MONTPELIER, Vt. – Peak fall colors can be found in northern and central sections of Vermont this weekend, especially in the Northeast Kingdom, Lamoille and Washington counties.
State foresters say most sections of Essex, Orleans, Caledonia, Washington, and Lamoille counties are showing vibrant fall colors that are near or at peak. Meanwhile, some sections of Orange County are near peak between the towns of Chelsea and Washington.
 “In Washington County there is good viewing almost everywhere,” said Washington County Forester Russ Barrett. “Peak may arrive over the weekend in much of central Vermont, which is a few days early with better than average brightness this year. You’ll see a lot of yellows, golds, reds and oranges start to kick in this week.”
Farther south, foliage is nearing peak in higher elevations along Route 100 near Ludlow and Route 103 between Mount Holly and Cuttingsville.
Best Bets: In northern Vermont, suggested routes include Route 100 from Stowe to Newport, Route 58 from Lowell to Orleans, Route 5A from West Burke to Lake Willoughby in Westmore, Route 108 from Stowe to Cambridge, Route 14 from Greensboro to Newport, and Route 114 from East Burke to Island Pond.
See peak color along the eastern side of Elmore Mountain on Route 12 between Montpelier and Morrisville. Look for shades of gold, orange and red along Interstate 89 between Waterbury and Bethel, Route 100 from Warren to Stowe, Route 110 between Washington and Chelsea, Route 125 from Hancock to Middlebury, Route 17 between Waitsfield and Starksboro, Route 14 from East Montpelier to Woodbury, and Route 12A from Roxbury to Northfield.
Farther south, many higher elevations also have an abundance of bright red foliage, particularly on Route 100 between Killington and Hancock, Route 4 between Killington and Rutland, and Route 73 between Rochester and Brandon. Foresters also recommend Route 12 from Woodstock to Bethel, Route 107 from Stockbridge to Royalton, Route 131 between Brownsville and Ludlow, and Route 100A through Plymouth Notch.
Colorful foliage can also be found in the higher elevations of Route 9 between Brattleboro and Bennington, and Route 100 between Wilmington and Weston. Also try Route 35 between Chester and Grafton and Route 11 between Manchester and Londonderry. State foresters say red maples in wetland areas on Route 7 between Rutland and Manchester are incredibly bright this year.
Strong early color is evident along Route 4 from Rutland to Fair Haven, and Route 22A from Fair Haven to Shoreham. A good bet for bright mid-stage yellows and oranges is Route 140 from East Wallingford to Middletown Springs.
The Vermont Hospitality Council 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 its statewide “Midweek Peek” promotion. Deals range from discounted lodging to free Vermont products.
This section of our Web site has several tools for planning your 2009 Vermont Fall Foliage tour including:
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