It's almost peak time for fall leaves in Ohio: Here are 7 places to view fall foliage

We are approaching fall, but even as the summertime weather holds on, it's time to plan for fall activities in Ohio. That includes viewing the turning leaves this fall.

The fall equinox arrives Saturday, Sept. 23, at 02:50 a.m.

The Farmer's Almanac predicts a significant cool down and above-normal precipitation this fall in the Midwest, including snow starting in the fall. While snow may be bad news, the cooler temperatures mean earlier peak leaf colors.

The almanac has forecasted Oct. 5 through 21 as the peak time for fall leaves in Ohio.

A great place for keeping track of the changing colors is the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, which offers updates, predictions and a list of fall activities around the state at ohiodnr.gov.

The website includes several state parks you can visit this fall, but for something closer to home, look no further than Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks, which offer just as vibrant views of fall's colors.

You can also track it with this fall foliage map from smokymountains.com.

Fall foliage predictions

Here are a few of the best places to see fall foliage near Columbus:

Winter weather: The 'Farmers' Almanac' winter forecast is out. What does it mean for Ohio?

Hocking Hills State Park, Logan

Hocking Hills is a state park that is a great place to see fall leaves. The massive park features the 9,000-acre Hocking Hills State Forest and is home to a variety of trees, including birches, hemlocks, maples and oaks, which all turn brilliant colors in the fall. The best time to visit Hocking Hills for fall foliage is usually in mid-October when the leaves are at their peak. There are also many hiking trails in the park, as well as waterfalls, cliffs, caves and other natural attractions.

Hocking Hills is also in the running for USA Today's 10Best destinations for fall foliage in the country.

The Dawes Arboretum, Newark

The Dawes Arboretum is a museum of sorts, founded to celebrate the beauty and educate with 15,400 plants on its grounds. Located just a half-hour drive from Columbus, it features nearly 2,000 acres of trees, plant collections, paths, trails and boardwalks to explore.

Peter Lowe, senior coordinator of horticulture education and community impact at The Dawes Arboretum, said to keep an eye on sugar maple, dogwood, sweet gum, sour gum and oak trees. Those trees produce some of the most brilliant colors in fall, including yellow, orange, red, maroon and sometimes even purple shades.

The arboretum also offers historical and art exhibitions, as well as programming such as fall wagon tours.

Blacklick Woods Metro Park, Reynoldsburg

Visit Blacklick Woods for another local park to see fall colors in Ohio. The park is located in Reynoldsburg and has 652 acres of land, which includes a beech-maple forest and a swamp forest with oaks, red maple, elm, shagbark, bitternut hickory and dogwood trees. Visitors can take a drive, hike or bike along the various trails to enjoy the fall foliage and see deer, rabbits, turtles and other animals in the park.

The park also plans to open an observation tower and canopy walk through the trees this fall.

More: Metro Parks plans to open canopy walk at Blacklick Woods this year

Blendon Woods Metro Park, Westerville

Along the many trails at Blendon Woods Metro Park, such as the Sugarbush Trail and Hickory Ridge Trail, are beech-maple and oak-hickory forests. Located just outside of Columbus in Westerville, Blendon Woods is also a great place for viewing wildlife, such as waterfowl and other birds at the park's ravines and lakes.

Clear Creek Metro Park, Rockbridge

Clear Creek Metro Park is located in Rockbridge near Lancaster, 40 minutes southeast of Columbus, and has 5,300 acres of land, which includes some woodlands. The home of Ohio's largest state nature preserve, the park has a variety of trees, including Canadian hemlocks, oaks, hickories and rhododendrons. Some specific trails that are good for viewing fall leaves include the Hemlock Trail, which descends into a ravine and passes through a grove of hemlocks; and the Tulip Tree Trail, which loops through a wooded hillside with a variety of trees.

Mohican State Park, Loudonville

Mohican State Park and the nearby state forest are another destination to see leaves of red, orange and yellow in the fall. Less than an hour and a half from Columbus in Ashland County, the park is located on the Mohican River and features the hemlock and pine trees of the Clear Fork Gorge and the maple, beech, sycamore, tulip buckeye and more trees of the surrounding Mohican State Memorial Forest. The park also features campsites, lakeview cabins, trails, the scenic overlook of Clear Fork Gorge and more.

Bigfoot at Mohican State Park: Park site of multiple Bigfoot sightings

Slate Run Metro Park, Canal Winchester

Slate Run Metro Park in Canal Winchester is a 1,705-acre park with forested areas of beech, oak, hickory and sugar maple. The park also offers opportunities for viewing wildlife, including cranes and northern bobwhite quail. The park also hosts the annual Slate Run Fall Festival, featuring hayrides and pumpkin decorating, typically in October.

More: Autumn brings brilliant display of Mother Nature's palette to Ohio foliage

Reporting from the Freep.com was used in this story.

tmoorman@dispatch.com

@taijuannichole

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: When is peak time for fall leaves in Ohio?