The Best Places to See Fall Foliage This Year
Fall doesn’t whisper; it announces itself. One week you’re still clinging to summer sandals, the next the trees have gone full technicolor and suddenly every outfit needs a rust-colored sweater to match. If you’re the type who plans trips around a color palette (no judgment, same), consider this your official permission slip to book a leaf-peeping getaway. Here are the US destinations doing autumn best this year.
Stowe, Vermont
Best time to visit: Early to mid-October
This is the foliage everyone pictures when they close their eyes and think “New England fall.” White church steeples, covered bridges, and mountains lit up in amber and crimson make Stowe feel less like a town and more like a postcard come to life. It’s a small place, so plan to spend your days driving the back roads, stopping at farm stands, and finding the one covered bridge everyone’s photo-dumping from Instagram. Book lodging early; this town fills up fast once the color starts turning.
Asheville & the Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina
Best time to visit: Mid-October to early November
The Parkway is 469 miles of pure drama, with overlooks that make you pull over every ten minutes for another photo. The elevation changes mean the color shifts as you drive, so you’re basically getting several fall seasons in one trip. Pair the drive with a night or two in Asheville for the food scene, breweries, and boutique shopping, because a proper fall trip should feed more than one sense.
Aspen, Colorado
Best time to visit: Late September to early October
Aspen trees turning gold against snow-dusted peaks is not a metaphor, it’s just Tuesday in this town come early fall. It’s the most cinematic contrast on this list: warm gold against a cool blue sky and crisp mountain air that makes everything feel a little more expensive than it is. The window here is short and weather-dependent, so keep an eye on local foliage reports before you book.
The Adirondacks, New York
Best time to visit: Late September to mid-October
Less crowded than Vermont, just as stunning. Lake Placid and Saranac Lake give you mirror-still water reflecting the color change, which basically doubles your foliage for the price of one trip. This region also skews a little more rugged and outdoorsy than its New England neighbors, so it’s a great pick if you want your fall trip to come with an actual hike attached.
Door County, Wisconsin
Best time to visit: Early to mid-October
The Midwest’s best-kept fall secret. Think orchards, cherry farms, and quiet lakeside towns that go all-in on autumn without the crowds you’d fight in New England. It’s giving cottagecore, but make it seasonal — pumpkin patches, apple picking, and water views that turn every color of a candle you’d buy in September.
Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee & North Carolina
Best time to visit: Mid-October to early November
As the most visited national park in the country, the Smokies know how to put on a show. The elevation range means multiple color peaks depending on how high you drive, so even a late arrival can still catch something spectacular. Base yourself in Gatlinburg or Asheville-adjacent towns and expect crowds, but the payoff is worth the traffic.
Hood River & the Columbia River Gorge, Oregon
Best time to visit: Mid-October to early November
For a Pacific Northwest take on fall, the Gorge delivers waterfalls, vineyards, and forest color all in one drive. It’s moodier and greener than the East Coast classics, with a lot more evergreen mixed into the palette, which makes the pops of red and gold feel even more dramatic. Bonus points for pairing your foliage drive with a wine tasting in Hood River.
