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Foliage Report for October 8, 2008

Southern, Coastal Maine Foliage Nearing Peak Color

AUGUSTA, Maine – The Maine coast and the southern part of the state will have the best foliage viewing during the next week according to the Department of Conservation’s fifth fall foliage report of the season.

Forest rangers are observing high foliage color near 75 percent toward peak along the coastline from Kittery to Penobscot Bay (Zone 1). Color is also high in southern and central locations from Fryeburg to Sebago Lake and the Belgrade Lake region (Zone 3). Color in all of these areas is expected to reach peak during the next seven days, and leaf drop is now moderate, or less than 50 percent.

Peak conditions remain in Millinocket, Houlton and the Lincoln Lake region of northern Penobscot County (northern Zone 4). Leaf drop is moderate in these areas. Grafton Notch State Park, Bethel, Rumford and the Rangeley Lake region (southern Zone 5) also have peak color with high leaf drop between 50 and 70 percent. Foliage in Greenville, Jackman, The Forks (northern Zone 5) and other locations in northern Somerset County and central Piscataquis County has begun to turn past peak and leaf drop is high.

Foliage is still turning along the northern coast between Belfast and Eastport (Zone 2) where the color is now 50 percent toward peak and leaf drop is moderate. The season is winding down in Aroostook County (Zone 6 and 7) beyond Baxter State Park where foliage color is now past peak and locations have high leaf drop.

Visit a family farm surrounded by spectacular foliage this weekend during Open Creamery Day (www.mainecheeseguild.org) on October 12. Or experience fun for the whole family at fall festivals at Sunday River and Sugarloaf ski resorts.

To provide the most accurate foliage information, Department of Conservation rangers will report statewide conditions every Wednesday through Oct. 15. The reports are posted online at www.mainefoliage.com, and visitors to the Web site can sign up to receive the weekly reports by email or RSS feed.

And, submit your best Maine foliage photographs to this site’s Photo Gallery. One image is featured each week, and all submissions are considered for the gallery archive.

For more information about events and activities happening in Maine this fall log onto www.visitmaine.com.

Current Conditions - The Foliage Conditions map on this page is the foliage zone map used by Maine Forest Service Rangers when reporting fall foliage conditions.

Week of October 8, 2008
Zone Number Color Change Leaf Drop
7 Past Peak High
6 Past Peak High
5 (North) Past Peak High
5 (South) Peak High
4 (North) Peak Moderate
4 (South) High Moderate
3 High Moderate
2 Moderate Moderate
1 High Moderate

Foliage Zones

Zone 7: Northeastern Maine, including Fort Kent, Caribou, and Presque Isle

Zone 6: Northwestern Maine

Zone 5: Western Mid-Maine, including Greenville, Rangeley, Bethel

Zone 4: Eastern Mid-Maine, including Houlton, Millinocket, and Calais

Zone 3: Central and Southwestern Maine, including Bangor, Augusta, and Fryeburg

Zone 2: DowneastMaine, including Machias, Bar Harbor, and Penobscot Bay

Zone 1: Mid-Coast and South Coastal Maine, including Camden, Portland, Kennebunkport, and Kittery