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Vermont Foliage Report 2007
Vermonter's Guide to Autumn Colors in VT

Autumn is brief but beautiful in the Green Mountains. Vermont foliage season draws visitors from around the globe. Needless to say, the hotel rooms are often booked solid so finding a place to stay can be a bit difficult at the last minute. Summer 2007 was a bit dry in terms of rainfall but nearly every weekend was sunny and pleasant with a minimal amount of humid days. Usually, when a Vermont summer is this delightful, the autumn months are equally magnificent. The beautiful reds, oranges and yellows of a Vermont foliage palette paint a swath of colors across the landscape.

Vermont forestry experts predict that a good foliage season is on the way. “We’ve experienced many bright sunny days and received plenty of moisture this summer, which has created ideal growing conditions for all vegetation,” says Ginger Anderson, Chief of Forest Management for the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation. “We can look forward to another brilliant fall foliage season.”

The fall colors usually begin in early September. There are a few trees in Shelburne that are already taking on the colors of autumn right now, in the second week of the month. The northernmost areas of Vermont typically experience the Vermont foliage hues first. A trip to Willoughby Lake on September 7, 2007 indicated a few reds starting to appear in the maples. By the end of the month, the Northeast Kingdom should be a virtual light show of Vermont foliage highlights. Unfortunately, Vermont's autumn colors don't stay around very long. Maybe a week at the most during peak foliage season. Leaf peepers will need to act fast.

Inns and hotels throughout Vermont typically fill up fast during foliage season. If you wait until the last minute, it can often be pretty tough to get a place to stay during September and early October. If you haven't reserved a place to stay, see what's available through Vermonter.com's discount lodging and hotel search. For stays in the Northeast Kingdom, we recommend the Newport City Motel and the Anchorage Inn if you're vacationing in the Burlington, VT. area.

The Vermont foliage scenes below were taken in 2005. The second photo is from the Shelburne Orchards Small Farms Food Fest. Well, at least back then it was "small". Last year was considerably much busier so we'll have to see what 2007 brings. I f you're looking for a comprehensive list of Vermont foliage events, harvest and craft festivals, we have everything posted on our 2007 events page.

Ski areas offer some great opportunities to view the foliage from chairlifts and gondolas. Stowe's auto toll road is open through October 14th with some terrific Vermont foliage views of Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks. The Gondola Skyride and Alpine Slide are also open until October 14th

At the Sugarbush Resort, also tucked into Vermont's Green Mountains, you can ride the chairlift through Oct. 8, noting the changes in local flora, vegetation and Vermont foliage as you ascend through alpine levels. From the top of Gadd Peak, hikers can go on to Lincoln Peak then take a variety of trails from Castlerock Peak (1.3 miles) to Canada (127 miles.) Though the resort offers a variety of fall activities, including golf, Sugarbush also promotes its location as a starting point to tourist hot spots.

Killington, which has been offering Vermont fall foliage packages for almost half a century, provides gondola rides to Killington Peak on weekends throughout this month, and daily starting Sept. 29 through Columbus Day weekend, ending Oct. 8, which is the peak foliage season, according to the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing. From the Killington Peak summit on a clear day viewers can see five states.

Enjoy the photos from our 2006 Autumn Photo collection.