Vermont Only: Vermont Fall Foliage Report 2008

VT Fall Foliage - Mile Square Farm - Previous Season; VT Only Copyright 2004

Vermont Only was pleased to present the 2008 Vermont Fall Foliage Report. During the past twelve years, we have checked with the Vermont Department of Tourism on a regular basis to bring you the latest updates about Vermont Fall Foliage, approximately twice per week. During September and October, we color a Vermont map to highlight the changing foliage as the season progresses. Leaf Peepers -- please save this page as one of your Favorites and return next season for the 2009 Vermont Fall Foliage Report. We generally update the report one to two times per week during mid-September through the end of Mother Nature's Fall Show!

Date:

October 23, 2008

Vermont Foliage Report: The Golden Age of Vermont Foliage

Vermont Fall Foliage - Oct 23, 2008 Killington,VT MONTPELIER, VT – What an incredible year this has been for foliage in Vermont. Sunny days and crisp nights stayed with us throughout September and October. The foliage color change accelerated in late September at a pace that continued throughout most of the season, giving us a spectacular array of bright reds, yellows and oranges across the state.

As we head into “Stick Season,” areas of good color can still be found around the state. Stick Season refers to the period after foliage has left most of the trees. This year, however, many branches are still brightly adorned with oranges, yellows and reds.

Shrewsbury Center, VT; Columbus Day Weekend 2008 According to state foresters, river and lake valleys and lower elevations will offer the best remaining color statewide. Clusters of lingering, bright maples are still to be found in lower elevation valleys, especially in town and village centers.

While this will be the last formal report of the year, we hope you will take advantage of this year’s wonderful weather and come see the closing act of the 2008 foliage season.

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

In Grand Isle County, Route 2 and shoreline town roads offer some beautiful late season viewing through the Champlain Islands. To the west of the Green Mountains, there’s still plenty of nice color to be seen on Route 7, especially south of Middlebury.

In Addison County, 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.

In southwestern 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.

Columbus Day Weekend 2008; Mile Square Farm;

Look for the first report on next year’s foliage season in September 2009.

Mile Square Farm; Photo taken Columbus Day Oct 2008.

Take a peek at the Vermont Fall Foliage Forecaster to get an idea of how a typical foliage season progresses.

Beautiful color from a previous season

Below is a chart showing definitions of the terms foresters use when describing the foliage color change.

Color Stage	Description	Percent Color
Early	Color starting to appear	0 - 40%
Mid	Half-way to peak	40 - 60%
Near Peak	Almost full color	60 - 90%
Peak	Brilliant, full color	100%
Past Peak	But still generally colorful
Isolated Color	Spotty conditions

Vermont Fall Foliage, Copyright Matt Ramos, 2003

Enjoying Foliage Season in Vermont

When to come : Vermont fall foliage season usually begins early to mid-September and extends through mid October. It varies somewhat from year to year. As such, there are many ‘peaks’ so that you can make your plans based on the timing and location that works for you.
Where to Go: Vermont's foliage season typically begins in the north and at highest elevations, then progresses both south, and into lower elevations.

The Northeast Kingdom generally experiences the first foliage change. Lower elevations in southern Vermont, the Lake Champlain and Connecticut River Basins typically exhibit peak foliage conditions later than other parts of Vermont. Exceptions : Individual roadside trees, those in cities and towns, in swampy, disturbed or other areas where normal forest conditions do not exist may change earlier than those in nearby forests.

Why it Happens: As autumn approaches, a variety of factors cause changes in leaf pigment production. Green gives way to the varied hues, already in the leaves, which are seen during foliage season. Vermont's foliage is always among the best because of a variety of other natural factors, including soil types, amount of forested land, topography and a broad range of tree species, with a large amount of maples.
How Best Enjoyed: Come prepared to tour and see all the sights. Foliage season prediction and reporting is, at best, an inexact science. The 'best' foliage can be found at many different times and places as the season progresses, and might be just around the corner. Time of day, lighting, weather conditions, all alter the view slightly. Foliage viewing is also subjective, so, take time to check around many corners and over the brow of several hills to find your favorite.
Who: Foliage reports are a prediction of the conditions that will exist, developed from reports submitted by Vermont foresters twice weekly in September and October.

Take a peek at the Vermont Fall Foliage Forecaster to get an idea of how a typical foliage season progresses.

Fall Leaves

If you would like to see more fall photographs taken at Mile Square Farm, visit our fall scenery page. See additional Fall Foliage Photos taken at Mile Square Farm on previous Columbus Day Weekends and new photo images provided by Matt Ramos.