Get out there

Best Bets: 
During the earliest part of foliage season, viewing is more about elevation than location. Your best chances for spotting color are to "get high" or "get low." Higher elevations with panoramic views will allow you to spot smatterings of color in the valleys below. Alternatively, you can "get low" - marshy areas near bodies of water typically offer the first areas of foliage change and also offer a wide variety of tree species which enlarges the palette of early season colors.

Helpful Tip: Plan Ahead!
Foliage season is a very popular time to visit Vermont, so if you want to stay in a particular place on a particular weekend, call in advance to make sure rooms are available. Having your lodging plans made in advance will avoid unnecessary stress and allow you to enjoy your foliage season odyssey. Also too, it is a good idea to make dining reservations as early as possible in the day or even the night before.

When To Come For "Peak" Foliage:

There is no one "perfect" time to visit Vermont to see peak foliage. Color change begins in mid-September and runs through the first two to three weeks in October and varies by elevation, progressing from north to south and higher to lower elevations during the course of the season. As such, there are many "peaks" so that you can make your plans based on the timing and location that works for you.

Science Behind the Leaves Changing Colors:

During the short summer months, broad-leafed trees such as maples, oaks and birches produce food to nourish themselves for growth. They do this through a process known as photosynthesis, using the energy of the sun to produce food. As the days grow shorter in early fall, the increasing periods of darkness trigger leafy plants to slow down photosynthesis and stop growing. A pigment in the leaves called chlorophyll (which gives leaves their green color) is used in photosynthesis, so the slowing of this process means there is less green pigment. But leaves contain pigments other than green, called carotenoids and anthocyanins. Once the greens fade, carotenoids are revealed (yellow, orange, and brown colors), anthocyanins and are produced (red and purple colors).

Certain colors are characteristic of particular plant species. Red maples live up to their name by turning scarlet, while most sugar maples glow a warm orange. Aspen and birches display sunny yellows, while oak and beech leaves turn bronze and gold. Most of Vermont"s fall foliage color is provided by red and sugar maples, two resilient tree species that constitute more than 50 percent of our forest"s trees.

Beyond leaf peeping, there are plenty of ways to enjoy Vermont’s mountains, meadows and villages. Late October sees the emergence of pumpkin people on street corners, porches, and country lanes, and there are plenty of upcoming fall events, including several spooky celebrations around October 30th and 31st. You can find fun things to do in Vermont with the Vermont.com Calendar of Events. Don't see your event? Feel free to suggest an event so we can add it to our Calendar.