FALL SPLENDOR
Foliage display in Ohio can be quite stunning
As the oranges and crimsons and ambers of autumn begin to move across Ohio, many daytripping leaf-peepers will follow.
To help travelers keep track of peak fall colors and more, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources will once again provide foliage updates, predictions and lists of fall activities at fallcolor.ohiodnr.gov.
Color progression
The march of color takes about three weeks and progresses across the state along with cooler temperatures, said David Parrott, this year’s Division of Forestry Fall Color Forester.
“You can start in the north and follow the color south through October,” Parrott said.
Models predict a typical year for fall colors in Ohio, with a chromatic crescendo the week of Oct. 17 in central Ohio, Parrott said. Peak color should arrive the week before in northern Ohio and the week after in the southern third of the state, he said.
Color varies by trees, area
But fall color in Ohio also varies greatly from the state’s flatter, once-glaciated regions to its Appalachian foothills in the southeast, Parrott noted.
“There are big differences in soils, too,” he said.
Different trees thrive in different soils and produce different fall colors, he said, so travelers can expect a variety of hues as they drive Ohio in any direction.
“Black gums and red maples will give you a lot of reds,” Parrott said.
“The sugar maple, to me personally, has one of the more esthetically pleasing fall colors — a bright orange, but with a lot of variation, even in the same tree. And if an area is dominated by oaks, you might see more reds and browns and mustard yellows. Those different colors are what make it exciting to travel around the state this time of year.”
Changes in topography can also provide different viewing experiences.
“On the western side of the state and in the northeast it can be very flat, but when you get down in the hill area you can get up high and see whole vistas, which is what people sometimes think about when they think of seeing the fall foliage.”
Every part of Ohio, though, has beautiful destinations for vivid fall colors, Parrott said.
Where to look
In the north, he suggests West Branch State Park near Akron.
“They have a maple-beech forest with very interesting fall foliage,” he said.
Other top northern Ohio destinations include Maumee Bay State Park near Toledo, Cuyahoga Valley National Park between Cleveland and Akron, and, a bit farther south, Mohican-memorial State Forest.
In central Ohio, Parrott recommends Great Seal State Park near Chillicothe. The hills in the park inspired the scene on the Ohio State Seal (hence the name) and are covered with magnificent hues in October, he said.
“In the south, I’d recommend Shawnee State Forest. It’s got the longest backpack trail on state property, with a 40-mile or 20-mile loop. And fall is my favorite time to make those backpacking trips.”
He also recommends that travelers check out Zaleski State Forest and the Moonville Tunnel in Vinton County where the ODNR recently improved trail access.
Burr Oak State Park, between Zanesville and Athens, is another destination with tremendous fall colors. The park is also located on one of the most scenic driving routes in the entire
state, Ohio 78.
“And, of course, there’s Hocking State Forest and Hocking Hills State Park,” Parrott said.
“But I don’t even need to say that — everybody knows about those.”
Just how good will leaf-peeping be in Ohio this year? That still depends on the weather, Parrott said.
“It’s a delicate balance — we want warm days, but not too warm; cool nights, but not too cool, and some precipitation, but no big storms with big winds. We have to walk a tight-wire to get that perfect fall color.
“But Ohio is always a good state for fall color, even in a ‘down’ year.”
Steve Stephens is a freelance travel writer and photographer. Email him at sjstephensjr@gmail.com.