A colorful change: fall arrives in Butler County
With the fall season in full swing, the leaves have already begun changing colors, giving people across Butler County the chance to get outside, take pictures and enjoy the beauty of the season.
The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources puts out yearly reports detailing the science behind how and why leaves change color, the health of the leaves and the best spots to see colorful fall foliage in different regions.
David Planinsek, who works for the DCNR’s Bureau of Forestry, shared some insight into the science behind how leaves change.
“If we think about the growing season as it progresses from September into October, we are losing daylight each day, which is one of the primary drivers that signals to trees that the dormancy period is coming and that winter is coming,” Planinsek said. “That is one of the main things that causes trees to change colors.”
He went on to explain that during the green summer months, trees have chlorophyll in their leaves, which acts as a photosynthetic factory that trees use to make their food. Chlorophyll mixed with carbon dioxide creates the food for those green pigments seen throughout the summer.
“As we move into the fall, chlorophyll is no longer replaced, and we start to see other pigments that are in those tree leaves all year round, which are masked by chlorophyll when they are growing, and that is why we start to see colors like orange, red and yellow,” Planinsek said.
The length of daily daylight is another big reason for leaves changing color, but only certain types of trees have leaves that change color. According to Planinsek, different species of trees typically have different pigments and will vary in color.
“When we think of the more beautiful trees, people will often think of maples, and they will turn multiple different colors, with yellows, reds and oranges,” Planinsek said. “Year to year, it can also vary, and some of the factors that make it vary are precipitation, temperature and the health of the tree.”
One of the biggest signs that fall has begun is the leaves changing color, and for most people who want to see the various colors, it is important to understand the peak time.
According to the fall photo guide, the peak dates for viewing leaves in Butler County are Oct. 9 through 17. The guide lists specific times that natural light best highlights leaves, with shortly after 7 a.m. and shortly after 6:30 p.m. being the best times in Pennsylvania to view the changing leaves.
The 2026 Fall Foliage Report noted that staff from Clear Creek State Forest in Rockland Township, Venango County, said hints of autumn are beginning in the district, with last week's sunny, cool weather helping to bring out the first colors of fall. Most leaves have remained green, but select maple trees are beginning to tint red and orange.
Some of the best spots people in Butler County can go to see leaves when they change color include Alameda Park, Moraine State Park, Jennings Environmental Education Center, Butler-Freeport Community Trail, Preston Park, Sippel Reservoir Park and Wolf Creek Narrows Natural Area.
Jennings Environmental Education Center also had a Fall Foliage and Autumn Wonders Walk Sunday, Oct. 11, which was a guided walk where park staff helped people enjoy the transformation and a display of fall colors.
“We are really fortunate in Pennsylvania to have, I would say, four to six weeks of very good fall color, and you are starting to see the first splashes of it now,” Planinsek said. “The middle of October is also a very good time to see the leaves starting to change, so like the 15th through the 27th.”
