Foliage Reports: October 4, 2006

Coastal Maine foliage getting colorful, central locations nearing peak

Foliage in central Maine towns and cities along the Kennebec River and Penobscot River will be near peak color this weekend, according to the state Department of Conservation's fourth 2006 foliage report.

The western lakes and mountains region should also be a hot spot for travelers, as forest and park rangers there are reporting peak foliage, or 75 to 100 percent color change throughout the tree canopy. Foliage color is now high, or 50 to 75 percent toward peak, in central Maine tracking zones that include Augusta, Newport, Bangor and Route 9 east to Baring. U.S. Route 201 from Augusta north to Skowhegan along the Kennebec River offers beautiful views of the changing colors. An alternate river route in Bangor follows Route 2 north along the Penobscot River to Lincoln.

After staying relatively unchanged for the first three weeks of reporting, the leaves in coastal Hancock and Washington County are showing moderate color, or 30 to 50 percent toward peak. Observers are reporting nice color in the Blue Hill area and along the Schoodic Peninsula, two day trip options for visitors to Mount Desert Island. The remainder of Maine's coastline also has moderate leaf color, with areas like Brunswick, Richmond and Wiscasset showing the best and brightest hues.

Continued fair weather across the state has kept leaf drop at normal levels and all regions with the exception of the coastline still have 50 percent or more leaves on the tree canopy. That means there is still plenty of time to catch Maine's foliage in all its glory. If you have a question about your upcoming leaf-peeping trip or want to share about foliage you have seen, be sure to post a comment on the Foliage Forum page of this site.

Visitors to the site can sign up to receive weekly foliage reports by e-mail. The site also offers a Live Help feature with Department of Conservation staff on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. EST beginning September 18.

Updated reports can also be obtained by calling the Maine foliage hotline at 1-888-MAINE-45. Learn more about Maines fall touring routes and outdoor activities at www.visitmaine.com.

Press contact: Kevin Gove, Nancy Marshall Communications, Email: kgove@marshallpr.com, Phone: (207) 623-4177.

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. See Also: Description of Zones

Week of October 4, 2006

Zone Number	Color Change	Leaf Drop
7	Past Peak	Moderate
6	Past Peak	Moderate
5	Peak	Moderate
4	High	Moderate
3	High	Moderate
2	Moderate	Low
1	Moderate	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