Much of the splendor of fall is in the leaves.

However, scientists at the Great Lakes Forestry Centre in Sault Ste. Marie don't expect the 2018 season to be spectacular.

"We've had the forest tent caterpillars, tent caterpillars were back in the spring, and the drought throughout the summer. And that could have sort of a wear and tear effect on the leaves. The leaves, some leaves have fallen already. Some leaves might be smaller than usual, so you might not get the full colour blast that the really prime years get." said John Pedlar, forest landscape biologist with GLFC.

For local tourism organizations, fall is primetime for visitors to book experiences in the region.

They say a good or bad colour season doesn't have a major impact on the number of people who spend time here.

Heather Bot is the Executive Director for Algoma Kinniwabi Travel Association.

"People really love them because they're vibrant. You've got yellow and red and gold. You get a variety of colours, it's not just the same thing. And it's up against a rugged landscape. You've got that rugged rocky look and you've also got these beautiful fall colours as backdrop." said Bot.

Many of us enjoy hiking underneath the brightly coloured canopies during this time of year, but why do the leaves change colour at all?

Scientists say it's part of the growing process for trees, and foliage is cued to turn as the days get shorter.

"The chlorophyll, that gives it the green colour, starts to break down and the other colours that are in there: the carotenoids, the xanthophylls, which is fancy for yellow and orange, they sort of come to the forefront. Then, as far as the reds and the purples go, those come about from a reaction between the carbohydrates and the leaves’ sugars and the sunshine. It's kind of like the ripening of an apple for those red colours." said Pedlar.

When pressed for a prediction on a scale of 1-10, Pedlar says he expects this fall colour season to be about a 7.5.