MONTPELIER, Vt. – Most areas of the state will be displaying multiple stages of colorful foliage over the next several days, especially in the higher elevations and in central and northern sections of Vermont.
 State foresters say areas of northern and central Vermont could peak within the next 10 to 14 days. The fall color is especially vivid in the mountains, along higher elevations and in moist low-lying areas with bright shades of orange, russet, yellow and red.
“It is starting to look like the best color in a number of years,” says Washington County Forester Russ Barrett. “A combination of adequate rain during the summer and a few early frosts has brightened the colors quite a bit.”
Color is excellent along Elmore Mountain, Mount Mansfield, Belvidere Mountain, Lincoln Peak and Jay Peak, and foliage is emerging nicely in the southern mountains, including Killington Peak, Mount Equinox and Mount Snow. Mountain gap roads and marshy areas will also provide good perspectives on the brightest of the fall colors.
“I am seeing some very vibrant reds this year mixed in with some good yellows,” says Lamoille and Orleans County Forester Raymond Toolan. “I would not be surprised to see some of the most upper elevation areas to be hitting peak next week. But as always, the final decision is with Mother Nature.”
Last week’s hard frost accelerated the early and mid-stage stage color in Rutland and Addison counties, particularly along the spine of the Green Mountains from Rochester, Killington and south to Ludlow and Mount Holly. Peak color in the Killington area could arrive during the first week in October, and in the Rutland area around Columbus Day Weekend. Red appears to be the dominant color as the soft maples in the cooler wet areas and sumacs along road sides start to change.
Best Bets: North: Route 118 from Eden to Montgomery and Vermont Route 114 from Lyndonville north to the Quebec border will offer some great opportunities for leaf-peeping. Also try Route 100 from Hyde Park to Newport, and Route 16 between Hardwick and Orleans.
Central: Route 12 between Northfield and Morrisville is showing some beautiful color, as well as Route 14 between East Montpelier to Craftsbury, Route 12A between Randolph and Roxbury, and Route 100 from Rochester to Stowe. Bright foliage can also be seen along Route 15 between Jericho and West Danville, and Route 108 between Stowe and Cambridge.
The hills along Interstate 89 from Richmond to White River Junction and along Interstate 91, Route 5 and the Connecticut River Byway are showing a variety of yellows, oranges and reds.
South: Look for beautiful color on Route 9 between Brattleboro and Bennington, Route 103 from Ludlow to Rutland, Route 100 from Wilmington to Ludlow, Route 7 from Wallingford to Manchester, Route 11 from Winhall to Londonderry, Route 140 between Wallingford and Poultney, Route 4 from Bridgewater to Castleton, and Route 73 between Brandon and Rochester.
The Vermont Hospitality Association advises making advance reservations because the most popular lodgings may fill early on busy weekends in late September and the first two weekends in October. Some innkeepers may require a minimum two-night stay, especially on busy weekends.
Vermont tourism officials encourage visitors to take advantage of midweek specials during the foliage season as part of a new statewide “Midweek Peek” promotion. Deals range from discounted lodging to complimentary bike rentals to free Vermont products. For details, visit the Midweek Peek section of our site.
Weekly foliage reports will be available on this web site and also the state’s toll-free visitor information line 1-800-VERMONT. As the season progresses, the reports will be updated twice weekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
This section of our Web site has several tools for planning a Vermont Fall Foliage tour including:
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