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Foliage Information
Foliage Report for September 23, 2009
Northern Maine Foliage Color Looking Bright
AUGUSTA, Maine – Foliage color in the northern half of Maine is now ranging from 30 to 75 percent toward peak, according to the second fall foliage report from the state Department of Conservation.
Forest rangers in Aroostook County (Zone 6 and 7) and the northern portions of Piscataquis (Zone 6) and Somerset County (Zone 6) are observing high leaf color, or 50 to 75 percent toward peak, and low leaf drop, the report states.
Aroostook State Park Manager Scott Thompson reports that the low lying areas surrounding the park are 50 to 60 percent toward peak, and the ridges of hills and mountains are nearing peak. Thompson expects peak color to develop over the next two weekends if overnight temperatures continue to drop in the Presque Isle area.
Color in northwestern (upper Zone 5) locations like Jackman, Eustis and Greenville, and northeastern (Zone 4) locations like Millinocket and Houlton is now moderate, or 30 to 50 percent toward peak according to the report. Leaf drop in both regions is still less than 10 percent.
Rangers are reporting 10 to 30 percent color change in the western mountains region (lower Zone 5) from Bethel to Rangeley, central locations (Zone 3) from Augusta to Bangor, and the downeast coast (Zone 2) from Belfast to Eastport. Leaf drop is less than 10 percent in these regions.
Foliage along the southern coast (Zone 1) is still very low, or less than 10 percent toward peak, according to the report.
The Department of Conservation also announced that Aroostook State Park will host the first in a series of state park guided foliage hikes on Sunday, September 26. For information about the hike and to register, visit the Take It Outside website.
Maine's fall foliage conditions will be updated each Wednesday through October 21 on this Web site. Be sure to sign up to receive the weekly reports by email and post comments about your Maine foliage adventures on the Foliage Forum page.
For more information about events and activities happening in Maine this fall log onto 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.
| Zone Number | Color Change | Leaf Drop |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | High | Low |
| 6 | High | Low |
| 5 (North) | Moderate | Very Low |
| 5 (South) | Low | Very Low |
| 4 | Moderate | Very Low |
| 3 | Low | Very Low |
| 2 | Low | Very Low |
| 1 | Very Low | Very Low |
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
