Trees and their autumn leaves at Chief Logan State Park in West Virginia. (Photo by the West Virginia Department of Tourism)
CHARLESTON — An exceptional year for leaf color this autumn is nearing the end, the West Virginia Department of Tourism said Wednesday.
West Virginia this year has experienced one of the best fall seasons in history with foliage lasting nearly two months, the department said. Fall colors are stretching into November and can be seen at lower elevations this weekend, the department said.
“The fall season always seems to go by so quickly, but this year we were extremely lucky to get more than eight weeks worth of fall color,” Chelsea Ruby, tourism secretary, said.
“If you’re itching to take advantage of fall in the Mountain State, there’s still time,” Ruby said. “Get outside with your family and friends this weekend to soak up every last minute of autumn in Almost Heaven.”
According to the department’s Fall Foliage Update, fall colors are widespread in the Metro Valley and Hatfield-McCoy Mountain regions of the state. Lasting shades of orange and red can still be spotted around the state’s capital leading down to the southern border of Mercer County.
“As we are nearing the end of one of the best fall foliage seasons we have had in the last 10 years, I would encourage everyone to get out this weekend to enjoy the beautiful colors before it’s too late,” Jeremy Jones, director of the Division of Forestry, said. “We should be seeing peak color throughout our southern coalfields, so a ride on the Hatfield-McCoy Trails or a hike at one of our state parks or forests would provide a great opportunity to see great colors.”
Leaf color also has held strong in Ohio, despite the recent rain, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Peak fall color conditions dominated Ohio through the end of October.
“This is the time to get outdoors and see the true fall color display dazzle throughout the state,” said David Parrott, the department’s fall color forester, said. “Current changers are sumacs showing their brilliant reds, hackberries with their golden hues and red maples in all their glory. I think we have had a strong fall color season after a bit of a slow start.”
Information about Ohio foliage is available at and in West Virginia at WVtourism.com/fall.
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2023-11-02 04:02:10
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