Sunday, September 8, 2019

Ten Spots To See The Leaves - And When They Peak This Year

According to the Fall Foliage Maps for 2020, colors will peak early, around October 12th this year.  Although the prediction is always just a guess, , and it's usually quite accurate - here in central Pa, I disagree, this year.  I think we are already in the "peak" of color.

 A warm wet spring, favorable summer weather, and warm sunny fall days with cool nights are the best combination to produce the most brilliant autumn colors.    Which means it's pretty much amazing, after this super dry year, that the colors are as beautiful as they are!



See the fall foliage prediction map here -   https://smokymountains.com/fall-foliage-map/
You can move the slider through the dates to see the predicted peak areas for each date.

 Where To View The Leaves
In the central Susquehanna valley, we are fortunate to be surrounded by beautiful trees, and the fall colors will be hard to miss.  The drive on 180 from Turbotville to Muncy is frequently stunning, and is just a normal commute.  Our local parks, especially those with lakes nearby, such as Montour Preserve, Lake Jean, and Ricketts Glen.  If you are up to a bit of a drive, the overlooks at Mt Pisgah, Worlds End, and the PA Grand Canyon also offer spectacular views.  Fall is also a beautiful time to take a trip on the Hiawatha Riverboat in Williamsport, or to bike along the Pine Creek Rail Trail a bit to the north.  

Glacial Pools Preserve
https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2020/01/glacier-pools-preserve.html
This park is a hidden treasure, near Hughesville PA.  The paths are wide, and typically kept mown, making this more of a "walk in the park" than a challenging hike.  However, it will start out straight up hill.  Once up the hill, take the first trail to the right, and then stay on the upper path.  (Although any path will lead you to great views!)  In a short distance, you will come to some chairs and a sign.  From here you will have an amazing view, full of fall colors.

Ticklish Rock 
https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2019/05/hiking-to-ticklish-rock.html
Located 30 minutes from Watsontown, just outside of Tivoli PA.
Only open to the public on Sundays September through January, the views from this vista are spectacular, and it's a fairly short easy hike.

Montour Preserve
(Another post that needs a massive rewrite and update.  But it has the basics for now)
I frequently hesitate to recommend Montour Preserve, because we can't imagine hiking or walking outdoors without our dogs.  But for those of you who do not have dogs, Montour Preserve is a gorgeous lake near Washingtonville PA.  It's one of our favorite local places to kayak in the fall, as it is a man made lake and still has water when the river does not.  There's an absolutely beautiful 5 mile loop trail around the lake, and if you do not want to walk, as you drive up to the lake, on the left is a small parking lot "overlook" that is an extremely popular spot for photos year round.

NO DOGS ALLOWED AT MONTOUR PRESERVE.  Unfortunately, Marc closed their nearby dog friendly trail, as there is only so much money to go around for maintenance.

Hiawatha Paddle Boat
No, the Hiawatha is not running as normal in 2020, but did you know that you and 20+ of your close  friends and family can rent it for a private charter?  At $325 for an hour, split among 20 people, that's really not much different than the normal cost, and you get to choose who is on the boat with you! 

The Danville Rail Trail
Even if you have never walked on this trail, you have probably seen the bridge, off to the right, before you enter the town of Danville.  This is a great trail.  One of my absolute favorites.  I frequently see deer here, there's a creek running through the valley below you..  it's beautiful every season, but especially beautiful in the fall colors, with lots of great spots to take fall photos too.

 Mt Pisgah Alter
https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2019/07/he-mt-pisgah-altare-in-new-berlin-pa.html
A beautiful overlook located near Beaver Springs Pa, this alter is a sight to see any time of year, with a panoramic view of the valley.

Sunday Drive Through 6 Historic Sights Near Milton
This Sunday Drive will not take you to dramatic overlooks, but it will take you through winding back roads, past covered bridges, one room school houses, and even local elk.

The Dale Engle Walker Trail

Located on a backroad in Lewisburg, this is another beautiful walk.  There are some mild hills, but nothing too difficult, or at least, the difficult one is not too long of a stretch.  And there's a beautiful little "overlook" of sorts, looking out over local farmland.

The Overlook Out 87
I've done a really poor job showcasing this one, in the post above.  Trust me that the photos I have posted there do not do it justice, and it was one of my favorite trips.  The overlook is popular, you will find people arrive there early, some with picnics, and set up lawn chairs to watch the sunset.  There's PLENTY of room, so no need to worry about it being crowded.  There's a large parking lot, room on the hill behind the parking lot (with picnic tables) and a long stretch of fence to stand along if you'd like.  

Hyner View
What a view.  Seriously, this is an amazing spot.  The drive up can be a bit nerve wracking - it's a long, narrow, road, that goes up, around, up, around, up around..  The road is paved, and thousands drive it each year without incident, just be careful.
Can you believe people RUN this hill each year?  https://www.patraildogs.com/hyner

The Canyon Vista At World's End State Park
https://kylesoutdoors.wordpress.com/2011/07/27/canyon-vista/
Another spectacular vista, less than an hour north of Williamsport.  Just a short walk from the parking area, this view is easily accessible with an ADA trail.

 The Pine Creek Rail Trail & The Pennsylvania Grand Canyon
https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2012/09/biking-pine-creek-rail-trail.html
The photo at the top of this spot is from Rattlesnake rock along the Pine Creek Rail Trail.  This is a beautiful section to bike any time of year, but especially pretty in the fall!

Located about an hour officially named Leonard Harrison State Park, the view here is wonderful, and there are several viewing platforms, and a nice easy loop trail.  Often in the fall there will be food trucks and vendors as well.  When we visited last year, we had wonderful Maple lattes and maple funnel cakes.  
https://www.dcnr.pa.gov/StateParks/FindAPark/LeonardHarrisonStatePark/Pages/default.aspx

 Take A Train Ride Through The Lehigh Gorge
http://www.lgsry.com/our-trains
The train ride winds along the gorge, with beautiful views.  For even more fun, book one of the bike trains, where you load your bike onto a train (or you can rent a bike there) and ride the train to the top, then bike back down.  Unfortunately, these bike trains are not available in the peak leaf season in October, but there are trips in September and November.  http://www.lgsry.com/bike-trains


More Fall Road Trips To Take:
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An Index Of Fall Sights To See, Fall Events, And Local Fall Guides Such As Where To Pick A Pumpkin, Or Where To Find a Haunted House

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READ MORE
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Only three regions of the world support trees that display autumn color.  They are Eastern North America, The British Isles and parts of Northwestern Europe, and Northeastern China & Northern Japan. According to the DCNR website, Pennsylvania has the longest, and most varied, fall foliage season in the world.  

   "Pennsylvania is the meeting ground of northern trees that flourish only on mountain tops farther south and southern species that are at the northern limits of their range."
https://www.dcnr.pa.gov/Conservation/ForestsAndTrees/FallFoliageReports/Pages/default.aspx

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