State Foliage Report for October 16th, 2008

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Vermont Foliage Report: The Valleys Take Center Stage

MONTPELIER, Vt. – Moderate temperatures and sunny skies will continue to highlight the fall foliage in the valleys of southern and central Vermont through the coming weekend.

Peak color is expected along the lower elevation byways of southern Vermont and the full length of the Champlain Valley, while leaf drop is apparent at the higher elevations along the spine of the Green Mountains. Even so, areas of good viewing will still be found in the higher mountain valleys, especially in village centers and where the brilliant gold of tamaracks has begun to emerge.

Best Bets

Foliage in the Champlain and Otter Creek Valleys has moved to full color this week and will provide excellent viewing from the western slopes of the Greens and across the Champlain Valley.

The Rutland region west to the New York border will also be prime viewing through the weekend. From Route 4 intersecting north-south options include Routes 22A, 30, 133 and 7. Each of these provides a selection of roads for touring a loop through the countryside, either north toward Burlington, or south into the Manchester/Bennington region.

Route 30 south from Route 4 encompasses the Stone Valley Byway between Poultney and Manchester, a route designated for its cultural, historic and scenic qualities as well as its agricultural traditions. Options also include Route 133 through Middletown Springs and a variety of local and town highways.

Traveling north through the Champlain Valley, suggested drives include Route 22 from Ferrisburgh to Orwell, Route 23 in Weybridge, Route 125 in Cornwall and Bridport, Route 74 on Shoreham and Cornwall, Route 73 through Orwell to Sudbury and Mt Independence on Lake Champlain, and the Richville Dam Road from Whiting to Shoreham.

Suggested foliage stops in Middlebury include Battell Park and Chipman Hill Park (off Quarry Road), Route 116 west to Route 7, and the Middlebury College Campus.

The Burlington area, especially along the lake and north to the Lake Champlain Islands, will continue with good viewing well into next week as the late-turning oaks that are abundant in that region begin to change color.

On the east side of the state, full color, or nearly so, will be on display along the length of the Connecticut River Valley and its tributaries. In addition to the midland views from I-91, Routes 5, 30, 103 and 11 all offer colorful viewing along the rivers and through the villages.

The higher valleys of the north central and northern mountain regions are generally past peak, but there are still very strong yellows, oranges and russets in abundance in sheltered valley areas and village centers. Routes 12, 14, 100, 110 and 5 are south/north options along with east/west connections across Vermont along Routes, 4, 2 and 15.