Maryland Fall Foliage 2016: Now or Never

Much of Maryland is ablaze with a leaves in glorious hues of orange, flame-red and yellow, and one website says its peak leaf-peeping time across the state. Favorite places to get out and leaf peep in the state include Patapsco State Park, the Billy Goat Trail and Swallow Falls State Park.

A weekly fall foliage and fall festival report by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources says this weekend is the best time to visit South Mountain Recreation Area, comprised of Gathland, Washington Monument and South Mountain State Parks, in westernmost Frederick County. Approximately half of the forest has turned and some of the forest’s understory species are at peak with the sugar maples, sweetgums and dogwoods showing up vibrant red and the sassafras and tulip poplars a jewel-like yellow.

Here’s a highly recommended drive this time of year: take Route 40 into Greenbrier State Park, then access Washington Monument State Park off of Alternate Route 40. Once in the park, take a half-mile hike to reach the monument erected to honor our first president, and check out the spectacular vista right in front of you. Get back in your car and take Route 67 south thru Pleasant Valley to Gathland State Park. It should be well worth the trip, says the Maryland DNR.

»What is your favorite leaf-peeping spot in Maryland? Tell us in comments below.

If you’re venturing out to the western region, check out the Mountain Maryland Studio Tour, a self-guided art studio tour going on Saturday and Sunday. Enjoy driving around the beautiful western Maryland countryside and exploring its charming towns while visiting the studios of artists in Allegany and Garrett Counties – a great way to take advantage of early holiday shopping for distinctive ceramics, furniture, glass, photography, painting and jewelry.

A little further east, one of Washington County’s most beloved events, the Alsatia Mummers Parade, steps off down Potomac Street in Hagerstown on Saturday night at 6 p.m. The largest nighttime parade on the East Coast, more than 10,000 participants and 100,000 spectators will gather for this lavish event featuring floats, bands and of course, mummers in outrageous feathered garb.

In Central Maryland, Gunpowder State Park, straddling Harford and Baltimore counties, is reporting very nice conditions, particularly in the Hammerman and Hereford areas. Now is a great time to plan a hike or bike ride along the park’s Northern Central Rail Trail.

In Western Maryland visit: Rocky Gap State Park and Green Ridge State Forest, both in Allegany County, where the oak-hickory forest’s foliage is approaching peak. Green Ridge is located in the Ridge and Valley Province of the Allegheny Mountain chain, and elevations within the forest vary from 475 feet along the Potomac River to over 2,000 feet at the top of Town Hill. Magnificent views of the leaves can be seen from Point Lookout, Banners, Logroll, Warrior Mountain and No Name Overlooks.

If you’re thinking about a get-away to Western Maryland, cabins are still available for the season in state parks. Reserve one by calling the Maryland Park Service’s Reservation Line at 1-888-432-CAMP (2267).

In general, the farther south you go, the later leaves turn; also the windy coast will shed its leaves faster than the rest of the state. Trees at higher elevations hold on to their leaves longer.

»Find the online fall foliage predictor here.

Wonder how and why the leaves change color? It all starts with photosynthesis. Leaves typically are bright green from spring through summer into early fall through the constant creation of chlorophyll, which lets plants turn sunlight into glucose, which in turn feeds the trees. Many millions of these chlorophyll cells saturate the leaves, ultimately making them appear green to human eyes.

As the amount of sunlight decreases as fall days shorten, the production of chlorophyll slows to a halt, eventually giving way to the "true" color of the leaf, says SmokyMountains.com.

Scenic walks and drives in Maryland suggested by Visit Maryland:

• The C&O Canal National Historic Park offers numerous hiking options, such as the strenuous Billy Goat Trail for advanced hikers. The trail rewards hikers with vistas of the surging Potomac River flanked by forests bursting with color.
• Elk Neck State Park located on a peninsula between the Chesapeake Bay and the Elk River combines colorful forests with sandy beaches for great viewing. From the Turkey Point parking lot off Route 272 South, it’s an easy one-mile walk to the historic 1833 Turkey Point Lighthouse atop a 100-foot bluff at the southern tip of the Elk Neck Peninsula. Climb 35 feet to its top for a spectacular view of the Bay waters and brilliant fall foliage.
• Patapsco Valley State Park, covering 32 miles of the Patapsco River in Howard County, offers great fall foliage views from the comfort of your car if that's a better fit for you. Drive to Valley Overlook in the Hollofield area right off Route 40. From there you can venture into Ellicott City’s Main Street, which has shops and restaurants open even as it recovers from fatal August floods.
• In the heart of Baltimore County’s horse country, Oregon Ridge Park near Cockeysville has hiking trails that showcase a tree-scape of yellow, orange and red.
• Swallow Falls State Park in Garrett County is located nine miles north of Oakland and contains part of the Youghiogheny River, which flows along the park's borders, passing through shaded rocky gorges and creating rippling rapids, and Muddy Creek Falls, a 53-foot waterfall. The 1 1/4 mile trail through Swallow Falls guides hikers to Western Maryland's breath-taking scenery.
• Other areas to visit close to the Baltimore-Washington metro area: Gwynnbrook Wildlife Management Area in Owings Mills, Baltimore County; Sugar Loaf Mountain Natural Resource Area in southern Frederick County; Seneca Creek State Park just southwest of Gaithersburg; and Dierssen Wildlife Management Area situated between the C&O Canal and the Potomac River in Montgomery County, offering first-rate opportunities for waterfowl watching and quiet interludes for strollers along the Canal Tow Path.

»Photo by Julie Brune, Maryland Department of Natural Resources