State Foliage Report for October 21st, 2008

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Vermont Foliage Report: A Late Season Perspective on Woodland Beauty

MONTPELIER, Vt. – The transition of colorful foliage from the mountainsides to the lower valleys is nearly complete. Bright foliage can still be enjoyed through the coming week and weekend in the Champlain and Connecticut River valleys, as well as the lower elevations throughout southern Vermont.

But a different perspective on the season can also be enjoyed from the mountainsides. Although leaf drop from the canopy grays the panorama of the mountainsides, any late autumn walk through the woods reveals the brilliant gold display of the late-turning ash and beech trees beneath the upper canopy. At the same time, the release of the leaves from above opens the views and provides a rustling carpet of still colorful foliage.

With the busiest weeks of the foliage season past, visitors will still find much to see and explore throughout Vermont’s pastoral countryside, and a wider array of lodging options.

Best Bets

Take a Hike: From mountain trails to park land paths, the late season yellows and golds of the under story trees reveal a beauty of their own.

The Connecticut River Valley along the eastern border of Vermont will continue to display bright foliage through the week. Suggested routes include I-91 and Routes 5, 103, 30, and 11 along the tributary river valleys.

To the west of the Green Mountains, Route 7 offers some excellent viewing throughout the length of the state.

At the southern end of Vermont, other still colorful routes include Routes 7A, 30, 31 and 133, and any of the town roads from Bennington north through Arlington, Manchester, and Dorset to the Poultney and Middletown Springs area.

In the central region of the Champlain Valley, almost any of the highways and town roads in the Rutland Middlebury areas have good foliage viewing. Suggestions for getting off the beaten track include Route 73 from Sudbury west to Mt. Independence; Route 53 around Lake Dunmore (near Salisbury); the Richville Dam Road from Whiting west to Route 22A; and Route 30 between Whiting and Poultney.

Even the northern end of the Champlain Valley, where temperatures are moderated by the lake, has a later color change than the mountains and highland valleys. The Burlington area also has substantial stands of oaks, just now changing to a seasonal russet color. In addition to Routes 2 and 7, suggested drives include the town road following the shoreline of Lake Champlain north from Milton to St. Albans Bay and then to Swanton.