OHIO FALL COLOR UPDATE #4
AUTUMN COLORS NOW PEAK OR NEAR PEAK ACROSS OHIO

EDITORS NOTE: This is the fourth in a series of Fall Color updates highlighting some of the best locations to enjoy Ohio's fall foliage. Updated reports are available from ODNR each Thursday through early November.

COLUMBUS, OH – Ohio’s woodlands are at peak or near peak color this week, with the northern two-thirds of the state generally reporting peak conditions and the southern one-third near peak.

“This is likely to be the last really good Fall Color touring weekend for most of the state,” said Casey Munchel, Fall Color forester for the ODNR Division of Forestry. “If the current rainy conditions continue, the color will move from the landscape to the forest floor as leaves begin to drop from the trees.”

On Saturday, October 27, Ohio’s state parks, forests and nature preserves offer some of the best Fall Color viewing in the state, along with seasonal activities for the whole family. Here are a few of those planned:

• Lake Hope State Park in Vinton County will host the annual ROAR (Rural Ohio Appalachia Revisited) Day. Festivities begin at 9 a.m. at the shelterhouse.
• Pike Lake State Park in Pike County will host its annual Buckeye Trail Hike, beginning at 8 a.m.
• Findley State Park in Lorain County will hold a venison chili cook-off.
• Malabar Farm State Park in Richland County will again be the site of hayrides, moonlight tours and a barn dance.
• Disc golf enthusiasts will gather at Great Seal State Park in Ross County for the fourth annual Great Seal Scream on Saturday. Registration for the 18-hole event begins at 8:30 a.m.

Halloween campouts are also scheduled for Lake Alma State Park in Vinton County, Hocking Hills State Park in Hocking County, Dillon State Park in Muskingum County, East Fork State Park in Clermont County and Deer Creek State Park in Pickaway County.

To help Ohioans and out-of-state visitors make the most of this popular outdoor season, weekly updates are available from the best Fall Color viewing locations across the state by calling 1-800-BUCKEYE. Users can also find Fall Color information on the Internet at ohiodnr.com and at discoverohio.com .

Ohio's 74 state parks, 20 state forests and 131 state nature preserves provide excellent locations to sample the fall foliage. Here are the most current reports from selected locations: