FOLIAGE SMACKDOWN

By BETH J. HARPAZ

Eastern reds vs. Western golds

When it comes to autumn color, New England’s reputation is five-star. So are Westerners blowing it out their cowboy hats when they claim their golden aspens and cottonwoods can go head to head with Northeastern maples and oaks in October?

“I have never heard any New Englander say, ever, ‘I must go to the Rockies to see fall color.’ No. We wait until winter to see the powder snow for that trip,” said Yankee magazine editor Mel Allen.

Allen added that he loves the West’s “mountains, the deserts, the incredible wind-carved rock formations. But no matter how much it wants to sell aspen as the defining color fall, it just doesn’t fly.”

Lisa Taggart, contributor to Sunset magazine, which covers the Western states, grudgingly acknowledged that “yeah, the East has pretty trees. But going to see fall foliage out West is like finally putting it together: the forest and the trees, with mountains and wildlife and the long light. The whole shebang adds up to WOW.”

Here’s a fall foliage smackdown, with recommendations for places to go leaf-peeping in both regions, from the Northeast’s king crimsons, to the West’s golden underdogs.

PICKS FOR NEW ENGLAND

CONNECTICUT

Route 169 is described by Yankee senior editor Polly Bannister as “one of New England’s prettiest country roads” as it runs through 32 miles of Connecticut farms and fields. “In autumn, this National Scenic Byway is at its best: A gentle landscape of trees and stone walls glides its way through historic towns from Woodstock to Lisbon, all with a backdrop of brilliant foliage in a palette of red, orange, gold, yellow and russet,” Bannister said.

MAINE

“Begin in Rangeley, Maine, forcing yourself to leave the lake-studded town, and head north on Route 16, then follow Route 27 through Kingfield, then along the Carrabassett River to Sugarloaf Mountain,” suggested Allen, the Yankee editor. “In this 45-mile or so drive, your mouth will drop at least a dozen times, and no more so as you wind around what locals call ‘Oh My Gosh Corner’ and the mountain appears as if dropped from the sky.”

MASSACHUSETTS

Yankee assistant editor Justin Shatwell said Massachusetts’ northwest region sometimes gets overlooked, “but in fall it’s the place to visit. The Mohawk Trail passes by a lot of state forests, but you don’t even have to get off the road to see some striking foliage. The view coming down from West Summit into North Adams is about as good as it gets.” The trail is part of Route 2 and runs through the Berkshire Mountains.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

The Kancamagus Highway, which runs between Lincoln and Conway, N.H., on State Route 112, celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. “With no houses, no restaurants, not even gas stations, the Kancamagus Highway is all about breathtaking panoramic views of the White Mountain National Forest, particularly from the height of land at Kancamagus Pass,” said YankeeMagazine.com editor Barbara Hall. “Named the first National Scenic Byway in the entire Northeast, what the 34-mile stretch of road does have is waterfalls, hiking trails, numerous scenic overlooks, and hundreds of thousands of visitors every autumn.”

PICKS FOR THE WEST

CALIFORNIA

“Driving inland from the North Coast in California, Eureka to Redding, is gorgeous,” Taggart said. “The pines pop with the deep red leaves of poison oak vines.” Other Sunset magazine recommendations for seeing fall color in California: June Lake Loop in the Eastern Sierra; aspen trees in Carson Pass and Hope Valley along state 88 south of Tahoe; Highway 395 from Lee Vining south to Tom’s Place; big leaf and vine maple trees along the Avenue of the Giants and Redwood National Park; sycamores in the Southern California coastal canyons; and black oaks in Yosemite Valley.”

COLORADO

This state is known for bluebird skies and white-capped mountains. But in autumn, the landscape gets another color: Gold. Aspen and Vail “simply glow gold in the fall; the state is luminous with aspens,” said Taggart. You can hike, bike and take plenty of scenic drives, and lodging prices, even in upscale ski areas, are low compared to winter and even summer. Near Aspen, the Maroon Bells wilderness area is especially pretty.

IDAHO

Old Mission State Park in Cataldo in northern Idaho is a lovely place to view fall colors. It’s also home to Idaho’s oldest building, the Mission of the Sacred Heart, which was built in the 1850s by Catholic missionaries and members of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe. The mission is framed by trees that turn orange, gold and red in the fall, creating a pretty picture to rival the classic New England village scene with a church nestled amid colorful maples.

The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.