Leaf peepers' report

Travelers looking for bright, beautiful fall foliage will have no problem finding it in New York State this weekend, as nine out of the state's 11 vacation regions will have areas with peak colors, according to observers for the Empire State Development Division of Tourism's I Love New York program. Look for peak foliage throughout the Catskills region. Kingston, in Ulster County, will be at peak with 100 percent foliage change and bright red and yellow leaves. Greene County will also see peak foliage with 100 percent color change and a wide variety of bright, colorful leaves. Sullivan County projects 90 percent color change, with peak colors of vivid crimson red, bright orange and deep yellow. Belleayre Mountain, in Ulster County, is just past peak. In the Hudson Valley, peak foliage will arrive in Columbia County, where 100 percent of the leaves are expected to change color by weekend, with bright golden-yellow, deep red, and orange highlights. Dutchess County will be near peak, with 60 percent foliage change and extremely bright orange, yellow, maroon and purple leaves. Highland, in Ulster County, will also be near peak, with beautiful, vibrant red and yellow leaves. To the south, Bear Mountain State Park, in Rockland County, projects just 20 percent color change, with dull orange, red, yellow and purple highlights. On Long Island, leaves will be at mid-point of color change. Nassau and western Suffolk counties project 50 percent color change, with bright red, purple, yellow and orange leaves. On the Hamptons, look for 40 percent color change with gold, red and yellow highlights. Color change in New York City is still minimal. Clay Pit Ponds State Park expects just 20 percent color change by weekend, with some red and yellow highlights. Each week during fall, I Love New York issues reports detailing the progression of colorful fall foliage across the New York based upon information filed by the State's officially designated "leaf peepers." On the Net: http://www.empire.state.ny.us/tourism/foliage