CHARLOTTESVILLE – The Virginia Department of Forestry (DOF) is helping travelers enjoy all that Virginia
has to offer, including peak foliage, this fall. Beginning at the highest elevations of Southwest Virginia and the
Allegheny Mountains, Virginia’s annual color change proceeds downslope and eastward throughout the fall
months.
DOF uses historical data and current reports from staff across the Commonwealth to track and report
foliage conditions every week from late September through early November. The agency also helps travelers
plan routes for the best leaf-peeping with suggestions for scenic driving tours that consistently deliver stunning
fall foliage year after year.
“We are often asked whether dry conditions will ruin the fall foliage for the year,” said Conservation
Education Coordinator Ellen Powell. “While this year’s drought will cause some trees to drop leaves early,
there will always be fall colors to enjoy. Time and again, our trees prove to be resilient and put on a lovely
show. Although predicting the exact timing of fall colors and intensity is difficult, a best estimate is that most
key leaf-peeping areas will reach peak color on the earlier side. Trees on exposed mountain ridgetops and in
urban areas also tend to turn sooner.”
– Va. Dept. of Forestry
