COLUMBUS, OH -- Fall color will be at its best across northern Ohio this weekend, with most of the central and southern counties reporting “near peak” conditions, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).
"Fall colors are really starting to come on beautifully in northern and central Ohio," said Bill Schultz, fall color spokesman for the ODNR Division of Forestry. "Maples in the rural and urban areas are especially brilliant and they should last for a while - despite this week’s rain."
Schultz noted there is still a lot of green showing in southern Ohio, but that should change rapidly in the coming week.
"This weekend should be a great time to get out and see the colors," he concluded.
The Forest Heritage Festival at the Tuscarawas County Fairgrounds in Dover will present one way to see fall color and learn about the history of Ohio’s forestry industry at the same time. Activities begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday and run until 5 p.m. each day. They include lumberjack demonstrations, forestry displays and a variety of food concessions. An auction of wood products and Amish quilts will begin at noon on Saturday. All proceeds will benefit Akron's Children's Hospital.
Special fall color hikes are also scheduled this weekend for the following: Shawnee State Park in Scioto County (9 a.m. Saturday), Lake Hope State Park in Vinton County (10 a.m. Saturday), Hocking Hills State Park in Hocking County (1 p.m. Saturday), Sycamore State Park in Montgomery County (1 p.m. Sunday) and Beaver Creek State Park in Columbiana County (1 p.m. Sunday).
Beaver Creek will also host a pancake breakfast from 8 a.m. until noon on Sunday, just prior to the Canal Walk. Maumee Bay State Park in Lucas County will be the site of a Haunted Halloween Boardwalk on Saturday and Sunday, and Hueston Woods State Park in Preble County will sponsor a Mini-Halloween Festival on both days. Mary Jane Thurston State Park in Wood County will host a fall color canoe float at 2 p.m. on Saturday. Quail Hollow State Park in Stark County will hold its annual Bird Seed Sale from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, while Headlands Beach State Park in Lake County will host a Fall Festival from 7 to 10 p.m. the same day.
To help Ohioans and out-of-state visitors make the most of this popular outdoor season, weekly updates are available from the best fall color viewing locations across the state by calling 1-800-BUCKEYE. Users can also find fall color information on the Internet at ohiodnr.com .
Ohio's 74 state parks, 20 state forests and 128 state nature preserves provide excellent locations to sample the fall foliage. Here are the most current reports from selected locations: