What causes leaves to change color? Where does the color come from?
Essentially, leaf colors begin to change because chlorophyll — a substance that makes them green — diminishes with shorter days and cooler weather.
As daylight shortens, the growth system in many trees starts to shut down. Tiny cells at the base of each leaf, known as the abscission layer, dry out, chlorophyll dissipates and photosynthesis halts.
The colors that emerge are actually already present in the leaves; these pigments are just masked by the chlorophyll. The yellows of such species as birch, aspen and hickory are caused by carotene, the same pigment that gives color to corn, carrots and egg yolks. The autumn reds and maroons in sugar maples, sumac and other species are from the pigment anthocyanin, formed from sugar compounds found in the leaves.
The acidity or alkalinity of a tree determines its color. Red maples, which are more acidic, turn red; ash trees, being more alkaline, turn to hues of purple.
Source: Chattahoochee Nature Center
It’s that time of year: crisp, cool weather, apple cider, and a dramatic change of scenery.
Every fall, Georgia’s leaves turn shades of yellow, burnt orange, deep magenta, even red.
While the height of the season typically falls sometime between mid-October and mid-November, pinpointing the actual peak is anyone’s guess. It depends on rain and temperature. (Sunny, warm days with cool but not freezing nights make for the best color snap.)
And there are some early indications that the colors may surprise us a bit on the early side this year.
Even in the first half of September, Judy Toppins, spokeswoman for the U.S. Forest Service, Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest, said the bright red berries of dogwood trees were starting to turn reddish-purple. Bits of yellow-gold could be spotted in the forest as muscadine vines and black walnut trees began to turn.
Traditionally, some of the most popular spots for leaf-watching include Amicalola Falls, Black Rock Mountain and Unicoi State Park. But some other lesser known sites (which means smaller crowds) are worth exploring.
Georgia State Parks' 2014 Leaf Watch (georgiastateparks.org/leafwatch) tracks bursts of color throughout the state. The online guide focuses on the changing colors at 15 state parks and offers color updates from park rangers, recommendations for day-hiking trips, calendar listings and availability of lodging for last-minute getaways. Beginning in early October, the site will be updated at least once a week.
But while enjoying the foliage provides a good excuse for a road trip to the North Georgia mountains, the Carolinas or Chattanooga, you can see bits of color in metro Atlanta. Sweetwater Creek State Park in Lithia Springs is about a 30-minute drive from Atlanta. Even inside the Perimeter, you can see the changing of the leaves from the top of Stone Mountain or at Piedmont Park. (They don’t call Atlanta the “city of trees” for nothing.)
As summer turns into autumn, it’s a good time to see nature’s palette change. Here are seven areas to enjoy the turning of the leaves:
Fort Mountain State Park. This park, located between Chatsworth and Ellijay on Fort Mountain and featuring an ancient rock wall that stands on the highest point of the mountain, is known for leaves rich and deep in reds, golds and yellows.
Ga. 52 also offers beautiful mountain scenery and overlooks that are worth stopping for. Hikers and drivers will see the crimson colors of scarlet oak, white oak, black gum and red maple trees. Yellow poplar, white ash and black cherry trees turn vivid yellow.
For the easiest walk, take the 1.2-mile loop around the park’s pretty, green lake. For a challenging, all-day hike, choose the 8-mile Gahuti Trail.
Open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. $5 parking. Fort Mountain State Park, 181 Fort Mountain State Park Road, Chatsworth. 706-422-1932, georgiastateparks.org/fortmountain.
Big Trees Forest Preserve. This is a 30-acre tree, plant and wildlife sanctuary in Sandy Springs. And while you may be able to hear Roswell Road traffic whirring in the distance, walking through this serene forest offers an abundance of color along 1.5 miles of hiking trails winding around two creeks and forests of white oaks, some older than a century.
Open sunrise to sunset daily. No fee. Big Trees Forest Preserve. 7645 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs. 770-673-0111, bigtreesforest.com.
Chattahoochee Nature Center. A sunny day with blue skies forms the perfect backdrop for the rich hues that adorn the maples, birches and oaks that make up the woodlands at the Chattahoochee Nature Center.
This center protects 127 acres of native plants and gardens. There’s a half-mile River Boardwalk, a third of which runs along the river; wetland demonstration gardens; and woodland trails that are home to injured, nonreleasable wildlife. Trails on the center property total just under 4 miles.
Many of the trees are also identified during the center’s guided hikes, and they represent a diverse arboretum of hardwoods. Also along the trail are habitats for rescued and rehabilitated wildlife, including red-tailed hawks, vultures, eagles, owls and a beaver.
10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays, noon-5 p.m. Sundays. Adults, $10. Seniors (65 and older) and students (13-18), $7. Children (3-12), $3. Children 2 and younger, free. Chattahoochee Nature Center, 9135 Willeo Road, Roswell. 770-992-2055, chattnaturecenter.org.
Dahlonega. There's a reason we flock to the Dahlonega area for leaf-watching; it's a given for spectacular fall scenery.
Dahlonega is the heart of Georgia wine country, and home to five wineries, each with its own personality. At each, you can stop, swirl and sip, savoring both the colors and flavors of the area. Dine on a patio or deck overlooking the vineyards and the North Georgia mountains, and toast to a delightful fall harvest with promise of more bottles to come.
Winery hours vary; call or visit each winery’s website to check first. Walk-ins are generally welcome, but you should arrive no less than an hour before closing to enjoy the tasting experience. GPS does not always provide correct directions from street addresses; better to check websites for directions. Tastings at the wineries vary from $2 per glass to $30 for tasting flights.
There's Montaluce's Le Vigne, with its restaurant featuring floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the vineyards and rolling hills full of gorgeous fall color. montaluce.com.
Frogtown Cellars' deck overlooks the rolling hills of the vineyards and the bald rock face of Yonah Mountain, draped in its mantle of fall color. frogtownwine.com.
And the foyer to Wolf Mountain's winery tasting space offers majestic vineyard and mountain views. wolfmountainvineyards.com.
Also, on the drive up to and through Dahlonega wine country — on a loop north of the town — visitors are treated to the full complement of leaf colors, including the dark reds and purples of dogwoods and sourwoods.
For more information on wineries in Dahlonega, go to dahlonega.org/see-do/wineries-a-vineyards.
Historic Banning Mills. For an extreme, bird's-eye views of foliage, come here for zipline and eco canopy tours. Located just 45 minutes west of Atlanta in the Carrollton area, Historic Banning Mills provides miles of high-flying adventures on the zipline canopy course, which takes you over the trees and through the woods.
You will find yourself in the rare position of looking down on leaves that are donning a new fall wardrobe — bright yellow leaves on the hickory oaks, red on the white qaks, and orange and scarlet covers on the dogwoods.
Also, visitors to the adventure park have the chance to experience the newest zipline, the Amazing Flight of the Falcon, where riders are “super-hero style” (face-down), looking directly at the breathtaking views and colors beneath.
Guests who prefer a more up-close and personal experience will enjoy swinging, balancing and stumbling their way from tree to tree on the eco canopy tour, which offers a variety of rope courses.
New are the tree house accommodations that provide a way for guests to stay up and in the trees, surrounded by the foliage.
Zipline and other adventure tour hours vary from day to day. Call for tour reservations. Prices vary from $49 per person for Level 1 tours up to $249 for an all-day rush tour, which includes various tours plus lunch.
Historic Banning Mills, 205 Horseshoe Dam Road, Banning Mills. (Use directions on the website, not GPS.) 770-834-9149, historicbanningmills.com.
Blowing Rock, N.C. If you are up for a road trip to revel in autumn colors, head to Blowing Rock, where you can see rich autumn colors even while strolling along Main Street. While it's tricky to predict fall peaks in this pretty little town at a cool 4,000 foot elevation, you can't go wrong with the middle weeks of October.
With plenty of red and white oak, sassafras and birch, as well as maples trees, this area offers a brilliant show of colors. There are 25 miles of trails in the Cone Estate and they are open to the public for free, as a part of the Blue Ridge Parkway and National Park System. blowingrock.com/bassmosesfall.htm.
Another stunning hike is on the Blue Ridge Parkway at mile marker 302.8, known as the Rough Ridge Overlook, part of the Tanawha Trail. There are spectacular views from this overlook and trail on the back side of Grandfather Mountain, looking into the Pisgah National Forest. nps.gov/blri/planyourvisit/upload/tanawha%20trail.pdf.
Visitors to Blowing Rock in October will find almost daily events and activities, with October highlights including Art in the Park on Oct. 4 and Tweetsie Railroad's monthlong Ghost Train Festival, which gets underway Sept. 26 and runs Friday and Saturday nights through October, finishing on Nov. 1.
The festival includes Ghost Train rides, the Haunted House and the Freaky Forest. tweetsie.com.
For a complete list of events, go to blowingrock.com/eventcalendar.php. For a suggestion of scenic drives, go to blowingrock.com/favoritedrives.htm. And you can find last-minute accommodations and more information at blowingrock.com.
Deepdene Park. If you've driven along Ponce de Leon Avenue between Atlanta and Decatur, you've passed a section of Olmsted Linear Park known as Deepdene Park and probably didn't even realize it.
Deepdene Park is filled with trees of the Southern piedmont forest, perfect for leaf-watching. Trees Atlanta also lists the soaring tulip poplar as one of its many champion trees.
Deepdene was deliberately left undeveloped in original plans by famed landscape designer Frederick Law Olmsted in the late 19th century. Today, a small system of dirt and wood mulch trails winds through the park, stretching 22 acres, and offers lots of fall colors.
Deepdene Park. Open dawn till dusk; no fee. Easternmost section of Olmsted Linear Park, located where East Lake Drive splits off Ponce de Leon Avenue. atlantaolmstedpark.org.
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