EDITORS NOTE: This is the last in a series of fall color updates highlighting some of the best places and ways to enjoy Ohio's fall foliage. It's been a very successful and colorful season. The Fall Color report will be back in September 2002!
COLUMBUS, OH -- Fall's vibrant golds, reds and yellows are fading fast from Ohio's rural landscapes. But there's still plenty of good fall color to experience along woodland trails and urban walkways- especially in the southern part of the state, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).
Fall's best colors simply moved from the trees to the forest floor this week, said Bill Schultz, spokesman with ODNR's Division of Forestry. But that doesn't mean the fall color viewing season has come to an end. Hikers, walkers and horsemen will continue to discover good fall color right at their feet.
A forecast of warm temperatures will make this weekend an ideal time for a hike through a nearby park or nature area. Urban residents will be especially pleased to find colors holding in many community parks, Schultz noted.
ODNR facilities in all areas of the state are reporting "leaf drop" this week. Zaleski State Forest, Lake Hope State Park, Paint Creek State Park and Shawnee State Forest and State Park are the exceptions, with some color still visible.
Fall activities continue at Kent Bog State Nature Preserve in Portage County with the annual Tamaracks Ablaze hike at 2 p.m. on Saturday, November 3.
Weekly updates on the best fall color viewing locations across the state are available by calling 1-800-BUCKEYE. Users can also find fall color information on the Internet at www.dnr.state.oh.us
Ohio's 73 state parks, 20 state forests and 123 state nature preserves provide excellent locations to sample fall foliage. Here are the most current reports from selected locations:
CENTRAL
Alum Creek State Park (Delaware County) Leaf Drop
Mount Gilead State Park (Morrow County) Leaf Drop
Blackhand Gorge State Nature Preserve (Licking County) Leaf Drop
NORTHEAST
Punderson State Park (Geauga County) Leaf Drop
Mohican State Park and State Forest (Ashland County) Leaf Drop
Findley State Park (Lorain County) Leaf Drop
Malabar Farm State Park (Richland County) Leaf Drop
Hach-Otis State Nature Preserve (Lake County) Leaf Drop
EAST
Guilford Lake State Park (Columbiana County) Leaf Drop
Blue Rock State Park and State Forest (Muskingum County) Leaf Drop
Fernwood State Forest (Jefferson County) Leaf Drop
Beaver Creek State Park (Columbiana County) Leaf Drop
Harrison State Forest (Harrison County) Leaf Drop
Salt Fork State Park (Guernsey County) Leaf Drop
SOUTHEAST
Lake Hope State Park (Vinton County) Fading
Hocking Hills State Park and State Forest (Hocking County) Leaf Drop
Jackson Lake State Park (Jackson County) Leaf Drop
Burr Oak State Park (Morgan County) Leaf Drop
Tar Hollow State Forest (Ross County) Leaf Drop
Zaleski State Forest (Vinton County) Fading
SOUTHWEST
Shawnee State Park and State Forest (Scioto County) Fading
Hueston Woods State Park and State Nature Preserve (Preble County) Leaf Drop
Paint Creek State Park (Ross County) Fading
Caesar Creek State Park and State Nature Preserve (Warren County)Leaf Drop
Little Miami State Park (Warren County) Leaf Drop
WEST
Kiser Lake State Park (Champaign County) Leaf Drop
J. Bryan State Park/Clifton Gorge Nature Preserve (Greene County) Leaf Drop
Indian Lake State Park (Logan County) Leaf Drop
NORTHWEST
Van Buren State Park (Hancock County) Leaf Drop
Maumee State Forest (Fulton County) Leaf Drop
Harrison Lake State Park (Fulton County) Leaf Drop
COLOR CONDITION KEY: GREEN - Still mostly green. FAIR - Beginning to turn colors. NEAR PEAK - Mostly colored. PEAK - Peak colors. FADING - Mostly colored, but fading from peak conditions. LEAF DROP - Few leaves on trees. Note that reported conditions are subject to rapid change with wind or rain.
For Further Information Contact:
Bill Schultz, ODNR Division of Forestry
(614) 265-6704
-or-
Jane Beathard, ODNR Media Relations
(614) 265-6860