Ohio Fall Foliage 2006
Northern Ohio Driving Tours
Fall foliage peaks in northern Ohio during the first two weeks of October. Lake Erie's waters are a brilliant shade of blue, which makes the leaves seem even brighter in their autumnal glory. Follow one of these handy itineraries for a hassle-free driving tour.
Cuyahoga Valley Fall Foliage Driving Tour - 31 miles
The Cuyahoga Valley is one of the state's most beautiful and accessible natural areas. Traveling along Route 303, start in Hinckley. The parkland and wild areas are ablaze with full color. To the east is the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, one of the most popular national parks in the nation due to its stunning gorges, shale formations and massive tracts of deciduous forests, all within a few minutes drive of downtown Cleveland and Akron. Biking, hiking and bird watching are all popular activities here. Next is the 200-year-old town of Hudson. With its newly developed yet historically minded new upscale shopping district, Hudson is sure to delight antiquers and boutiquers. Farther east, fields of corn and potatoes are waiting to be harvested, offset by the blazes of red and yellow foliage field borders.
Fields and Forests Fall Foliage Driving Tour - 53 miles
Route 250 takes drivers through some of the states most varied landscapes. Starting in Wooster, steep hills and rushing rivulets abound. An herb farm, Amish furniture shops and bookstores await your discovery in and around this quaint town. Take Route 250 west, and you'll come upon freshly harvested fields, dotted with red maple leaves. Travel through the city of Ashland, where you'll see Amish women selling pies and baskets from the roadside. As you make your way northwest, youll see the landscape shift from more rugged terrain to softly rolling wooded hills. Following the path of the Vermillion River for a stretch, an explosion of fall color is in store. Arriving in Norwalk, the Maple City, youll be delighted by its fanciful turn-of-the-century brick architecture and astounded by the rows of stately maple trees lining the streets, planted by the city's founder in the 1830s.
Lakeside Fall Foliage Driving Tour - 54 miles
The drive between Bowling Green and Marblehead shows just how much Ohio's landscape can change with an hour's drive. Starting in the heart of the state's Corn Belt (just in time for the harvest), Bowling Green is a college town with great examples of Victorian and Italianate architecture. Traveling along the path of the Portage River, the plains begin to melt into softly rolling wooded hills. Make sure to stop at the Schedel Arboretum in Elmore, which will be at the peak of its fall finery. Heading out onto the promontory of the Marblehead Peninsula, the landscape becomes even more densely forested, with stone escarpments attesting to the power of the glaciers that formed this plinth of land thousands of years ago. The Lake Erie Islands are visible from the mainland at Marblehead, set like rubies and citrines in the raiment of Lake Erie's deep blue waters. Climb the Marblehead Lighthouse, the oldest in operation on the Great Lakes, for an unparalleled vista.
Maumee River Fall Foliage Driving Tour - 50 miles
The terrain changes in northwest Ohio where miles of wide-open flat land melt into the horizon, making it easy to view the splashes of sun-kissed leaves as you drive west along Route and Route 24. Historic Perrysburg's downtown, located south of Route 65, has colorful storefronts and specialty shops that are just as vibrant as the fall foliage. If you'd rather let someone else do the driving, you'll find The Volunteer canal boat docked on the Maumee River near the intersection of Route 24 and Route 578 in Grand Rapids. Enjoy a leisurely ride and a spectacular view of the Miami & Erie Canal. In Defiance, AuGlaize Village has 40 acres of historic buildings, including a small-town barbershop, log cabins and several museums, located a few miles south of Route 24. Each October the village features a Johnny Appleseed Festival, complete with homemade caramel corn and molasses.
Portage Path Fall Foliage Driving Tour - 67 miles
Among the rolling hills of eastern Ohio, the brilliant fall colors are enhanced by spectacular blue skies, tidy hamlets at road crossings and sparkling lakes. Starting at one of the state's natural wonders, Nelson Kennedy Ledges State Park is a stunning outcropping of sandstone formations, creating intimate niches and miniature canyons where clumps of trees grow hidden from casual view. Finding these pockets of fall color among jumbles of rock is a rewarding experience. From there, head southwest on Route 88 into Ravenna. This town is filled with antique shops and historic architecture. From Ravenna, travel south on Route 44 to Louisville. Louisville was once a center for the railroad industry, and its downtown's historic charm is still evident. Take Route 153 east out of Louisville through wheat fields and horse pastures. Turn south at Route 163 and travel to Minerva, another quaint turn-of-the-century downtown. Taking Route 43 out of Malvern, the land starts rising into the Appalachian foothills. The blaze of fall color is spectacular around Carrollton. Stop at the farmers market on Saturdays for a taste of nature's bounty.
Western Reserve Fall Foliage Driving Tour - 56 miles
Among the rolling hills along Lake Erie's shore, the roads of northeast Ohio are lined with trees displaying an astonishing spectrum of colors. Starting at Holden Arboretum, one of the nation's largest horticultural centers, visitors will be delighted by ancient and new specimens of trees, ranging from oaks and maples to hawthorn and crabapple, each variety displaying a slightly different hue. Travel along Route 44 to the quaint town of Chardon, where antique shops and white picket fences remind visitors of simpler times. Turn east on Route 87 and enter Burton, another historic Western Reserve town, with a log cabin where maple syrup is made on the town square, Victorian homes and historic Century Village. Heading farther east, Middlefield and Mesopotamia are home to a thriving Amish community. Watch as they clip-clop by in their buggies and harvest crops from their fertile fields. At Mesopotamia, turn north onto Route 534, ending your trip with a sip of wine at Ferrante Winery in Harpersfield.