittsford, Rte. 3 through Proctor to West Rutland, and Rte. 4 west to Fair Haven.
Brilliant colors are persisting in the lower elevations near Lake Champlain from the greater Burlington area north to Swanton with good viewing from I-89, Rte. 2 and Rte. 7.
On the east side of the state the lower elevation valleys along the Connecticut River and its tributaries remain colorful. Suggested are Rtes. 5, 30, 103, and 44 as well as any town roads from Brattleboro north to Springfield.
State Foliage Report # 6
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