Fall Sites On The Web

note: Try Google and the search phrase: "fall foliage". Remember to include the quotes.

We also have a section with links to all kind's of travel sites on the web.

Travel Notes - The best fall foliage sites in America:

Lists all 50 states with either the web site or a phone number.

The Miracle of Fall: Produced by the University of Illinois Extension, it provides dozens of links to foliage updates, driving and hiking tips, Web cams with live panoramic views of foliage, and places to go for activities like apple and pumpkin picking.

Gorp: Owned by the Away Network, an online travel company devoted to outdoor activities, Gorp deserves a visit on its own merits. The site's Fall Regional Roundup a good source for broad ideas on what to do in different regions in the United States. It also features some good lists, like the Top 10 Fall Forests and Scenic Drives (where the Mohawk Trail tour appeared).

Weather.com: The site include maps showing the normal peak times for fall color across the nation, and can provide decent guidance for timing a trip. Since nature's schedule is fluid, though, it also makes sense to rely on the Miracle of Fall to find more immediate updates.

Nature Photography Gallery: The site helps you follow the annual wave of crimson color that starts in the far north by the end of August and doesn't end until late November in some of the southern states. Has nation-wide map showing when fall season starts around the country. Links for every area of the U.S. Could make good starting point.

Fall Color In California: Hey - I'm a California dude! So naturally my state get's preferential treatment. This is the work of photographer Carol Leigh. She lists information for fall foliage throughtout the state. Also check out here tips on photographing fall colors. Site currently lists locations from 2002. Will be updated when the fall season starts.

Photo Travel: - Fall Foliage Links For All States.

Foliage Network: This site has more than 500 "foliage spotters" throughout New England, the Southeast, and the Midwest. They start collecting data in September.

EscapeMaker: This site specializing in information about weekend getaways in the eastern United States. It is a good source for autumn travel near New York City. It includes many useful links, like those for portal sites devoted to wine tours. (See the Special Interests link at the bottom of each page.)

Gone New England: All kinds of tips for finding fall foliage in New England. Includes a gallery of photos of fall foliage.

Vermont Vacation: This is the offical site for the state of Vermont. (Click on Vermont Seasons and Fall.) This site has a preditorr on how far in advance you will need to plan your trip.

Yankee Foliage: A color-coded map shows approximate dates for the fall foliage seasons. When the fall season is upon us you can get updates as well as view locations from more than 30 web cams. Area covered is Northern Vermont, coastal Maine and Massachusetts.

Here's a page from the NY Times with sites for New York, Minnesota, Maine, New England, and West Virginia. Registration is required.

Fall in America

October 19, 2004: See notes for latest articles found online. When new articles appear and we find them we will alert you.

It doesn't matter what your speciality is getting out and traveling to a good area to witness Fall in America is a rewarding experience. So wedding, portrait, fashion, combat, or news photographer, get your gear and get out there.

If you are not familiar with locations in your area where you can capture Fall in America there is plently of information on the web. For a quick look at what's available use the Google search engine and use the phrase "fall foliage" (with the quotes so the the phrase is searched and not each word seperately.)

We've done some searching at Google as well as stealing a list of web sites from a recent LA Times story on the web and fall foliage. That story is here. Remember you have to register before you can see the story. They don't ask for much but I leave it up to you to decide.

We at Photoessayist are diehard black-and-white photographers but when doing fall foliage we switch to color. You can get some great fall foliage with back-and-white but for us this is fun stuff. A bussman's holiday.

Doing some digging into old negatives from the 70's I found this set from Olympic NP. On the last page are some fall foliage photos taken in the Hoa rain forest section of the park.

Almost all the sites list lodging information.

Special Case - Oregon, fall foliage, and covered bridges

Why not combine two very photographic views - fall foliage and covered bridges. Oregon has many of these covered bridges and going to the State of Oregon Covered Bridges Directory you can locate a bridge and by calling the Oregon Fall Foliage Hotline: 1-800-547-5445 you can determine if a bridge is in an area with great fall foliage.

Many other covered bridges in America

Same can be done in Iowa and Vermont. And here is someone doing just what I suggested.

Here is a list by counties that have covered bridges for Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.

And don't forget Wisconsin for fall foliage and covered bridges.

google search

Many states have covered bridges. To find bridges in your state go to Google and do a search for your state. For California you could try the search phrase "California Covered Bridges" (Don't forget the quotes.)

notes:

October 19, 2004: New York Times: What do those changing colors mean? Now you can wow your friends with theories of why all those colors. Registration is required.

October 9, 2004: New York Times: Leaf-peeping. Tucked in the southwest corner of Massachusetts, Mount Washington offers 30 miles of trails through the vibrant hardwood forests of the Taconic Range. Registration is required.

October 15, 2003: Chicago Tribune highlights fall foilage locations in the north central states — 'Guide to Midwest fall fests.' Regristration required. Be creative.

October 13, 2003: The Los Angeles Times Sunday Travel section looks at Fall in the West with two stories worth a look. The first is the Weekend Escape article 'Vivid shades of Sierra's pioneer past'. This story looks at the spectacular landscape in and around Hope Valley. Hope Valley is south of Lake Tahoe on California 88. The second story looks at Zion National park in the fall — 'A symphony in stone'. This is the best time to travel through the canyon lands of south Utah and Zion is a great starting point. Registration is required.

October 10, 2003: New York Times Driving section story on using the net to locate fall foilage and how accurate they are — Leef Peeping Goes High Tech. It seems everything, including fall foilage web sites, must come with a warning — Warning! Accuracy Debated! Registration required.

October 7, 2003: Los Angeles Times Outdoor section story on the Aspen — The sharp scent of a scenic landmark. Interesting tree. Mentions a couple of good sites. Registration is required.

October 5, 2003: The Los Angeles Times Sunday Travel section has a story about Vermont and fall foilage — Striking gold in Vermont. The cover photo is worth the price of the Sunday paper. Article is a little late for this year unless you live in New England. Never-the-less it's a keeper. Registration is required.

September 6, 2003: Found an article at the New York Times web site dealing with fall foliage. It's called Reds and Yellows on the Screen and on the Trees. This one is for those who live in the northeast. Registration is required.