Leaf Colors Near Peak In 10 MD Counties, Reach Peak In 2 More: DNR

MARYLAND — Leaves are approaching peak colors across nine Maryland counties plus the city of Baltimore, eight more counties are at the midpoint of their colorful display, and foliage is at peak brilliance this weekend in Allegany and Washington counties, a state report said.

From Charles County to Kent and Dorchester counties, leaf color is at its midpoint, with only Wicomico, Worcestesr and Somerset counties just beginning to see the tones change, according to the fall foliage report from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

"The majority of our state is resplendent in fall color right now, with most of Maryland’s counties experiencing peak or near-peak conditions," the DNR report said. "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."

A drive to Carroll, Frederick or Washington counties will be worth the gas money. The trees are giving leaf peepers a 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.

Patapsco Valley State Park

The conditions are near-peak at Patapsco Valley State Park, and this Sunday visitors can enjoy a guided fall color hHike through the park. Contact patapsco.statepark@maryland.gov to register.

Southern Maryland

For showy foliage combined with great water views, Southern Maryland’s state parks are a great choice for visitors, the DNR said. 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 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.

Eastern Maryland

The Eastern Shore is a mixed bag of color. The landscape is largely green due to the pine trees that dominate, but patches of color are definitely showing, the DNR said. The pattern is generally more color north and west. So, the closer you get to Ocean City, the less color you’ll see.

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.

As color begins to sweep Maryland, the 2022 Fall Foliage Prediction Map is a great tool to start planning leaf peeping tours instate and in neighboring states, too.

In Maryland, late October looks good for a fall leaf viewing trip.

David Angotti, an expert on statistics who lives in Tennessee, was in the property management business in 2013 when he created the first Fall Foliage Prediction Map for SmokyMountains.com to help visitors plan their vacations when autumn leaves are the most brilliant.

The backbone of the map is meteorology — temperature, moisture, sunlight and precipitation — but it incorporates historical and forecast data, including National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration precipitation forecasts, elevation, actual temperatures, temperature forecasts and average daylight exposure to develop each county’s fall baseline date.

For the second year, the map creators included the top places to see fall leaves in Maryland to help you plan leaf peering trips. Among them:

• Patapsco Valley State Park stretches 32 miles along the Patapsco River in Baltimore and Howard counties and offers some of the best autumn scenery in Maryland
• 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.
• Oregon Ridge Park near Cockeysville has hiking trails that showcase a tree-scape of yellow, orange and red.
• 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.

Once Angotti created the map for visitors to the Smokies, they then wanted to know about peak leaf peering times in other parts of Tennessee, so he decided to collect data for the entire country.

Map courtesy of SmokyMountains.com

To use the map, simply slide the scale to the right to see when leaves will peak in your state. Zero in on your county, and you'll be able to decide whether it's best to plan a northern, southern, eastern or western route.

What Causes The Different Colors

You probably remember from science class that the color change all starts with photosynthesis. Leaves constantly churn out chlorophyll — a key component in a plant’s ability to turn sunlight into the glucose it needs to thrive — from spring through early fall. Those cells saturate the leaves, making them appear green to the human eye.

But leaves aren’t green at all. Autumn is the time for leaves’ big reveal: their true color, unveiled as chlorophyll production grinds to a halt. The colors in fall’s breathtaking tapestry are influenced by other compounds, according to the national park’s website.

Beta-carotene, the same pigment that makes carrots orange, reflects the yellow and red light from the sun and gives leaves an orange hue.

The production of anthocyanin, which gives leaves their vivid red color, ramps up in the fall, protecting and prolonging the leaf’s life on a tree throughout autumn.

And those yellows that make you feel as if you’re walking in a ray of sunshine?

They’re produced by flavonol, which is part of the flavonoid protein family. It’s always present in leaves but doesn’t show itself until chlorophyll production begins to slow.