Get ready to enjoy nature’s fall color
If leaf watching is a traditional part of your fall outings, it’s time to plan a trip to the Georgia mountains. Oct. 18 through Nov. 8 are the best times to see nature’s color display, according to Kim Coder, a tree health care specialist in the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources.

Coder uses his personal leaf color model based on climate and tree health factors to estimate the peak times for viewing yellow, orange and red leaf color waves.

“This year’s peak for orange coloring is predicted at Nov. 1, so good viewing should be two weeks ahead of this date and one week past it,” said Coder, who suggests mapping out two routes for your leaf-watching trek.

“Take one northbound Georgia highway up and come back on another,” he said. “Once you reach your destination, get up high to see the best color distribution.”

If you don’t have the time or money to travel north, you can still enjoy fall leaf color.

“Because of cool, bright and clear conditions, the colors start at higher altitudes and flow downhill into the valleys headed south,” Coder said.

So, if you can’t get to the mountains, stay where you are and the color will come to you.