Fall in Northeast Ohio can feel like a forgotten season, especially when sandwiched between the sweltering, smoky summer months and the brutally cold and snowy winters. But fall offers Ohioans an opportunity to see scenery that the other seasons could only dream of.
The vibrant reds, oranges and yellows that the trees put on display as the days get shorter and cooler make for some of the best sightseeing of the year. Nora Sindelar, a naturalist with Geauga Park District, explained the science behind why the leaves change colors.
“As (the trees) are getting ready to lose their leaves, the green chlorophyll that produces food in the leaves breaks down,” Sindelar said. “That is broken down and underneath, you see the orange, yellow and brown pigments.”
Sindelar explained that those orange and yellow pigments are called carotenoids, while the browns are from pigments called tannins. Those pigments are present over the course of the whole year, but are hidden by the green pigments throughout the spring and summer months. She added that the reds are caused by anthocyanin pigments, which are produced in the fall from sugars.
The weather is the biggest factor that determines the color quality and length of the season, according to Sindelar.
“A dry fall can cause the colors to turn more quickly. We had that last year,” Sindelar said. “The lack of moisture causes the trees to stop producing chlorophyll more abruptly, so that is why they change quickly.”
Rebecca Jones-Macko, a park ranger with Cuyahoga Valley National Park, is hopeful that the summer rains have done enough to prevent a repeat of 2025.
“Going into that season where the daylight is shortening, we've had… an adequate amount of rain, so that may help us because we haven't had drought conditions,” Jones-Macko said.
Both Sindelar and Jones-Macko said that the colors will peak in mid-October and that warmer, sunny days and cooler nights lead to the best, most vibrant colors. When those peak colors arrive, the number of park visitors at CVNP rivals what they see around July 4, Jones-Macko said.
“If Mother Nature decides to play nicely with us and waves the magic wand of color across us all, then we will be seeing 800 to 1,000 people in through the visitor center on the weekends,” Jones-Macko said.
How to avoid the crowds
With droves of tourists and nature enthusiasts flocking to the park, CVNP recommends visiting during non-peak hours and avoiding the most popular spots, like Brandywine Falls, to dodge the crowds.
Since CVNP park parking lots fill up around midday, especially on warmer weekends, CVNP recommends visiting during weekday mornings or later in the day.
CVNP also offers guidance on which areas offer the best views of the colors throughout the park, such as Oak Hill Trail and the Ledges Overlook.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources has a fall foliage map that tracks the colors of the leaves throughout the state. It will receive weekly updates beginning Sept. 25.
Sindelar also offered some recommendations across the Geauga Park District for people who want to take in the sights, including Veterans Legacy Woods, Orchard Hills Park, Troy Wetlands and Headwaters Park.
“Sometimes we don't stop and appreciate it, so it is an awesome thing to experience,” Sindelar said. “There are few places in the world that get that great color change, so even if it's a quick walk in the park or even in your neighborhood ... I would just encourage everybody to really appreciate the beauty of the season this coming fall.”
