Autumn Colors in Maine
One of the best times to visit the Northeast is during fall when one can enjoy the glorious colors of the season.
Cheryl DuLong, who helps me care for Skylands my home in Maine, loves the outdoors, and often sends me beautiful images taken during her walks. Not long ago, she photographed the colorful fall foliage along the carriage roads in Acadia National Park, around Jordan Pond and Northeast Creek, through Stone Barn Farm, and at the Asticou Azalea Garden. Cheryl is an avid photographer and nature lover.
Enjoy her photos.
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- One of my favorite places to stop whenever I am in Maine is the Asticou Azalea Garden in Northeast Harbor. Asticou Azalea Garden was created in 1956 by lifelong Maine resident, Charles Kenneth Savage, who was inspired by his love of native plants and his study of Japanese garden design. The Garden and its pond are open to the public from May to October each year. The fall colors are stunning.
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- Asticou features a wonderful selection of rhododendrons and azaleas, a sand garden, and a meandering collection of fine gravel pathways. Cheryl took this photo along the garden path.
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- This time of year, the Asticou Azalea Garden glows with blazing reds, yellows, and oranges.
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- Here is a closer look at one of the maple trees at Asticou. Autumn leaf color is a phenomenon that affects the green leaves of many deciduous trees and shrubs. During a few weeks in autumn, various fall shades can be seen throughout many landscapes.
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- There are many ancient stone ornaments at Asticou. Here is one of several lanterns tucked in among the plantings.
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- This photo was taken from the town dock looking at the beach – a very different sight compared to the same view in summer when there are many more boats and visitors.
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- This is Upper Hadlock Pond, located just north of Asticou Azalea Garden in Northeast Harbor. Ahead is the 974 foot Bald Peak rock.
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- This is Northeast Creek, a tidal estuary that extends to the southeast from the waters of Mount Desert Narrows and Thomas Cove. Look at the beautiful reflection in the still water.
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- Here’s another beautiful image of the fall trees reflected in the clear water – almost as smooth as a mirror.
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- Here is a view of Stone Barn Farm, a 128-acre property comprised of approximately 20 acres of open field, more than a 100-acres of mixed forest, and at least a mile of frontage on Northeast Creek. The farm was once privately owned by Harry and Cindy Owen who bought it in 1963. In 2001, the Owens conserved their property through a conservation easement with Maine Coast Heritage Trust, which then acquired the land in 2019 to open it as a preserve.
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- This is the Jordan Pond Bridge built in 1920. This carriage road bridge is 85 feet long, 19.5 feet tall, and may still have some of Beatrix Cadwalader Farrand’s plantings surrounding it. Beatrix was a landscape gardener and architect whose career included commissions to design more than 100 gardens for private residences, estates and country homes, public parks, botanic gardens, college campuses, and the White House.
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- Here is a fall view of Jordan Pond. Jordan Pond covers 187-acres with a maximum depth of 150-feet. The pond was formed by the Wisconsin Ice Sheet during the last glacial period. It serves as the water supply for the village of Seal Harbor.
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- Fall foliage seen through the woodland surrounding Jordan Pond – these views never get old. I hope you’ve had the chance to view some of nature’s autumn changes this season.
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- The Jordan Pond Bubbles are so prominent in the Acadia National Park landscape. The North Bubble on the left has the highest elevation at 872 feet. The South Bubble follows at 766 feet.
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- Also near Jordan Pond are these wild blueberry fields. I have wild blueberries that grow at Skylands – they’re some of the sweetest most delicious blueberries I have ever had.
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- Despite being 115 feet in length, this is a somewhat understated bridge located just west of the Jordan Pond House. This is the West Branch Bridge built in 1931. It is 115 feet in length and 22 feet in height. A single narrow six foot wide arch stands above the stream bed.
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- This view is from the bridge to Little Long Pond and the ocean in the distance.
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- From a different spot along the road, Cheryl captured this image of Little Long Pond, the Boat House, and then the ocean beyond.
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- And here is more fall foliage seen along the carriage road.
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- Cheryl captured this image of a tall pine tree on Sargeant Drive along Somes Sound. It lost the top of its main trunk in a past storm, but is still thriving. What are your favorite places to see the autumn colors? Share your comments with me below.
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