Every year people flock to Algonquin Park to see the leaves change colours and Senior Naturalist at Algonquin Park David Legros says the colours are just about to reach their peak.
“The colour change is in full swing in Algonquin Park,” he says.
Legros explains that there are three different stages of colour change at the park based on the type of tree. With the Red and Sugar Maple Trees, you will see their leaves become yellow, orange or bright red. Legros says those trees have already started to turn. The second stage is the Poplar and Birch trees that change to yellow. That is just starting to happen at the park. The last stage is when the Tamarack trees’ leaves turn bright yellow in mid-October to early November.
“The leaf that the tree makes is how the tree makes its food through photosynthesis,” Legros explains. Once daylight starts to shorten the tree starts to reclaim the nutrients from the leaf. “As it does so, it’s longer able to produce the green pigment of chlorophyll revealing a yellow pigment in the leaf,” Legros says. He says that red is produced when the remaining sugars in the leaf degrade.
Right now, the viewing is great at the park, Legros says. He suggests coming during the week to avoid the rush. The best spot to go is through Highway 60 and stopping at points along the route to go for a walk. Legros says if you plan on coming in on the weekend then you should come early to avoid the crowds.
Algonquin Park has a fall colour report available on its website.