Help with Fall colors

Is the last week of Oct.- first week in Nov. too late to see the Fall colors in Acadia National Park and coast of Maine? My other alternative is the first 2 weeks in Oct. Which would be better as far as colors, crowds, motel prices, weather, etc?

Many thanks.

Help with Fall colors

Fall foliage is usually at peak color around October 12 in Acadia National Park and also along the coast of Maine. The Columbus Day/Canadian Thanksgiving weekend is big here. That will be October 10, 11, and 12 this year. The best time to come would probably be on October 13. Most everything will still be open. The weather will be pleasant days and cool nights. There should be plenty of color left. Some lodging places drop their prices a bit after Columbus Day and the leaf-peeping crowds thin a bit. You might still be alright during the last week of October but that%26#39;s the week it often turns cold and rainy. The first week of November would be too late on all counts.

Help with Fall colors

I go to Acadia every year. I have been there for Fall Colors. Everything closes down right after Columbus Day. While you may get a deal after that - it%26#39;s because no one is around, shops are closed etc...

The first two weeks of October are great. Don%26#39;t go after that...

Well, they won%26#39;t exactly roll up the sidewalks on 13 October. It is true that the Columbus Day weekend is the last big weekend of the year. However, the fall color lasts for a couple of weeks longer. Some restaurants and shops may close that earlier (or go to shorter hours),the Island Explorer shuttle system closes for the season, the boat tours shut down or go to a weekend schedule, and the lobster pounds close.

Most lodging establishments remain open as do most restaurants and shops.

Check http://www.sleepbarharbor.com and look at the availability pages--that will give you a clue as to how much stays open, as well as room prices at B%26amp;Bs.

Hi Seattle!

You will definitely be happier with the fall colors in the first two weeks of October. By the last week of the month, all the best leaves will have fallen. Most hardwood trees will by bare by November 1.

In eastern coastal Maine, the leaves start to significantly change in the last week of September. In the first two weeks of October, you%26#39;ll find a pleasing medley of reds, oranges and trees that are still green.

At the beginning of the third week of October the reds have reached their peak. They%26#39;ll start falling now, and if there%26#39;s a wind storm the leaf drop will accelerate.

Oranges and yellows are at their best at the start of the fourth week. By that time, most reds are gone and the last of the greens have changed over. The oranges and yellows win by default because the branches where reds once stood are bare.

By November 1, most all deciduous foliage has fallen, with two exceptions: oaks usually wait until the first week of November, and indeed some keep their brown, shrivelled leaves all winter.

The other is the tamarack, a conifer, but one that sheds its needles. They turn a dull yellow in the first week of November before falling in the second week of the month. Yellow tamaracks lend a haunting quality to the bare woodlands of early November, a memory of the glory so recently past.

Happy travels, and let me know if I can help further!

David

capetien10@gmail.com

This will be a toss-up based on your priorities. Columbus Day (October 12) is the last hurrah of the season = higher rates, more visitors. Others have reported the color accurately. Rates will drop after Columbus Day week, if not immediately after Columbus Day. The weather should be gorgeous through-out October - cool, crisp, brilliant days, perfect for outdoor activities including a visit to Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse - or Thurston%26#39;s Lobster Pound in Bernard on Bass Harbor, if you are here during Columbus Day week. Mid-October will offer the best of everything. Have a nice vacation.

Thanks guys for the great info. I%26#39;ve got my vacation locked in for the first 2 weeks in Oct. Really looking forward to the great food and scenery!

I have about 8 days vacation time and trying to decide how to spend my days between Fall color sight seeing, shopping and eating.

My tentative itinerary is to fly in and out of Boston on Jet Blue. Drive up on day 1 to Ogunquit for one night. Day 2 drive to Freeport (distance?) for 2 days of shopping. Day 3 drive to Camden for one night (skip this stop?) or drive to Bar Harbor for next 3 nights.

Drive down to Portland for one night then to Boston for one to 2 nights?

Any thoughts.

Thanks to all for your advice.

You won%26#39;t see much fall color until you get near Camden. But that%26#39;s only because you need hills for good viewing. Just to the north of Camden, be sure to drive the road to the top of Mount Battie. Great view. I think Camden could be just a lunch stop on your way up to Bar Harbor, rather than an overnight.

Not sure you need to spend two nights in Freeport. Ogunquit is just two hours from Freeport. Remember LLBean is open 24-hours a day. Azure Cafe is a great place for lunch or dinner in Freeport.