It’s that time! Leaf peepers, chilly-weather walkers, outdoor enthusiasts, harvest hunters, Halloween haunters, fall cooks, and others wait all year for right now, mid-October, when nature is often at its most dramatic and crisp.
There are some great resources out there to help you enjoy the show where you are, or by taking a fun leaf-seeking trip.
The Huffington Post has a lovely slide show of blazing Autumn foliage, in special spots around the U.S., from the Great Smoky Mountains to Oregon’s Columbia River Gorge.
This New York Times list offers some more off-the-beaten-path places for finding dramatic color, without all the crowds, sometimes because fall’s show is a little more hidden, a little less expected. These include Ohio’s Wayne National Forest, Arizona’s Coconino National Forest, and the Lost Maples Natural Area in Texas.
Indiana Leaf Cam is a super-fun interactive site that lets you peep at the fall color in real time, at different spots around the state, and provides plenty of practical visitor information for each. Thanks to reader Tracy Denny for alerting me to this fun project and the beauty of Indiana’s fall.
Baldwin City, in eastern Kansas, hosts the annual Maple Leaf Festival, a 50-plus year tradition with craft exhibits, entertainment and a parade which is held the 3rd weekend in October, when the glorious Kansas maples are at their peak. I thank Alison Kerr at Loving Nature’s Garden for alerting me to the beauty of the Kansas maples.
Seeking a festival in the southeast U.S.? The Georgia Mountain Fall Festival in Hiawasee, in northern Georgia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, offers days of concerts and activities while the leaves are at their peak.
Enjoy your weekend!
Photos by Susan Sachs Lipman
