MONTPELIER, Vt. – Following a couple of seasonably frosty nights early in the week, the holiday weekend will bring bell weather sunshine and warm daytime temperatures to one of the brightest foliage seasons in recent memory.
 Lake shores, river valleys and back roads through the mountains of Vermont will offer prime viewing. Even where there has been some leaf drop in the higher elevations of the northern mountains, the pastoral valleys and village centers remain quite colorful.
Best Bets: From Brattleboro north along the Connecticut River Byway, foliage is changing from mid-stage to near peak. While I-91 will offer excellent overviews, Routes 5, 30, 103 and 106 are suggested for a more intimate, two lane blacktop experience of the season.
On the southwest side of the state, brilliant reds, yellows, oranges, and dark purples are showing throughout Bennington County. The Green Mountain range is at near peak or peak conditions from Peru to Woodford. In addition to Routes 7 and 9, Routes 30, 11 and the Forest Service roads in the Green Mountain National Forest will provide excellent viewing.
In the eastern region of central Vermont, Forester David Paganelli reports that foliage is at or near peak color in all areas of Orange County. “Even where colors appear to be past peak from main roads, side roads are beautiful. For the next few days we expect cool nights and sunny days, which should lead to rapid development of bright color in the sugar maples.” he says. The east-west back country roads crossing the mountains between Routes, 5, 110, 14 and 12 will be especially well-lit through the sunny weekend.
The hills and valleys throughout central Vermont highlands have full color with some leaf drop evident on the higher mountain sides. Suggested routes include Routes 12, 12A, and 100B, and Route 100 between Waterbury and Rochester.
Colors are quickly emerging beyond mid-stage in the lower elevations of the broad Champlain Valley. There is nice color along Route 7, especially near water. Otter Creek south of Middlebury, Lewis Creek near New Haven Junction, and the Middlebury River in Middlebury and Salisbury all offer good vantage points for viewing. Also, Route 22A has nice color in Addison, Bridport, Shoreham and Orwell, and Route 116 is very nice north of Bristol.
In northern Vermont, the Champlain Valley varies from mid-stage along the lake to near peak further inland. In addition to Routes 2 and 7, Routes 36, 78, 104 and 105 will show good color, especially in the cross light of early morning and late afternoon.
In the north central mountains and the Northeast Kingdom, color is getting a little thin in some places but by and large it is still very much worth viewing, according to Forester Raymond Toolan. “There are still pockets of trees that are just now turning,” he says. “The color and hues of this time of year remind me of a Monet painting.” Suggested drives include Routes 114, 5, 100 and 5A.
The Vermont Hospitality Association advises making advance reservations because the most popular lodgings may fill early on the first two weekends in October. Some innkeepers may require a minimum two-night stay.
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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