Fun Places To Visit During the Fall Season
With the cool, brisk air and the daylight hours getting shorter, the season changes to Fall and the leaves on the trees begin their amazing transformation to bright, gold, deep reds, and dark, fiery oranges. This change provokes the feeling of longing for an outdoors adventure to see the leaves change and soak in the sights of autumn.
Each region of the USA has their own peak fall foliage season. During the peak foliage season, the leaves change color in September and continue on through most of November. Most of the time, the sweet spot peak foliage season is in the second or third week of October.
A good destination is the Great Smoky Mountains National Park which offers an autumn foliage map for predicting peak foliage for your destination. You’ve got your own list of favorite locations and we’ve got a list of the perfect locations for extreme fall color.
New England: The Quintessential Autumn Journey
New England is the most important destination for fall foliage tours, with its legendary autumn colors and classic experiences in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.
White Mountain National Forest, New Hampshire, and Maine
A portion of New Hampshire and Maine is home to the White Mountain National Forest, a world-class destination for fall foliage. It attracts visitors to its remarkable annual spectacle, which occurs during the first two weeks of October. For this, the Kancamagus Highway is a must. It is 34.5-miles long and weaves through the center of the forest, offering plenty of overlooks with magnificent views.
The forest is dominated by a mix of northern hardwoods. Sugar Maples and American Beeches, both of which have brilliant yellow leaves, form a golden canopy. The deep, rich crimson of the Black Gum, and the bright red leaves of the Red Maple provide bright and fiery splashes of color. Birch trees, which have paper-white trunks and yellow leaves, provide a good contrast in the yellow canopy.
The Rolling Hills of Vermont
The biking hills and farms of Vermont are some of the most beautiful hills in the world. For the full experience of the hills you should take route 100, The Skier's Highway. It has beautiful views, and also has cider and donut shops you can stop at. The hills are known for the Sugar Maple trees, and in the fall they turn bright colors like yellow, orange, and red. The hills are also home to Quaking Aspen trees which are bright yellow and also some Oak trees which are orange.
Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Everybody knows Cape Cod for its summer beaches, but Cape Cod has a unique fall coastal experience as well, especially during the mid-September to late October fall foliage season. The colors along the coastal landscape are best seen by taking a drive down Route 6A, the Old King's Highway.
The foliage features vividly colored Black Tupelo trees (or Black Gum) , which are some of the first to turn along with the dark russet and brown leaves of the Oak trees that are also common in the area. The region’s cranberry bogs also change to a dark red during the fall which adds a unique flare to the overall color palette of the area.
The Mountains of New York and the Mid-Atlantic
In the south, New York and the Mid-Atlantic also have mountain ranges that offer impressive views of the seasonal foliage.
Adirondack Mountains, New York
Autumn trips to the Lake Placid area in the Adirondack Mountains make for one of the longest fall foliage displays in the country. The Lake Placid area is best to visit for fall foliage from the last week of September to the last week of October. This area is home to a mix of deciduous and evergreen trees.
The higher elevations show the golden colors of the aspens and birch trees and the lower slopes boast the spectacular oranges and reds of the red and sugar maples. The dark of the pines and firs serve to make the colors of the other trees pop and give a stunning contrast to the whole area.
Catskill Mountains, New York
The southeastern part of New York is home to the Catskill Mountains, a scenic masterpiece during autumn. Here, the landscape is a fusion of the various autumn colors, ranging from the highest peaks to the lower hills. This region has many Oak trees, which add maroon and pink to the rich warm colors of the landscape.
Fall colors from Hickory trees are a golden-bronze shade and the lower areas of the forest are filled with brilliant yellow from Tulip Poplars and Beeches. The Catskills are best enjoyed in the autumn by hiking, taking a scenic drive, or stopping by a local farm stand to get some homemade cider.
Explore and Grow Your Own Autumn Color
These wonders of nature may encourage you to take a piece of that beauty home and make the landscapes of your own home even more beautiful. Yards full of trees with colored seasonal leaves bring the feel of autumn to your own private paradise. The addition of trees like Maple, which is a bright, adventurous red, and Birch, a warm golden hue, is bound to bring a beautiful spectacle of autumn foliage to your home for many years to come.
At TN Nursery, we have an assortment of trees and plants that will add colorful fall leaves to your landscape.
Look through our variety of Maples, Oaks, and Dogwoods to find the best plants for your yard.
FAQs
Where is the prettiest fall foliage in the world?
New England in the US and the Kyoto region of Japan are considered to have the most stunning fall foliage. Both locations have vibrant fall leaves and unique cultural experiences.
Where can I see the best autumn foliage?
New England, the Great Smoky Mountains, and the Adirondacks are the top places in the USA. For Japan, the Bavarian Alps in Germany are also breathtaking in the fall.
Where in the US has the best fall foliage?
New England is an icon for having the best fall foliage, although the Great Smoky Mountains and Colorado with all its aspen trees are also spectacular.
What is the best place to visit in October in the USA?
The Great Smoky Mountains, Vermont, and the Adirondacks are ideal for visiting in October. For something unique, visit Salem, Massachusetts, during the Halloween season.
Is Vermont or Maine better for fall foliage?
For stunning fall foliage Vermont has charming countryside, and Maine has vibrant coastal views. Both are spectacular in their own way.
What is the most ideal location to visit in October?
New England and Kyoto, Japan, are the best spots to see the leaves change color in the fall. If you want to go somewhere warmer, the Greek Islands are not too crowded and have great weather.
