Highlighting some of the world’s most beautiful and diverse fall foliage, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources again is making its experts available to serve as regional advisers, offering tips and resources to help residents and visitors experience a colorful autumn in a variety of ways across the Commonwealth.

Fall Foliage Reports/Best Spots

Beginning September 29, weekly fall foliage reports can be found on the DCNR website.

The report will be updated every Thursday. Fall foliage typically peaks for several weeks throughout October across Pennsylvania.

Visitors can get suggestions about the best spots to view fall foliage on the interactive Penn’s Woods Fall Foliage StoryMap and on the Pennsylvania Tourism Office website.

“Each year we are blessed with the opportunity to view some of the world’s most beautiful fall foliage here in the Commonwealth,” DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn said. “It is important to remember that Pennsylvania is a large state with more than 130 native tree species. This gives residents and tourists plentiful opportunities to see a wide array of colors, ensuring every autumn.”

Dunn encouraged foliage viewers to check out one of DCNR’s 121 state parks and more than 2.2 million acres of state forestland for some of the best views, recreation trails and park experiences.

State foresters and park personnel are also available to recommend the best times and locations to experience the beautiful vistas of the season.

Pennsylvania also boasts an abundance of great festivals, pick-your-own farms, and unrivaled haunted attractions that make the state the obvious choice for autumn, to pair with fall foliage viewing.

These tourist activities help fuel Pennsylvania’s economy, with approximately 200 million travelers injecting about $45 billion into Pennsylvania’s economy.

Tourism generates more than $5 billion in tax revenues and is responsible for more than 500,000 jobs related to or benefiting from tourism.

“From the breathtaking shores of Lake Erie to the splendor of the southeast, our foliage season provides endless opportunities for those ‘wow’ moments,” said Carrie Fischer Lepore, Deputy Secretary for Marketing, Tourism and Film for the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED). “Plus, one can pack up the car and venture to a great fall festival while taking in the dynamic colors along the way.”

Regional Forestry Experts

Click Here for a list of regional forestry experts that can discuss the physiology of fall foliage color.

For fall-inspired festivals and experiences, go to visitPA.com or follow Visit PA on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. Pursue your happiness and join the conversation using the hashtag #FallinPA.

Visit Explore PA Trails and Get Outdoors PA for recreation areas near you.

For more information on state parks and forests and recreation in Pennsylvania, visit DCNR’s website, Visit the Good Natured DCNR Blog,  Click Here for upcoming events, Click Here to hook up with DCNR on other social media-- Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr.

NewsClips:

-- TribLive - Mary Ann Thomas: Experts Pick Best Places To See Fall Foliage In Southwestern PA

-- Citizens Voice: Fall Foliage Expected To Be Huge Attraction In NE PA

-- Republican Herald: Drought Means Schuylkill County Fall Foliage Will Be Shorter, Not As Bright, Experts Say

-- PennLive - Marcus Schneck: Elk-Watching ‘Spectacle’ In PA Accessible Via Scenic Driver, Live Stream

-- TribLive: Flight 93 Site, Laurel Hill State Park, Forbes State Forest Seek Volunteers To Help With Projects

Related Articles:

-- WeConservePA: DCNR Posts 3 Videos To Help Applicants Apply For Conservation Grants, Including Special Fall Grant Round, Watershed Forestry Grants  [PaEN]

-- DCNR Blog: Be Part Of A Citizen Science Project To Help Track Bird Migration During The Fall Migration Round-Up In State Parks  [PaEN]

-- PA Natural Heritage Program Summer Wild Heritage News: New Interest In Old Forests; Mapping Climate Refugia In PA; Join Tree-Of-Heaven Citizen Science Project  [PaEN]

-- DCNR Conservation & Natural Resources Council Meets Sept. 28 To Hear Updates On 3 New State Parks, Utility-Scale Solar Facility Guidance, Trails Program  [PaEN]

-- Keystone Trails Association Holds Fall Hiking Weekend Oct. 14-16 In Lewisburg, Union County Featuring Mega Trail Hiker Heather Anderson  [PaEN]

-- PA Water Trails Program Announces Newest Trail: The Perkiomen Creek Water Trail, Montgomery County  [PaEN]

-- DCNR Announces All Electricity Used By Agency Will Come From Renewable Sources By 2030  [PaEN]

[Posted: September 22, 2022]

9/26/2022