Maine Fall Foliage Peaking at Downeast Coast/Central Interior

Press release source: VisitMaine.com Photo of foliage at Cadillac Mountain, Acadia National Park, Maine by Dana Moos, an Associate Broker with The Swan Agency Sotheby’s International Realty in Bar Harbor, Maine

Pardon the pun, but Maine now features oceans of Maine foliage. With the natural progression of the fall season and some mighty cold nights, the time for peak foliage has arrived at the Downeast coast and central interior of the state -- now catching up with the recent peak foliage of the rest of the state. We are personally excited about viewing the bright fall colors, juxtaposed with the famously scenic rocky Maine coast areas!

Our New England friends at the Maine Office of Tourism just sent us the latest Maine fall foliage report press release - enjoy!

AUGUSTA, Maine - Peak foliage color has arrived along Maine's Downeast coast and the central interior of the state, according to the fifth fall foliage report from the state Department of Conservation.

Forest rangers are observing peak foliage conditions, or at least 75 percent color change, in coastal locations from Bucksport to the Blue Hill peninsula, Bar Harbor and Machias, and in central locations from Dover-Foxcroft to Bangor, the report states. Leaf drop is now moderate, between 30 and 50 percent, in the regions.

Peak color is also being reported throughout the lakes regions of Hancock and Washington Counties, according to rangers. Leaf drop is also moderate in the regions.

Maine's southern coast and southern interior locations from Fryeburg to Sebago Lake and Augusta now have high foliage color, or 50 to 70 percent toward peak, with moderate leaf drop.

Foliage color in all other regions of the state is now past peak, although rangers say that there are plenty of leaves to view in the state's western lakes and mountains, and the far north of Maine where a dusting of snow recently added another color to the landscape.

Maine's fall foliage conditions will be updated each Wednesday through Oct. 21 on www.mainefoliage.com. Visitors to the site can sign up to receive the weekly reports by email and post comments about Maine foliage adventures on the Foliage Forum page.

Fun fall events happening this weekend include the 4th annual Foliage, Food & Wine Festival in Blue Hill, the Caribou Fall Arts & Crafts Festival in Aroostook County, and the Mount Desert Island Marathon from Bar Harbor to Southwest Harbor.

For more information about events and activities happening in Maine this fall, log onto http://www.visitmaine.com.

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Fall Travel is More Than "Mariginal" by the Ogunquit, Maine, Coast

Article and photo by Eric H.

With all the recent press coverage about fall foliage, let's not forget that New England offers many other delightful travel opportunities during the autumn season. Some destinations are truly colorful without having much fall foliage!

Take The Marginal Way in Ogunquit, Maine, for example. This wildly-popular, famous coastal summertime travel destination is equally appealing in the fall with fewer crowds walking the 1 ¼ miles mile paved pathway alongside the rocky cliffs and spectacular Atlantic Ocean views. Starting at picturesque Perkins Cove (with lots of neat, little shops and some great seafood restaurants like Barnacle Billy's), this winding hiking trail leads to the fantastic expanse of sand and water at Ogunquit Beach.

With benches and plenty of scenic coastal nooks and crannies along the way, The Marginal Way is the perfect spot to enjoy the Maine coast in the fall. While there's little foliage -- and summer's vibrantly-colored flowers a thing of the past --The Marginal Way still remains one of New England's greatest destinations in the fall.

For more information, we recommend reading Lina R.'s great article on Marginal Way, Perkins Cove and Ogunquit, in general, at VisitingNewEngland.com. Here, Lina describes the magic of the area, recommending her favorite dining, shopping and scenic spots. On the top right side of that page, you will also find a link that leads to booking hotels in Ogunquit (featuring several well-known hotels). We also advise that some stores and restaurants close down for the season, so call ahead to your specific destination to avoid a "Sorry, WallyWorld's closed" scenario (please pardon the Chevy Chase "Vacation " movie reference!)

Editor's note: For an overview of Ogunguit, past and present, you might want to read Ogunquit (Then and Now) (Then & Now)by Kathryn M. Severson.

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Bright Future for 2009 Maine Fall Foliage

Photo: Early foliage color Tuesday on Munsungan Lake in Piscataquis County north of Baxter State Park. Credit: Maine Department of Conservation

Editor's preface: While New Hampshire and Vermont are household names when it comes to fall foliage leaf peeping, we suggest keeping in mind the other four New England states -- that Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts and Rhode Island have some traditionally mighty fine fall foliage. To keep up to date on fall foliage colors in New England, we recommend calling all the following state hot lines: Connecticut 888.288.4748 , Maine 1.888.MAINE.45,Massachusetts 800.227.6277, New Hampshire 800.258.3600 , Rhode Island (Department of Tourism) 800.556.2484 , Vermont 800.837.666

And now back to our regularly scheduled program... Fall Foliage in Maine!

Just got some great news from our New England neighbors at the Maine Office of Travel and Tourism in Augusta, Maine, that fall foliage color in the northern half of Maine is ranging from 30 to 75 percent peak.

That's the word, according to the state Department of Conservation. Aroostook County and Piscataquis and Somerset County forest rangers observe 50-75 percent peak color in the northern sections and low leaf drop, the report states.

Aroostook State Park Manager Scott Thompson states that the low-lying areas surrounding the park are 50 to 60 percent toward peak, and the ridges of hills and mountains are nearing peak. He expects peak color to develop during the next two weekends if overnight temperatures continue to drop in the Presque Isle area.

Color in Northwestern locations-- including Jackman, Eustis and Greenville, and northeastern locations like Millinocket and Houlton -- have moderate color, or 30 to 50 percent toward peak according to the report. Leaf drop in both regions is still less than 10 percent, according to the report.

Rangers report 10 to 30 percent color change in the western mountains region from Bethel to Rangeley, central locations from Augusta to Bangor, and the downeast coast from Belfast to Eastport. Leaf drop is less than 10 percent in these regions.

Southern coast foliage color is still very low, or less than 10 percent toward peak, according to the report.

In related news, the Department of Conservation announced that Aroostook State Park will host the first in a series of state park guided foliage hikes on Sunday, Sept. 26. For information about the hike and to register, visit http://take-it-outside.com/hike.shtml.

Maine's fall foliage conditions are updated every Wednesday through Oct. 21 and posted on www.mainefoliage.com. Web site visitors can sign up to receive the weekly reports by email and post comments about Maine foliage adventures on the Foliage Forum page.

Other fun fall events happening this weekend include the Common Ground Country Fair in Unity, the Punkinfiddle National Estuaries Day Celebration in Wells, and the Family Arts Festival in Brunswick.

For more information about events and activities happening in Maine this fall, log on to http://www.visitmaine.com.

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