Fall is upon us here at Auburn, and it wouldn't be complete without the changing colors of the autumn leaves.
Autumn in Auburn is a great time of year, and along with Auburn Tiger Football and crisp fall cookouts, is some of the most beautiful scenery in the South.
Leaves are changing colors, and when looking for a great place to study, take pictures or just take a walk, keep in mind that Auburn has several scenic routes from which to choose.
Enjoying the fall leaves is a simple thing to do, if you know where to look.
Among some of the best places to catch some seasonal scenery are Chewacla State Park, The Davis Arboretum, Auburn's Town Creek Park and Tuskegee National Forest.
"The best place to look for fall leaves is probably The Overlook," said Odell Banks, parks manager of Chewacla State Park.
The Overlook is on the Deer Rub Trail of the state park and overlooks a beautiful view of the forestry below.
Banks also said that since the cool weather is just beginning, it could be a few more weeks before Auburn sees fall leaves around this area.
"The drive up to the park is also nice," Banks said.
Chewacla is open from 7 a.m. until sundown and costs $3 per adult for a full day's admission.
The Davis Arboretum, which originally began as a collection of southern trees, is located in the heart of Auburn's campus.
The Davis Arboretum is open every day of the year from sunrise to sunset and admission is free.
According to the Arboretum Web site, the grounds host 261 different types of trees and started as an assortment of native trees of the Southeastern United States.
Austin Smith, sophomore in wireless hardware engineering, enjoys studying in the Davis Arboretum.
"It's a very relaxing place to go," Smith said. "It's the best in the fall, when the weather is cool, and the trees have changed color."
Also among the places to see fall scenery is the Town Creek Park, located on South Gay Street.
The park is beautifully landscaped with many trees.
Town Creek also has a walking trail that is almost one mile long according to the Parks and Recreation Web site, and it's perfect for a brisk fall afternoon.
Gil Shults, Eagle Scout and Auburn sophomore in business, suggested Tuskegee National Forest as a great place to see fall leaves.
"It's a short drive from Auburn and has lots of great trails for hiking," Shults said. "The trees are really pretty there as well."
Tuskegee is located about 20 minutes south of Auburn and has more than 11,000 acres of forest land.
Tuskegee also has eight miles of hiking trails where hikers can see thousands of trees in fall color.
Many other parks in the Auburn area also have large amounts of fall foliage.
Just visit the Parks and Recreation site at: www.Auburnalabama.org/parks to see a complete list of parks in Auburn and surrounding areas.
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