Maples to aspens, birches to beeches, cherries to sumacs: The Northeast’s world-famous fall-color show is fast approaching its local culmination here in Southern Maine, and you’ll want to lock down your accommodations at the Colonial Inn this month for the best seats in the house!
That’s right: It’s “leaf-peeping” season again, a time of year more than a few of our guests rank as their very favorite on the calendar. Certainly it’s one of ours: You can’t beat the pleasant weather, the harvest-time (and Halloween) ambience, and—of course—the burning, blazing, beautiful hardwood forests at the very apex of their eye-catching glory.
The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry maintains up-to-date reports on the status of fall colors across the state, which you can check out at the official website or via the “Maine Foliage” profiles at Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram (the latter, naturally, a particularly good way to whet your appetite for the visual astonishments that a leaf-peeping safari can deliver).
As is typical, here on the Southern Maine coast we’re expecting peak colors in mid-October, so now’s definitely the time to make your reservations here at the Colonial Inn: You don’t want to miss our local woods in full flight. The spectrum and intensity of hues are just amazing, and pictures ultimately can’t do the fall foliage color wheel complete justice.
Leaf-Peeping In & Around Ogunquit
You can appreciate autumn colors from right here at the Colonial Inn, given Ogunquit’s street trees put on their own seasonal performance. But we highly recommend some leaf-peeping daytrips in the Beautiful Place by the Sea’s backyard.
One of the very best is the Mount Agamenticus Conservation Region a short drive west, which encompasses the namesake peak and—highly relevant for this particularly topic—the most extensive coastal forest block between Acadia National Park and the Pine Barrens of New Jersey. The lovely trails and the summit view will serve up plenty of canopy colors this month.
Another great choice is the Wells Reserve at Laudholm, which harbors some pretty seaside woods and an excellent trail network.
Apple-Picking Time, Too
While you’re out and about, why not indulge in another Southern Maine fall tradition and pick some ripe and delicious apples straight off the bough? The orchards at Spiller Farm, for instance—a family-run enterprise in Wells that’s been going strong since 1894—grow a marvelous variety of apples for your U-Pick pleasure, from McIntosh and Honeycrisp to Gala and Ginger Gold. Spiller Farm’s open nearly every day (weather-depending) from 10 AM to 5 PM.
So come enjoy the very best the New England fall has to offer with an October getaway at the Colonial Inn, with some world-class leaf-peeping at the center of it!