Fall Foliage: Near Peak Colors In Alleghanies, SW Virginia

VIRGINIA — Near-peak colors have reached leaves in half of the trees in the higher elevations of southwest Virginia and the Alleghanies in the past week if you want to venture out to view fall foliage colors.

The weekly 2020 Virginia fall foliage report for Oct. 17 said sugar maples are sporting bright reds and oranges, and red maples will soon turn. In the Blue Ridge, the percent change is a little lower, but the mixture of green with other colors makes for fantastic viewing, Virginia Department of Forestry staffers said.

"The Piedmont is well on its way to yellow and gold. Urban landscape trees, including maples, are flushing red and orange from the top down. In general, trees with greater exposure in any location are among the earliest changers," VDF said. "This is one reason why roadsides are great places for leaf peeping."

In Eastern Virginia, green still rules, but some early fall shades can be seen in swampy areas, and on isolated branches of individual trees.

The Virginia Department of Foresty recommends these fall foliage driving tours designed by local foresters:

• Charlottesville area: Greene County tour directions
• Harrisonburg area: Rockingham County tour directions | Shenandoah County tour directions
• Lexington area: Bath County tour directions
• Front Royal area: Warren County tour directions
• Roanoke area: Bedford County tour directions | Craig County tour directions | Franklin County tour directions
• Staunton area: Highland County tour directions

How To Check On Foliage

• Fall Foliage Report - 1.800.424.LOVE (begins around September 23 each year)
• Skyline Drive/Shenandoah National Park - 540.999.3500 (press "6")
• Blue Ridge Parkway (between Waynesboro and the North Carolina border) - 828.298.0398 (press "3")

The Commonwealth offers some stunning vistas, including several in state parks suggested by the Virginia Department of Forestry:

• Prince William Forest Park is an oasis of natural beauty and human history located only 35 miles south of Washington, D.C.
• Monticello Artisan Trail (Nelson & Albemarle Counties). Nestled at the foot of the Blue Ridge mountains, Albemarle and Nelson counties offer cultural, historical, recreational and leisure opportunities for visitors.

Visit Fairfax offers these suggestions for nearby foliage:

• The George Washington Memorial Parkway
• Great Falls Park, 9200 Old Dominion Dr, McLean
• Burke Lake, 7315 Ox Road, Fairfax Station
• Lake Accotink, 7500 Accotink Park Road, Springfield
• Huntley Meadows, 3701 Lockheed Blvd, Alexandria
• Riverbend Park, 8700 Potomac Hills Street, Great Falls
• Mason Neck State Park, High Point Rd, Lorton
• Fountainhead Regional Park, 10875 Hampton Rd, Fairfax Station
• Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, 9750 Meadowlark Gardens Ct, Vienna

The updated Fall Foliage Prediction Map from SmokyMountains.com provides peak leaf change predictions for the entire continental United States.

In northern Virginia, the week of Oct. 19 looks good for a trip into the great outdoors, while the peak for western Virginia is Oct. 19, and Oct. 26 is when colors should be best in the counties closes to Chesapeake Bay.

The major factors that determine the fall foliage peak are sunlight, precipitation, soil moisture and temperature. The map takes in 50,000 predictive data sets, then churns out a county-by-county analysis of when the fall peak will occur, according to SmokyMountains.com co-founder David Angotti, an expert on statistics.