The majority of our state is resplendent in fall color right now, with most of Maryland’s counties experiencing peak or near-peak conditions. Our resident photographers are capturing the moment, producing these gorgeous shots from Rocky Gap and Greenbrier State Parks and Thurmont, Maryland.
“My favorite color is October.” – Unknown
Rocky Gap State Park, Allegany County – Photo: Lori L.
Greenbrier State Park, Washington County – Photo: Emily H.
Roddy Road Covered Bridge, Frederick County – Brenda B.
For a great day trip check out the Maryland Covered Bridge Driving Tour
Don’t forget your camera this weekend. Send in photos of your fall Maryland adventures and we may use them in next week’s report.
Do you know someone who loves fall as much as you do? Have them sign up to receive our Fall Foliage Report every week, delivered directly to their inbox.
Do you know someone who loves fall as much as you do? Have them sign up to receive our Fall Foliage Report every week, delivered directly to their inbox.
Now is a great time to visit the Catoctin Mountains! Known as one of the top fall foliage destinations in Maryland, the Catoctin boast sweeping landscapes of honey-yellows, ruby reds, and oranges that can be seen for miles at Gambrill and Cunningham Falls state parks.
The rich colors of fall leaves are all around us at Fort Frederick State Park, wonderful shades of yellow, red and chestnut provide visitors with a perfect backdrop to the park’s centerpiece – the only stone fort built by a colony during the French and Indian War.
Bob Study, State Park Ranger Supervisor, Fort Frederick State Park Complex
Bob Study, State Park Ranger Supervisor, Fort Frederick State Park Complex
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Photos: Bob Study |
A drive to Carroll, Frederick or Washington counties will be worth the gas money. The trees are giving leaf peepers a memorable show with lush displays of gold, amber, burgundy, and red. Visitors to South Mountain State Park can walk in the footsteps of the Civil War soldiers who fought at the 1862 Battle of South Mountain, climb to breathtaking fall foliage views, and experience the solitude of nature.
Patapsco Valley State Park
The conditions are near-peak at Patapsco Valley State Park, and this Sunday visitors can enjoy a guided Fall Color Hike through the park. Contact patapsco.statepark@maryland.gov to register.
Ranger Alyssa Myers, Park Service Supervisor, Patapsco Valley State Park
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Photos: Alyssa Myers and Felicia Baker |
For colorful fall foliage combined with some of the best water views in the state, Southern Maryland’s state parks are a great choice for visitors. In Calvert Cliffs State Park, 1,079 acres are preserved for hiking and nature appreciation, with 13 miles of marked foot trails open to the public.
Poplars, gums, maple, and hickories in Calvert and Prince George’s counties are beginning to don their fall colors, and the brilliant shades of orange, yellow, and red should only improve in the next week or so. In Anne Arundel County the maples and gum trees are first to the fall stage, with the oaks still mostly green in the overhead canopies. Brian Stupak and Cristina Val Perez, Maryland Forest Service
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Photos: Cristina Perez
Helen Avalynne Tawes Garden, Annapolis
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Photos: Annalise Kenney |
The Eastern Shore is a mixed bag of color right now. The landscape is largely green due to the pine trees that dominate, but patches of color are definitely showing. The pattern is generally more color north and west. So, the closer you get to Ocean City, the less color you’ll see. The real show begins here in the upcoming weeks, and leaf peepers who want to extend their fall foliage season should plan a visit to Tuckahoe State Park. The park offers 20 miles of scenic hiking, biking and equestrian trails, flat water canoeing, hunting, picnicking, and even a recycled tire playground for the little ones.
Black Walnut Point Natural Resource Management Area in Talbot County
Photo Submissions for the Week
We’d like to thank all of the folks that continue to send in photos of fall scenes from across the state. Through your reports and photos we receive first-hand accounts of our fall transition in Maryland. Please send us your fall foliage photos, including the names of any tree species you spot, using our easy online form!
Sugarloaf Mountain, Frederick County – Photo: James D. | 
Greenbrier State Park, Washington County Photo: Emily H. | 
Wolf Rock, Frederick County – James D. |
Sugarloaf Mountain, Frederick County – James D. | 
Fair Hill NRMA, Cecil County – Eric W. | 
Wolf Rock, Frederick County – James D. |
Gambrill State Park, Frederick County – Photo: Jacqueline R. | 
Bohemia River State Park, Cecil County – Photo: ShinAe G. |
Columbia, Howard County Photo: Vanessa H. | 
Cedarville State Forest, Prince George’s County – Photo: Gabrielle E. | 
Brendan Iribe Center for Computer Science and Engineering-University of Maryland Photo: Kazi Tasnim Z. |
Adelphi, Prince George’s County – Photo: Manas B. | 
Paint Branch Trail, College Park, Montgomery County – Photo: Manas B. | 
College Park, Prince George’s County – Photo: Manas B. |
Paint Branch Trail, College Park, Montgomery County – Photo: Manas B. | 
Paint Branch Trail, College Park, Montgomery County – Photo: Manas B. | 
Paint Branch Trail, College Park, Montgomery County – Photo: Manas B. |
Seneca Creek State Park, Montgomery County – Photo: Vali S.
University of Maryland, College Park – Musavvir M.
University of Maryland, College Park – Musavvir M.
Catoctin Mountain Orchard, Route 15 – Photo: Brenda B.
Centennial Park, Ellicott City, Howard County – Photo: Holly G.
Liberty Reservoir, Baltimore/Carroll Counties – Photo: Vali S.
Okay, not a Maryland photo but Vali S. submitted this photo of Old Rag Mountain in Virginia.
We love our neighbors and they have some pretty amazing views too!
Spooky Scavenger Hunt Bring the kids to a Spooky Scavenger Hunt at Seneca Creek State Park, this Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Celebrate Halloween by searching for creepy crawly critters! Stop by the Park Office to pick up a scavenger hunt sheet and see what you can find while exploring the park! Halloween costumes are encouraged, but not required for participation. Blair Witch Heritage Hike 3-5 p.m. at Button Farm Living History Center 16820 Black Rock Road, Germantown Nearly twenty years ago, two young filmmakers made cinema history. “The Blair Witch Project” was a worldwide sensation and is still one of the most profitable movies in Hollywood history. Join Ranger Ledbetter to learn how this horror classic came to be filmed here in Maryland at Seneca Creek State Park and visit actual shooting locations from the film. Hosted in cooperation with Button Farm Living History Center. Visit the Button Farm website for details. $2 per person suggested donation to Friends of Seneca Creek State Park. RSVP recommended to scspnaturalist@gmail.com. Our friends at the Maryland Office of Tourism have put together a great list of places to celebrate the spooky season – ghost tours, haunted mansions, and scary rides, oh my! visitmaryland.org/list/ghost-tours-haunted-attractions |
Ghouls and goblins will be disappointed this year as the moon is in its waning crescent phase and only partially illuminated, meaning no full moon on Halloween. However, with the darkness increasing this time of year, it is a great time for stargazers. The Pleiades, also known as The Seven Sister Stars, is a tightly packed star cluster easily visible to even the most inexperienced of sky watchers. Start by locating the famous constellation Orion, the hunter. Using the three stars in Orion’s belt as your guide, follow it upward past his bow to find the Pleiades. |
