Maryland Fall Foliage Peak: Where To Find Best Autumn Color

MARYLAND — This is the time for Maryland leaf-peepers to go for a drive to view in fall colors as trees in Anne Arundel, Calvert and Prince George's counties hit their peak, according to state foresters and rangers. Leaves have changed colors to vibrant oranges at Sandy Point State Park near Annapolis on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay, one expert says.

To get vivid leaf colors, we need crisp autumn nights, and Maryland has reached that point, resulting in only patchy foliage colors so far.

"The good news is that leaf peepers have an excellent chance of catching fall foliage at its peak in many parts of the state, according to the fall foliage report by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. "However, predictions are that this is a very small window of opportunity. So plan to get outdoors in the next few days and catch the best color for autumn 2018."

Ranger Dorna Cooper says, “Lots of leaves are already off due to windy conditions.” In Annapolis, brilliant oranges and yellows are visible.

“We have seen some significant color change over the last week in Anne Arundel County and I believe we are at peak. But leaves are dropping quickly with the recent rain and winds and there’s more on the way,” adds Forester Justin Arseneault.

Kent and Queen Anne’s counties are at peak with vibrant oranges, yellows and reds, Forester Teri Batchelor said. “Maples and beautiful trees can be found all along Route 404 and parts of Route 50 heading to Easton,” says Jen Selfridge of the Wildlife and Heritage Service. “We are reaching peak. Everything popped over the past weekend.”

The Fall Foliage Prediction Map, found on the Smoky Mountain National Park website, includes predictions not just for the Smokies, which rise above the Tennessee-North Carolina border, but for all 50 states. In Maryland, fall colors are expected to peak around the week of Oct. 22, although it will happen sooner in western Maryland.

Green and brown dominate across Western Maryland, from Garrett to Frederick County, according to the Fall Foliage and Festival Report for Nov. 11 from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. "The pockets of autumn color have mostly fallen with the passing cold fronts and rain. The overstory is beginning to change, but throughout Washington County it appears the oaks are browning and the leaves are falling partially green. I am not sure we will have a big swath of color on the ridges in unison this fall," said Aaron Cook, state forester in Clear Spring.

Map by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources

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Maryland offers some stunning vistas, including several in state parks suggested by Visit Maryland:

• The C&O Canal National Historic Park offers numerous hiking options, such as the strenuous Billy Goat Trail for advanced hikers. The trail rewards hikers with vistas of the surging Potomac River flanked by forests bursting with color.
• Elk Neck State Park located on a peninsula between the Chesapeake Bay and the Elk River combines colorful forests with sandy beaches for great viewing. From the Turkey Point parking lot off Route 272 South, it's an easy one-mile walk to the historic 1833 Turkey Point Lighthouse atop a 100-foot bluff at the southern tip of the Elk Neck Peninsula. Climb 35 feet to its top for a spectacular view of the Bay waters and brilliant fall foliage.
• Patapsco Valley State Park, covering 32 miles of the Patapsco River in Howard County, offers great fall foliage views from the comfort of your car if that's a better fit for you. Drive to Valley Overlook in the Hollofield area right off Route 40. From there you can venture into Ellicott City's Main Street, which has shops and restaurants open even as it recovers from fatal August floods.
• In the heart of Baltimore County's horse country, Oregon Ridge Park near Cockeysville has hiking trails that showcase a tree-scape of yellow, orange and red.
• Swallow Falls State Park in Garrett County is located nine miles north of Oakland and contains part of the Youghiogheny River, which flows along the park's borders, passing through shaded rocky gorges and creating rippling rapids, and Muddy Creek Falls, a 53-foot waterfall. The 1 1/4 mile trail through Swallow Falls guides hikers to Western Maryland's breath-taking scenery.
• Other areas to visit close to the Baltimore-Washington metro area:Gwynnbrook Wildlife Management Area in Owings Mills, Baltimore County; Sugar Loaf Mountain Natural Resource Area in southern Frederick County; Seneca Creek State Park just southwest of Gaithersburg; and Dierssen Wildlife Management Area situated between the C&O Canal and the Potomac River in Montgomery County, offering first-rate opportunities for waterfowl watching and quiet interludes for strollers along the Canal Tow Path.

If you're planning a trip somewhere else, the Fall Foliage Prediction Map can help you pinpoint the best dates for a visit.

And The Foliage Network posts regular updates on when leaves start to drop and the colors start to turn.

What Causes Leaves To Turn

You probably remember from science class that the color change all starts with photosynthesis. Leaves constantly churn out chlorophyll — a key component in a plant's ability to turn sunlight into the glucose it needs to stay healthy — from spring through early fall. Those cells saturate the leaves, making them appear green to the human eye.

But leaves aren't green at all. Autumn is the time for leaves' big reveal: their true color, unveiled as chlorophyll production grinds to a halt. The colors in fall's breathtaking tapestry are influenced by other compounds, according to the national park's website.

For example, beta-carotenes reflect the yellow and red light from the sun and give leaves an orange hue. The production of anthocyanin, which gives leaves their vivid red color, ramps up in the fall, protecting and prolonging the leaf's life on a tree throughout autumn.

And those yellows that make you feel as if you're walking in a ray of sunshine?

They're produced by flavonol, which is part of the flavonoid protein family. It's always present in leaves, but doesn't show itself until chlorophyll production begins to slow.

Photo by Patch Editor Beth Dalbey