TEAKE A PEEK AT FALL COLOR THIS WEEKEND

MAP - SCENIC FALL FOLIGE TOUR

Leaf-peepers on the lookout for colorful hickory, sweetgum, sugar maple and oak trees, should take the opportunity this weekend to enjoy fall foliage.

This should be the peak weekend for fall color, said Rocky Hayes, urban forester with the Missouri Department of Conservation.

"From this weekend on, the color will decline pretty rapidly," Hayes said. "We are already seeing some leaves falling."

The peak color usually is between Oct. 15 and 25, he said, recommending leaf-peeping around river hills.

"You get a wider variety of trees along rivers," he said. "Along the Mississippi River, you get maple and sweetgum and lots of others. The more variety you get, the more color you get."

He said the drive north along 177, including the Trail of Tears and Altenburg offers one of the best views of fall foliage.

As you move west into the Ozark hills, the color is a less vibrant.

Hayes said the peak color this year won't reach lofty heights due to a variety of circumstances.

Optimum conditions for brilliant fall color includes plenty of rain early in the fall, cold, crisp nights and sunny days.

While Southeast Missouri hasn't experienced these prime conditions, fall color is inevitable, Hayes said.

The changes in color are a response to the changes in seasons.

Photosynthesis slows down and the green pigment starts to diminish. The other colors in leaves, reds, oranges and yellows, have an opportunity to show for a few weeks.

For people interested in a walking tour, the Conservation Department has a paved, half-mile trail in the Cape Girardeau County Park.

"It's a nice leisurely half-hour, depending on how fast you walk," Hayes said. "If offers a lot of variety."

For more serious hikers, Trail of Tears State Park offers several trails.

"You can't go wrong," Hayes said. "Anywhere with a lot of woods you will have fall color."