MONTPELIER, Vt. – Vibrant foliage can be found in the valleys and lower western slopes of the Green Mountains, particularly near Lake Champlain and in southern Vermont.
Best Bets: Route 116 from Starksboro to East Middlebury is showing bright color with a variety of reds, yellows and oranges, as is Route 17 from Bristol to Addison. Brilliant near peak color can be found on Route 7 between Middlebury and Rutland with splashes of red and orange.
 Excellent near peak color can also be found on Route 3 from Pittsford to West Rutland, and Route 4 west of Rutland. Also recommended are Route 53 around Lake Dunmore, Route 30 from Pawlet to Cornwall, and Route 140 from East Wallingford to Poultney.
“The Taconic mountains from Dorset north to Snake Mountain in Addison are mid-peak to near peak, depending on elevation,” says Tom Olson, foliage-spotter for Rutland and Addison Counties. “Valleys in the lower Champlain Basin have moved from mid-stage to three-quarter color. With the dark green meadows, golden corn fields, and multi-color marsh land, it’s quite a show.”
Past peak conditions can be found on the ridges and tops of the gaps on Routes 125, 73 and 103. However, the lower western slopes of these roads still show plenty of peak or slightly past peak color.
In southeastern Vermont, from Brattleboro to White River Jct., the Connecticut River Valley and its tributaries are showing bright color. In addition to the midland views from I-91, Routes 5, 11 and 30 all offer colorful viewing along the rivers and through the villages.
To the west in the Bennington and Manchester region, Routes 7, 7A and 30 in the lower valleys are adorned with beautiful fall color with peak or near peak conditions.
These additional roads offer beautiful views of foliage: Route 78 between Swanton and East Highgate, Route 12 from Woodstock to Bethel, Route 22A from Fair Haven to Vergennes, Route 133 from West Rutland to Rupert, and Route 153 in Wells.
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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