Fall Color Tour Help

[j. caputo]

I know there is a lot of talk about fall color photography on the forum but I need a

little more specific info. I am planning a fall colors trip and being from southern

california I have no clue where to go once I get there. I know I need to start up

north in Maine and Vermont working my way down to pennsylvania. There is a lot

of country to cover so I was looking for someone who has done this befor to get

specific routes and destinations. I am looking for small ponds with good reflections

and stuff like that. Maybe some good covered bridges with good color around

them. I know the amount of color and time of peak changes with the temp and

elevation etc. I am only looking for a planned route. Hope you guys can help.

 

Thanks, Jimmy

[William Kahn]

The Green Mountain National Forest in Vermont is pretty spectacular. I'd also recommend the Shenandoah Valley/Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia and North Carolina. We'll be going the opposite direction along the BRP up into eastern PA about the same time.....<div></div>

[jo7hs2]

I would recommend Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway as well, it can be done in as little as three days, or as long as a lifetime, if need be, and is worth doing once in your lifetime. It will be crowded, but the views are generally worth it. The big benefit of that is that the BLP dumps you out at GSMNP, which is also good for foliage photography.

 

Part of the problem with planning a trip like this is that the leaves don't change at the same time every year at all locations. Make sure you add some buffer time, if you can, in case the leaves are a week behind/ahead again this year.

 

I'll keep my eye out for route information, but I think you'll enjoy it more if you plan it yourself, based on where scenic locations are, rather than by using somebody else's plans.

[ShunCheung]

The timing is indeed different every year, but I would recommend starting from the 2nd week in October and Visit New Hampshire and Vermont first, and then move onto the Maine coast, where the leaves turn a bit later because of the lower elevation (costal areas). After that move onto Pennsylvania.

 

One location I like a lot of Harriman State Park in New York State, just outside of New York City.

 

I don't know how much time you have in total, but doing this trip in the 2nd to 3rd weeks of October should work out quite well. Fine tune your destination by then depending the actual conditions.

 

There are a couple of guide books for Vermont and Maine by David Middleton that you may find useful:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Photographers-Guide-Vermont-Where-Perfect/dp/0881505331/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1211838456&sr=1-7

 

http://www.amazon.com/Photographers-Guide-Maine-Coast-Perfect/dp/0881505358/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1211838612&sr=1-2<div></div>

[j. caputo]

I will figure out when to go, but I need help with where to go. I threw a couple links below from Tom Wilcox's website. He is from southern california but does the fall color mission every year. Check out his website for images. I would like to get some specific info on destinations like lakes and ponds with the possibility of having good colors. I have done a ton of research on when and why the color changes. Here are some examples of places I am trying to find. http://www.artofnaturegallery.com/landscapes/portfolio-13/03.html

http://www.artofnaturegallery.com/landscapes/portfolio-06/08.html

http://www.photo.net/photo/6639445

http://www.photo.net/photo/6610321

Alot of people tell me of certain forests to hit but I imagine there are miles of forest to dig thru to find a good spot. I was hoping more for someone who ha good luck with a specific destination from a previous year.

 

Thanks

[david_henderson]

I'd suggest that you pick a manageable area rather than grand tours covering a lot of ground. The reason is that if you are covering long distances, you'll find yourself using main roads and best fall foliage photographs are invariably found on little roads where speeds are slow and its quite amazing just how little you can cover in a day when conditions are good.

 

You also do have to speculate on times, because the best and most convenient lodging gets booked well in advance especially at weekends and particularly if you happen to hit absolute peak in fine weather. My personal view is that to start a trip about 4th-6th October is a decent guess in Northern New England but you'll find that some places are unexpectedly early or late- for example last year I was in Woodstock, VT on 5th October and was far too early. But a day later I was in Craftsbury Common VT in what looked to me like peak, only 100 miles away.

 

The trip I made last fall worked very well, bearing in mind that despite the fact that I'm English I know the area decently well and have covered most of this ground at least once before, so I can probably cover ground faster than many.

 

I made stops at Woodstock,; Craftsbury Common (2 nights); Montpelier; Gorham NH (2 nights); Lincoln NH; North Conway NH; a long drive to Prospect Harbour ME; Bar Harbour ME (2 nights) Castine ME; Camden ME; Boothbay Harbour. The last week was clearly coastal but I got as good fall colour there as inland. In general I have to say that I find Acadia NP well overrated and busy, preferring other areas.

 

You need Delorme Atlases or similar for the states you cover. I'm not going to give a whole pile of detail on specific locations since I don't feel like writing a book, because whats good one year may not be good the next, and because finding your own stuff is part of the joy. Suffice it to say that if you're fortunate with the timing there's more than enough colour in these areas for you to be confident of finding some.

[chinmaya]

I don't have detailed route plan. But here is my wish list

 

1. Aspen Colorado

 

2. Smoky Mountains

 

3. Yellow Stone National Park

[les_barstow]

Shun's suggestion of Harriman in New York is an excellent one, and you won't take too long once you get there figuring out where to shoot. I went from Harriman over to Rickett's Glen State Park in Pennsylvania last year and wished I could have spent another couple of days at both locations.

[William Kahn]

Forgot to mention, there are some covered bridges in Lancaster County, PA. I remember only one in Virginia, in Clifton Forge, called "Humpback Bridge"......

[chuck_sackman]

Bookmark these and start checking them in Sept.

 

http://www.yankeefoliage.com/drives/

 

http://www.weather.com/activities/driving/fallfoliage/

[weinell]

I live in south Louisiana, so our version of the fall color change is an almost overnight jump from green to brown. Every few years, however, I take a trip north to see and photograph real fall foliage. Here's a few things I've learned:

Vermont = crowds. Everyone goes to Vermont to see foliage. You'll probably end up with the same pictures as everyone else.

Connecticut. Don't plan to camp in the state parks. They are small and most campgrounds close early in the fall.

Favorite place so far. Western New York State. It's cheap to fly into Buffalo. Avoid Niagara Falls. Drive east to Geneseo (sp?) and visit Letchworth State Park. Take a side trip up to Rochester and see the Eastman Kodak museum. Loop south to Allegheny State Park. A road definitely less traveled but just as colorful as Vermont.

This fall I'm planning a trip to Minneapolis. Never been to Minnesota. Any foliage suggestions?<div></div>

[angie_reed]

<p>Wow sounds so fun! Being from Northern Michigan I have never did a color tour out of state. We have beautiful trees, lakes and wildlife right here so I never thought about leaving in the fall. A shot with the mountains in the background would be great though! The color is just starting here and I have a trip planned for this weekend, hope it pops real fast! If you are ever in my neck of the woods around October or really anytime check it out. There are plenty of nice shots just waiting for a photographer to take them in. This weekend we will be staying at Boyne Resort</p>

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<p>to do a hiking/rafting trip with friends. If anyone is intrested and in the area sign up, I think we will get some excellent pictures. Going down the river camera in hand... oh how I hope the color coroperates with us. Good luck on your trip and I hope you make it to northern Michigan soon.</p>