Fall foliage at Shenandoah National Park. Photo by M. Scott Smith.

Fall has arrived, and before the trees shed their leaves, the landscape will become a vibrant palette of beautiful reds, oranges, and golden yellows.

Leaves are already beginning to change color at higher elevations such as Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park. Trees are expected to peak at Shenandoah between October 5-25. Shenandoah, known for its excellent fall foliage display, attracts the bulk of its annual visitors during the month of October. Shenandoah’s mountaintop Skyline Drive, traversing the entire length of the park, affords excellent views.

The following resources should be useful for those hunting for the perfect fall foliage:

Fall Foliage Resources

WWBT: Fall Foliage: Where and When - WWBT’s 12 News Online web site provides updates on Virginia’s fall foliage, and links to resources for Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. You’ll also find a list of fall foliage telephone hotlines for states up and down the eastern seaboard.

The Weather Channel: Fall Foliage - The Weather Channel is tracking fall foliage nationwide, with regular updates and maps that track the change in color throughout the country.

Guide to Fall Foliage in Maryland - The State of Maryland is providing regular fall color updates.

Fall in PA - A special web site is devoted exclusively to covering the changing colors in Pennsylvania. The site even has 6 live web cams so you can check progress in eal-time.