NATIONAL FALL FOLIAGE WEEK
National Fall Foliage Week lasts one week, beginning on the last Sunday of September. For many people, this is their favorite time of year. They like the moderate temperatures and colorful landscapes. Autumn can be a visual interlude between the green of summer and the white of winter. And for one week, National Fall Foliage week fall colors are sought out nationally.
This is a great week to enjoy a walk through the woods, a hike, or a drive in the country to see the colorful changes of the foliage. For most of the U.S. the color change is just beginning, so it’s a good time to scope out the colors to come. An advantage to getting out this week is that shops and stores welcome seasonal tourists with special events and foods.
Great places to observe fall foliage are in the National and State Parks. Hill country offers some of the best viewing. Those regions with varied elevations in their landscape show prime fall colors for more extended periods. Fall colors begin at the highest elevations and work their way down to the lower elevations.
Keep in mind that it’s difficult to predict exactly when the leaves will turn in any given location. The best strategy is to select your travel dates in advance but not your destination. Then before heading out, call the fall foliage hotlines for current information about fall colors in specific areas. Some official state tourism websites and state park websites also have up-to-date reports on fall foliage.
This fun interactive map will help you plan your trip to catch peak colors anywhere in the U.S.
HOW TO OBSERVE #FallFoliageWeek
Visit a nature park. Pick apples at an orchard. Take a drive with someone (especially someone who isn’t able to drive) through the forested areas.
Follow the trip savvy link to learn more ideas in your area.
Use #fallfoliageweek to follow the event on social media.
NATIONAL FALL FOLIAGE WEEK HISTORY
In 2014, the Yankee Chef Jim Bailey created National Fall Foliage Week to bring families together as nature changes her coat of many colors for the next season. The day starts each year on the last Sunday in September when the temperatures begin to cool and harvests begin in earnest. On his website, he reminds us that the time wasn’t only “when families came together for the harvest of the winter crop, but starting on the allocated day of rest, frolic and beauty that was and is, Sunday.”
