BROWN COUNTY — While the campground is full for the weekend at Brown County State Park, it doesn't look or feel much like fall yet.
"The fall color is really a two-month period starting in September and leading into November, but park visitors are mostly interested in the vibrant, large-scale fall colors," shared Eli Major, the naturalist at the State Park.
Major shared that in his time at the park, the peak fall leaf color hasn't changed much through the years.
"Our peak fall color day has been October 23 through 25," said Major. "It's really easy to get a general fall color timeline. It's hard to get an exact one."
Major uses clues like rainfall and temperature to predict the peak each year.
"If we have a warm fall that the heat lingers, that kind of tricks the trees," Major explained. "It makes them want to stay in summer mode longer. They really need cool temperatures to get used to the idea that it's fall, we should lose our leaves."
Drought will also have an impact this year on leaves. Once the fall hues — the oranges and the reds — arrive, they likely won't stay long.
"Fall colors are most vibrant when there is adequate rainfall," said Major. "They're not going to stay in that intermediate color very long. They're going to shift to brown quite quickly."
Once that happens, Major shared that tens of thousands of visitors will flock to the park.
"If you come in the last two weeks of October or the first week of November, and you're a fall color fan, any one of those days would make you happy with your visit," said Major.
In the meantime, the park is still full of visitors.
I met the Horne family, visiting from Indianapolis. They're on a mission to explore each Indiana State Park.
"Usually we go south more in the fall, because it seems like there's more trees and colors," shared Jarrett Horne.
Were they expecting a little more fall color on this early October visit?
"We were, actually," Horne said.
Horne went on to say that the park was still beautiful and that he was glad they were beating the crowds that would be here late this month during peak color.
Major said that the influx of visitors is not just Hoosiers. There are also several visitors coming from Chicago and Louisville each fall.
What is the appeal of viewing fall colors at Brown County State Park, as opposed to other State Parks?
"We are surrounded by other forested properties. Brown County State Park borders Monroe Lake, Yellowwood State Forest and Hoosier National Forest. Nearby, we also have Morgan Monroe State Forest," described Major. "You don't get to the edge of the park and suddenly you're in a bunch of cornfields."
The continuous forest, combined with the many hills and valleys throughout the park, means there are several vistas where you can see trees for miles.
If you're visiting the park for the first time, Major has a few recommendations.
"Lake Ogle or Lake Straw would be quite lovely to see," said Major. "Either lake in peak fall colors is wonderful, and the reason for that is they are surrounded by forests, so you do have that reflection."
Just be aware—the prettiest sites can also be the busiest.
"I would advise Lake Straw if you're here on a Saturday, though. Lake Ogle is a place that gets gridlocked more often than any other place in the park," warned Major.
To assist with the influx of visitors, park staff created temporary barriers along the sides of the park roads. This should help traffic flow continuously through the park on busy days, as cars cannot park on the sides of roads.
Major also suggests arriving on weekends before 10 a.m., because long lines can form at the entrance gates.
Before we get to peak color, visitors are still impressed with the views.
"If you come to the park and there's still little patches of green, you're still going to get some pretty incredible views," said Major with a smile.
"I think they're fun to look at," said Jemima Horne of the green leaves on her visit. "Especially since I'm studying botany this year."
