Leaves changing colors at Denali National Park and Preserve. (U.S. National Park Service) Alaska's official state nickname is "The Last Frontier" but in the category of fall foliage the state is clearly leading the way, with the first changes of leaves already being spotted in northern parts of the state.Recent photos from the Arctic Circle and areas in the interior show plenty of vibrant colors dotting the landscape.The start of the annual change in leaves can vary each year, but because of the decrease in the amount of daylight, the foliage season typically begins towards to end of meteorological summer in northern Alaska."It's a little earlier than normal, but mid-to-late August is typical for this kind of color change up here in the Arctic.
Most of the migratory birds are already gone, and in another few weeks there will probably be snow on the ground," said Seth Beaudreault, a naturalist at the University of Alaska Fairbanks’s Toolik Field Station's Environmental Data Center.Some leaves have already peaked in color in northern Alaska.