Fall foliage is at its height in much of the state, but change is in the air. The vivid red leaves soon will be dropping off, and the yellow leaves won’t be far behind.

But those spectaculars are just introductory acts for what many consider fall’s grandest show, the shiny bronze oak leaves, which should be with us for quite a while. Take a drive or a hike or a bicycle ride along the ocean or to an inland lake and feast your eyes on an autumn to be relished and remembered.

We have to check with the experts to know exactly what we’re admiring. Bill Livingston, head of the University of Maine’s Department of Forest Ecosystem Science, considers this fall’s colors good, “but not the best I’ve seen.” He says the reds are mostly red maples and the yellows are the broad-leafed striped maples, beech, birch, mountain ash and true ash. The oaks, already turning into a beautiful shiny bronze, are bur oaks along the coast and mostly northern red oaks inland including the Bangor area. Their leaves will later go brown and hang on for a long time.

Dr. Livingston explains the color changes, first, as a result of a breakdown of green chlorophyll, which has been overriding the other pigments in the leaves, and, second, as the presence of sugar in the leaves. Cold nights prevent the absorption of sugar, and the more sugar the brighter the colors.

While there have been more colorful autumns, he rates this one tops in the health of the trees. A wet summer provided plenty of moisture, and a gradual cooling with no early frosts has been a wonderful preparation for winter.

When most of the leaves have fallen, one more great fall scene remains. One of the few deciduous needled trees, the hackmatack – also known as larch or tamarack – goes from green to a beautiful golden color as the needles prepare to drop off. They will standout in an otherwise bland landscape.

The end of the fall cycle has one more sight in store. When all those big floppy leaves are gone, you can see clearly the outline of hills and mountains as you hike, bicycle, drive, ski, or snowmobile your way through another Maine winter.