Recommendations for best foliage viewing?

[idahoblackberry]

A friend and I are planning a trip in fall of 2008 on the Empire Builder and Canadian, plus some shorter routes to connect those two legs. We'd like to time the trip to get the best foliage viewing — does anybody have an idea what the best time in September or October would be?

Also, many thanks for all the great reports people have posted. We used those to narrow down our choices for the leg that wasn't the Empire Builder.

 

[rmgreenesq]

Leaf Peeping is big business here in New England, especially in the rural parts of Vermont, New Hampshire, and Western Mass. The local papers and TV news carry meterological and hydrological reports in an effort to try and perdict when the "peak" colors will be visible. This date varies on the weather over the summer and early fall and is usually in early to mid October.

I don't know when the upper midwest and upper Canada will "peak" with color, but I'd suggest lookig at local papers' websites in the daylight areas of your run and see if they have anything on it.

Rick

 

[saxman]

Probably late September or early October is the best time in the upper midwest. Remember North Dakota and Montana aren't exactly filled with trees either. Minnesota might have more.

 

[Rex]

The Cardinal winds through the New River Gorge in WV. Spectacular in the fall.

 

[Gord]

A friend and I are planning a trip in fall of 2008 on the Empire Builder and Canadian, plus some shorter routes to connect those two legs. We'd like to time the trip to get the best foliage viewing — does anybody have an idea what the best time in September or October would be?
Also, many thanks for all the great reports people have posted. We used those to narrow down our choices for the leg that wasn't the Empire Builder.

It varies from year to year but usually toward the end of Sept. in Northern Ontario. By the way, the Agawa Canyon trip north from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario on CN, formerly Algoma Central, is one of the most popular fall colour (sorry Canuck spelling), trips in Canada.

 

[idahoblackberry]

Thanks. I was thinking it was earlier than down here (mid-October), but I wasn't sure how much.