Check out the 2017 Maine Foliage Report!

2017 Maine Foliage

Fall is here in Maine and what better time to grab your camera and explore the wild, scenic beauty of the state!  This is a great time of year to go hiking, camping, paddling, biking or take a road trip and enjoy the colorful scenery as the leaves change across the state.  Visit this page to stay up to date and know where to go for incredible colorful views as the leaves change this season.

Fall in Maine: Step Falls near Grafton Notch.
Step Falls in Newry, near Grafton Notch.  One of my favorite hikes in the fall for incredible foliage pictures.

Current Foliage Conditions

Mt Katahdin scenic lookout interstate 95.
View of Mt Katahdin from the I-95 scenic lookout October 18th, 2017.

Week of October 18th:

Northern Maine is now past peak foliage, while the rest of the state is experiencing peak foliage conditions.  Many leaves have dropped this past week as well, although there is still some great color to see.  I took a trip to Houlton on Wednesday this week and had the chance to take some fantastic photos.  A few great places to check out during peak foliage include Coos Canyon in Byron, Height of Land in the Rangeley Lakes Region.  Also, check out the Covered Bridge Roadtrip Challenge where you can visit 6 of Maine’s 9 covered bridges in one day!

October 18th Maine foliage map.
October 18th foliage map.

Week of October 11th:

Four zones are now experiencing peak foliage- zones 4, 5, 6 & 7.  The rest of the state is showing moderate color change.  Leaf drop is low to moderate throughout the state.  Low leaf drops combined with this unusually warm weather for October make this weekend the perfect opportunity to head outside and explore the state!

One of my favorite places to visit during peak foliage is Step Falls in Newry and Grafton Notch State Park, just a half-mile up the road.  The Greenville (Moosehead Lake) region is also a great place to visit this time of year.  Check out Lily Bay State Park or for an intense hike that rewards you with incredible waterfalls and beauty, try Gulf Hagas!

October 11th Maine foliage map.
October 11th foliage map.

 

 

Week of October 4th:

No major changes in the leaf color since last week, although the Bangor area is starting to see more color.  Northern Maine is expected to reach 70% color over the Columbus Day weekend.  This is a great time of year to visit the Ice Cave in Debsconeag Lake Wilderness Area or Katahdin Stream Falls in Baxter State Park.  The Fish River Scenic Byway also offers a lot of fantastic scenery and views of the fall foliage.

October 4th Maine foliage map.
October 4th foliage map.
Katahdin Stream Falls in Baxter State Park, Maine.
Katahdin Stream Falls, Baxter State Park.

Week of September 27th:

Northern Maine is close to reaching peak color!  High foliage color can be seen in Aroostook County.  Moderate color is showing in the northern areas of the Western and Downeast regions.  This weekend is the perfect time to visit Maine’s northern state parks for incredible views.  See some of the most incredible views and foliage this week- visit one of Maine’s Parks, Public Reserved Lands or Multi-Use Trails.  This is also a fantastic time of year to visit the Abandoned Steam Locomotives in the Northern Maine Woods.

Maine leaf color change map.
September 27th, 2017 foliage map.

Week of September 20th:

More color is beginning to show in Northern Maine.  The rest of the state has now reached low color change.  There are lots of great places to visit as the colors begin to change throughout the state.  Maine’s sixteen Scenic Byways is a great way to explore the state and discover new destinations in between incredible views from roadside stops.

2017 Maine foliage.
September 20th, 2017 foliage map.
Height of Land, Rangeley Lakes National Scenic Byway, Maine.
Height of Land, Rangeley Lakes National Scenic Byway.

Week of September 13th:

Trees around some swamps are beginning to turn in a few parts of the state.  I took a drive to Rangeley earlier this week and noticed swamps were surrounded by beautiful red foliage, but most leaves were still green.  A few trees were beginning to change on mountainsides.  Northern Maine has just started to gain some color but is still low with under 30 percent color change.  In 2016 at this time the entire state was still very green and the leaves didn’t begin to change in Northern Maine until September 28th.  The lack of rain this year appears to be bringing the foliage season earlier than 2016.

2017 Maine foliage map.
September 13th, 2017 foliage map.

 

Take some of the most beautiful photos during the foliage season in Maine.
View from the top of Maiden Cliff in Camden.  This is another incredible hike to view the colorful landscape in fall.

 

For information about past foliage reports visit the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry’s Official Fall Foliage Report website.

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