Travel Tech: Leaf Peeping App
In search of the most vivid autumn leaves? You won’t miss out on this year’s colorful fall foliage thanks to the new Leaf Peepr app from Yankee magazine.
The free app features a color-coded map of the U.S., with each color indicating the stage of the foliage: Green, Turning, Moderate, Peak, Fading, Gone. The map is based on in-app and online submissions from users in the field. App users can report the color of the leaves at a location and upload a photo with comments. Online, interested leaf peepers can report the same information but also view the submitted photos on the Yankee magazine websiteYankee magazine website. The reports from both the app and online are used to update the map several times a day.
According to the map, New England, not surprisingly, has the most reports and, at present, the most colorful fall foliage. Readers have ranked Kent, Connecticut; Peacham, Vermont; Camden, Maine; and Dover, Vermont as this year’s top five foliage towns.
But don’t just walk through the leaves. Bike, ride, or cruise your way through the best fall foliage to maximize your leaf peeping adventure:
- Fall Foliage Bike Festival, Staunton, Virginia: With 12 route options, participants of all cycling levels can ride through the Shenandoah Valley countryside at the peak of the season.
- Fall Foliage Train Rides, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Washington, Minnesota: For a less strenuous ride, hop aboard one of these five fall foliage train rides and watch the scenery roll by.
- Nat Geo Expeditions
- Fall Foliage Cruises, multiple locations: Get off the land and view fall colors from New England’s lakes and rivers on a range of vessels. Relax on a luxury cruise ship or climb aboard an old paddle-wheel steamboat for a more historic experience.
Photo: Holly Gondles/My Shot
