Leaf peepers who want to get an early start on taking in the state's fiery fall foliage should head to higher elevations this weekend to do so.
The first fall foliage report, issued by the West Virginia Division of Forestry, shows the percentage of peak color at 35 in Dolly Sods and in Davis and Thomas, both of which are in Tucker County.
"Next week it should be much more advanced and so those are the spots we'll be directing people to next week as well," said Leslie Smithson, public information specialist with the Department of Commerce.
Fall colors are at 20 percent peak for gum trees and Virginia creeper along the Iron Furnace Road at Coopers Rock State Forest outside Morgantown.
Colorful foliage dots the landscapes in Pendleton, Pocahontas and Randolph counties.
Foresters say leaves at higher elevations should start changing quickly over the next week.
Missing from this year's landscape are the leaves of the state's yellow poplar trees, Smithson said. Over the summer, there was an "overabundance" of native yellow poplar weevils that made the trees bare.
"Many of those trees were not able to leaf out again so that's going to be missing from the landscape this fall. But we expect they'll be fine next year," Smithson said.
New this year is a fall foliage guide produced by the state Division of Tourism, which will include seasonal events, suggested driving routes for those who want to view leaves at their peak colors and a leaf identification key.
The guide should be available in early October at West Virginia Welcome Centers and the Division of Tourism office, 90 MacCorkle Ave. SW in South Charleston. It also may be requested by calling 1-800-CALLWV.
Online, the Division of Tourism's "Fall Bests" features events, festivals and other attractions that are likely to match up with peak leaf-changing dates. View the interactive map at gotowv.com/fallbests/.
Fall driving tour routes, including the "Southern Accents Tour," and the "Scarlet Heartland Tour," are also available on the website.
No matter where leaf peepers venture out, they are invited to share their photos with the Division of Forestry by posting their images online and tagging them with #fallinwv.
The next foliage report will be released Thursday, Oct. 1, on the agency's Facebook page.
Reach Rachel Molenda at rachel.molenda@wvgazette.com, 304-348-5102 or follow @rachelmolenda on Twitter.