
MONTPELIER, Vt. – With this weekend's autumnal equinox, colorful foliage will continue to unfold and invigorate Vermont's scenic landscape. Early yet, colors are showing in the higher elevations of the Northeast Kingdom and in moist, low-lying areas with varying shades of orange, yellow and red.
Best Bets: In general, higher elevation areas in the northernmost regions will offer the most panoramic views of emerging color across the valleys, and many low-lying marsh areas will offer some of the most vivid and varied early season change. Route 108 through Smugglers' Notch between Stowe and Cambridge is showing color, as are Routes 242 and 100 near Jay Peak; plus Routes 16 and 5A in the Lake Willoughby area. The Worcester Range and Mount Elmore along Route 12 north of Montpelier are tinged with early color, as are views from Route 14 in the Hardwick and Craftsbury region.
Rutland County
Forester Chris Stone notes Route 103 is revealing 5-20% early stages. "Trees are
just starting to lose some green and hints of yellow and orange are starting to
show at higher elevations. Some scattered individual red maples are turning at
higher elevation wetlands. While the color has yet to really show, there is a
hint of fall on the hillsides."
Sam Schenski, the Windham and Windsor
County Forester also suggests Rte. 106 through Perkinsville; Tyson Rd. from
Reading to Plymouth and East Hill Rd. in Andover – all of which, he notes are in
early stages of foliage.