Fall’s official start date is on September 22 in 2022, but in some places peak leaf-peeping season has already begun. A fall road trip to Oregon is the perfect way to enjoy the changing leaves that will have everybody smiling — including the forests, thanks to a section of trees planted in a smiley face.
According to The Oregonian, the giant smiley face trees can be found in rural Polk county south of Oregon 18 at roughly milepost 25, between the towns of Willamina and Grand Ronde. In 2011, Hampton Lumber planted a combination of Douglas fir and Larch trees during a reforestation project to create the the cheesy grin. Larch trees are conifers that will turn yellow in every fall, making the perfect smiley face when mixed with the evergreen Douglas Fir for the eyes and mouth.
