Fall Colors off the Beaten Track: Oregon
Written By Tim Robin on Thursday, 15 September 2011 | 01:49
Though they are much less imposing than the towering trees most associate with fall color, the 5- to 10-foot vine maples of the Pacific Northwest’s Cascade Range in Oregon may yield the most intense color found in any fall foliage, a palette of vermilion, salmon and magenta that seems magically more vivid on cloudy days (which come often enough after Labor Day). Oregon has the two best drives for vine maple color, the Mount Hood Highway (U.S. 26) heading southeast out of Portland, and the Santiam Highway (U.S. 20) between Corvallis and Sisters. Bend and Portland are the gateways; the best viewing starts in mid-September, or even earlier in dry years.
