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It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like a Spectacular Fall

For those of you who are traveling to Vermont to do your leaf peeping, just know that if you don’t also make time to do some in Connecticut as well, Christopher Martin is going to feel sorry for you.

Martin, the Connecticut state forester, likes to point out that Connecticut’s location “within the central Appalachian and northern hardwoods transition zone allows foliage viewers to enjoy the fall colors of trees present from Tennessee to Maine in one state.”

From ash to tulip poplars, we have them all.

“They have maybe a dozen,” he says of Vermont’s trees. “We surpass that by far. We have dozens of species. That gives us the advantage. My counterparts in Vermont, we like to rib each other this time of year. But I say Connecticut should not be undersold to Vermont. We often take our forests for granted. But Connecticut in particular has a diverse suite of species, because we are in that transition zone.”

As of earlier this month, Martin was reasonably confident that we will have a spectacular foliage season in Connecticut, though he added that Mother Nature will have to continue to cooperate for it to be so.

“So there are three main elements,” he says. “One that is constant from year to year, is the number of daylight hours. That’s the only thing we can depend upon. The second one, which bodes well for us this year, is the amount of moisture in the summer time. When we have drought years, we sometimes start seeing colors earlier on ledges and highways. The season is longer, but it is not so acute. When we have wet years, like this year, we have things come together all at once.”

This past August was one of the wetter ones on record.

“It was not record breaking, but it was very damp, so that the trees are not stressed out from drought,” Martin says.

The third critical factor is the balance between warm and cool temperatures.

“Here’s where it gets tricky,” he says. “We need, in late September and early October, for it to get down into the low 40s and upper 30s at night. We can even dabble around with frost at night. But then we need 60s and 70s during the day. That variation will really make our colors pop.”

How that will go, remains to be seen.

“So far this season is on target,” he says. “The only caveat is that you can’t predict into the latter half of September what overnight temperatures will be. That will be the linchpin, and the pivot point.”

If all continues to go well, he says, the peak in Connecticut will be the end of October.

He has several recommendations for best ways to view Connecticut foliage.

“Well, we have a couple of options,” he says. “There’s what we call the Connecticut Heritage Loop Number Five. It’s a really pretty ride. That part of the state is beautiful any time of the year, but particularly during foliage season.”

The Connecticut Heritage Loop Number Five runs for about 90 miles, beginning in New London and touring through Old Mystic, Canterbury, Norwich, and then back to New London. That loop and others, along with a map, can be find by Googling: “DEEP: Fall Foliage Driving Routes in Connecticut.”

Martin would also recommend the Pachaug State Forest in Voluntown, the largest state forest in Connecticut that covers more than 27,000 acres across six towns.

“It’s a great place to go hiking,” he says, particularly the Mount Misery Overlook. “It’s not a tough hike and you’ll be able to see above and beyond the dead oak trees to a landscape where they will be color. Speaking of those dead oak trees, Martin says they are in areas that remain affected by the gypsy moth defoliation of past years. And, speaking of that, he reminds people to be careful and watchful about where they park their cars, and where they hike.

“As an agency, we are addressing these dead trees. And I don’t want to paint a picture that it’s dangerous to be outside, but I want people to have their situational awareness hat on. When you park the car, don’t park under a dead tree. When you’re hiking, keep your eyes open,” he says.

And he also says people should consider their local town greens.

“Sometimes people get fixated on the big woods, and that’s fine, but our downtown areas, little public parks, and town greens can be spectacular, particularly if there are any sugar maples,” he says. “I would emphasize that opportunity as well, as well as taking a hike in the woods.”

One of his favorite things to do is to stop and visit a Connecticut farmstand while out leaf peeping.

“The farms are often open to the public, and you can get a hayride, pick apples, get some cider,” he says. “And get a pumpkin. That, to me, is fall. My kids are grown now, but it’s something they still talk about. Savor the season.”

To find out more about the location of Connecticut farmstands, Google: “Connecticut Farm Stand and Stores Listings by County.”