If you're looking to soak in some gorgeous fall views, experts say this is the place to go.

Fall Foliage

There's just something about the fall season. We're finally getting out of the oppressively humid summer heat season, and things are starting to cool down.  Not only are the temperatures better, but the scenery changes as the leaves change color.

According to the Forest Service U.S. Department of Agriculture, the colors that the leaves turn to are influenced by three things the weather, length of night time, and the color of the leaf.

For years, scientists have worked to understand the changes that occur in trees and shrubs during autumn. Although we don't know all the details, we do know enough to explain the basics to help you enjoy nature's multicolored display. Three factors influence autumn leaf color:

- leaf pigments

- length of night

- weather

The timing of color changes and the onset of falling leaves is primarily regulated by the calendar as nights become longer.

People travel all over the United States to soak in the stunning fall foliage views, but if you want to know the best place to see fall foliage close to home, look no further than eastern Kentucky.

This is the Best Place in the Region to See Stunning Fall Views

The Farmer's Almanac is a wealth of weather predictions, knowledge, and information. I always enjoy perusing its predictions. To predict the weather, the United States is broken down into different zones, and the zone we are in is Zone 2, which is considered the Midwest/Great Lakes region. This area encompasses Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois, and Wisconsin.

So where is the best place in zone 2 to view fall foliage?  According to Farmer's Almanac, it's in Kentucky! They recommend Big South Fork National Recreation Area in Kentucky as the best place to see some stunning views of fall foliage.

Big South Fork National Recreation Area, Kentucky

Encompassing 125,000 acres, the BSFNRA is located in some of the most rugged territories on the Cumberland Plateau, in the Eastern portion of the state. Big South Fork of the Cumberland River passes through 90 miles of scenic gorges and sandstone bluffs. The wildflowers and fall foliage of this terrain make for colorful viewing. Be sure to hop aboard The Big South Fork Open Air Scenic Railway, which makes runs during October foliage season. Peak Viewing: (Eastern) Oct. 5-21; (Western) Oct. 12-28.

The Farmer's Almanac also recommends Lake Geneva in Wisconsin as another great place in the region to view the fall leaves. According to them these are the best two spots in our region to view the changing leaves.