Fall’s true colors are shining through
Despite last summer’s hot and dry conditions, the 2012 fall foliage season in southwestern Pennsylvania is as beautiful as ever.
While the mountain region recently reached its peak, the lowlands that include western Fayette County as well as Greene and Washington counties are now in full bloom. That’s what makes the region special.
“We have an extended viewing period because of the topography and the diverse forest,” said Dave Planinsek, forester with the Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry at Forbes State Forest. “Because of the mix in Pennsylvania, we have some of the nicest foliage that rivals any state in the New England. The sugar maple that’s common in New England is also in Pennsylvania and we have the yellow poplar that’s more common in the South. It’s the diversity of the forest that provides a lot of nice viewing areas.”
Read more in Sunday’s feature section.