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MONTPELIER, Vt. 2012-09-26 — /travelprnews.com/ — As seasonal cooling continues, colors are firing up, sometimes seemingly brightening overnight as foliage unfolds across Vermont’s scenic landscape. Foresters are now pointing out regions where colors are showing mid-stage foliage, at 25-50 percent peak in the northeastern Washington County, Northeast Kingdom and chasing along the peaks of the Green Mountains.
Windsor County Forester Jon Bouton reported “The clear cool air is Nirvana…we’ve had several days in the last week when one could clearly see more than 50 miles from one of our hill tops.”
Best Bets:
This week, Vermont State Foresters and the New England Maple Museum suggest touring these Mid-Peak routes:
– Route 302 through Orange, Groton & Ryegate.
– Route 4 from West Bridgewater, heading west to Killington over Sherburne Pass to Mendon.
– Route 73 from Rochester heading west over Brandon Gap to Sudbury.
– Route 103 from Ludlow through Mount Holly to Route 7.
“Treetops on higher elevations are showing bright yellows and oranges. Reds are plentiful and starting to brighten road sides and meadow hedgerows. Could be a good year for red on the hillsides as the soft maples seem to be co-operating,” Tom Olson of the New England Maple Museum reports. “The rain and cooler weather has lowered temperatures in marshy areas causing trees to turn bright red and orange…a great contrast against the beige and brown backdrop of marsh grass, wild rice and cat tails.”
Stay Tuned:
Bouton notes I-89 / I-91 Bethel to Springfield are good starting points to see early stages of foliage, 5-20 percent. Also, Chittenden County is just starting to show modest colors, along low-lying march regions and vistas from Washington County along Route 2 and Route 12 are beginning to hint at the dynamicity that’s ahead in the next few weeks.
Suggested Hikes and Walks:
– Mount Horrid near the Brandon Gap
– Stowe Recreation Path
– Wheeler Mountain, Barton
– Sunset Ledge, Warren
– Groton State Park’s Boulder Beach
Visit www.vermontvacation.com/fall to plan Vermont Fall Foliage travel. Helpful tools include:
• Lodging Availability & Midweek Packages
• Fall Foliage Forecaster
• Scenic Drives & Byways
• Fall Travel Tips
Leaf-peepers can also easily stay up-to-date on the color progression of Vermont’s foliage by calling the Fall Foliage Hotline at 1-800-VERMONT.
Fall Foliage Photos: https://default.imagerelay.com/sb/66db174e-7f55-11e1-bfc5-1231390f9931
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