2020 Fall Foliage: Leaves Turning In Central, Eastern MD

MARYLAND — In western Maryland, red maples and sugar maples are displaying blazing colors this week, while leaves are changing across the state. Viewing Mother Nature can be a safe way to get out of the house during the coronavirus pandemic, especially since many annual fall festivals have been canceled.

This season’s foliage is showing signs of a vibrant autumn, said the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

The weekly 2020 Maryland Fall Foliage Report issued Oct. 1 said Garrett County in western Maryland is near peak color. Foliage in Garrett, Allegany and Frederick counties is at its midpoint, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

Many counties — including Harford, Baltimore, Anne Arundel, Howard, Montgomery, Prince George's, Kent and Queen Anne's — are beginning to turn.

“Red maples and sugar maples are beginning to pop, especially along roadsides on the ridge tops throughout Garrett County," said Melissa Nash, forester and Garrett project manager, in the report. "Oaks are still a little further behind, as is usually the case. Some of the county will be seeing peak foliage in the next week or two.”

Maples, hickories, birches, and red oaks are displaying bright colors, said Deep Creek Lake State Park, Oakland, Ranger Roy Musselwhite. "While not peak yet, it’s still impressive compared to the past few years.”

The DNR said this is the time to plan a scenic drive west from Cumberland along Route 40 out to Keysers Ridge, then south along 219 through McHenry and Thayerville, in the vicinity of Deep Creek Lake State Park. While in the Oakland area, you might want to break for lunch in Herrington Manor State Park, Swallow Falls State Park, or the Potomac-Garrett State Forest, or continue south toward Backbone Mountain.

From Oakland, turn east along Route 135 and plan an afternoon in Savage River State Forest. Particular points of interest in this area are the Big Run State Park or further north, the Monroe Run Vista off of New Germany Road near New Germany State Park. These spots are guaranteed to delight foliage fanatics over the next several weeks.

After crossing back into Allegany County, turn north on 220 near McCoole, wind through Dans Mountain Wildlife Management Area, and head back toward Cumberland.

Our state offers some stunning vistas, including several in state parks suggested by Visit Maryland:

• The C&O Canal National Historic Park offers numerous hiking options, such as the strenuous Billy Goat Trail for advanced hikers. The trail rewards hikers with vistas of the surging Potomac River flanked by forests bursting with color.
• Elk Neck State Park located on a peninsula between the Chesapeake Bay and the Elk River combines colorful forests with sandy beaches for great viewing. From the Turkey Point parking lot off Route 272 South, it's an easy one-mile walk to the historic 1833 Turkey Point Lighthouse atop a 100-foot bluff at the southern tip of the Elk Neck Peninsula. Climb 35 feet to its top for a spectacular view of the Bay waters and brilliant fall foliage.
• Patapsco Valley State Park, covering 32 miles of the Patapsco River in Howard County, offers great fall foliage views from the comfort of your car if that's a better fit for you. Drive to Valley Overlook in the Hollofield area right off Route 40. From there you can venture into Ellicott City's Main Street, which has shops and restaurants open even as it recovers from fatal August floods.
• In the heart of Baltimore County's horse country, Oregon Ridge Park near Cockeysville has hiking trails that showcase a tree-scape of yellow, orange and red.
• Swallow Falls State Park in Garrett County is located nine miles north of Oakland and contains part of the Youghiogheny River, which flows along the park's borders, passing through shaded rocky gorges and creating rippling rapids, and Muddy Creek Falls, a 53-foot waterfall. The 1 1/4 mile trail through Swallow Falls guides hikers to Western Maryland's breath-taking scenery.
• Other areas to visit close to the Baltimore-Washington metro area: Gwynnbrook Wildlife Management Area in Owings Mills, Baltimore County; Sugar Loaf Mountain Natural Resource Area in southern Frederick County; Seneca Creek State Park just southwest of Gaithersburg; and Dierssen Wildlife Management Area situated between the C&O Canal and the Potomac River in Montgomery County, offering first-rate opportunities for waterfowl watching and quiet interludes for strollers along the Canal Tow Path.

The updated Fall Foliage Prediction Map from SmokyMountains.com provides peak leaf change predictions for the entire continental United States.

In Maryland, the week of Oct. 26 looks good for a trip into the great outdoors.

The major factors that determine the fall foliage peak are sunlight, precipitation, soil moisture and temperature. The map takes in 50,000 predictive data sets, then churns out a county-by-county analysis of when the fall peak will occur, according to SmokyMountains.com co-founder David Angotti, an expert on statistics.