You do not have to travel far from home to enjoy fall foliage. In the United States, the fall scene spreads from New England to the Pacific Northwest. In fall , the foliage is the easiest way to appreciate the natural beauty of the United States. Today let’s take a look at the top ten foliage spots in US.
First let’s look at the following map which shows when the peak foliage time is for different regions across the country.
1. ASPEN, Colorado
When a world-famous town is named after the name of the tree, you know how beautiful the scenery is. Aspen’s color in the fall will become a rich yellow. Sun, breeze and the golden Aspens trees form a perfect picture with the surrounding evergreen trees and steep peaks.
Time: Aspen season is very short. In mid-September to the end of the month is the best time to the first week of October scenery is also very good, but after that, the leaves will begin to fall.
Best Scenic Driving Directions Please refer to:
http://www.colorado.com/articles/aspen-viewing-drives-see-fall-leaves-colorado
You can also visit the nearby Rocky Mountain National Park. The park is characterized by 78 peaks averaged 3658 meters above sea level, where people can access to the mountain landscape, standing peaks, alpine ice lake and glacier moraine. On the mountain you can find the road left by miners a century ago.
Best Autumn Scenic Spot:
Driver can take the Cache la Poudre National Scenic Byway or Colorado River Headwaters National Scenic Byway to see the mountains covered in golden color. You can also walk along the Bear Lake, this walking is not intensive and offers great view of the mountains. The United States National Park website describe the Rocky Mountains Peak to Peak National Scenic Byway as: golden miracle!
2. CATSKILLS, New York
Catskills is located in the southeastern part of New York, 6,000 square miles, with six main rivers and 35 mountains over 3500 feet, and the famous Woodstock Music Festival. It is a destination suitable for any time of the year, but the most beautiful season of Catskills is fall, when the hillside turns yellow, orange and red. Visitors can also experience the local farmer’s market which has a long history of trading agricultural products with hands picked produces.
Time: the end of September to the end of October is the best time to enjoy the scenery in autumn.
Best Scenic Driving Directions Please refer to:
http://www.newyorkupstate.com/catskills/2015/09/scenic_fall_foilage_drives_catskills_road_trip.html
3. BERKSHIRES, Massachusetts
Want to flee the busy city life of New York, Boston, Philadelphia? Berkshires can provide you with world-class landscape. Narrow winding road, attached to the dark red, yellow forest in the background, and small villages in the foreground makes the most beautiful and glorious landscape paintings. Here is also one of the most famous hot spring resorts. Bubbling hot springs, rewarding fall scenery, it can’t go better than this.
Time: in late September, peak in mid-October. The scenery at the end of October can also be, but do not wait until November.
Best Scenic Driving Directions Please refer to:
http://www.berkshireeagle.com/the413/ci_24227848/fall-foliage-berkshires-more-than-scenic-drive
If you have more time, drive a little further to Arcadia national park in Maine
The best time for foliage: the end of September – early October
The Arcadia National Park is located on an island in the Maine coastline of the United States, with a total area of 190 square kilometers and is one of the smallest national parks in the United States. The island has the mountains and plains with pine forest, mirror-like glacier lake and the highest peak on the Atlantic coast : Cadillac Hill. This is the most northeastern United States, with sea as background, you can see the first dawn light of the United States.
Best places to visit: the Park Loop Road, Cadillac Mountain, Otter Cliff, Fabrri Picnic Area
You can choose from three ways to enjoy the park:
Driving along Park Loop Road to the top of the hill to Cadillac Mountain, or follow the other route to the park to Otter Cliff and Fabrri Picnic Area.
Take the park’s Island Explorer bus (opening time at the end of July – early October). The tour bus has stops on the Park Loop Road, campgrounds and trailheads.
Bicycle ride tour. Because the park is small and the road is flat, it is very suitable for cycling.
Featured activity: Hiking, Bicycling, Bird watching, Camping
4. COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE, Oregon
Cutting through the Caster Mountains, forming a natural border on the south of Washington State and north of Oregon, the 80-mile Columbia River Canyon is an unparalleled beauty, and when the fall comes, trees such as firs, cottonwoods, big-leaf maples, Oregon ash, and twisted pines are beginning to show their colors, it is simply amazing. Visitors can choose to drive along the Columbia River, or walk along the river, or go drifting canoe.
Time: mid-September to mid-October
Accommodation: The historic Colombian Canyon Hotel is your best choice. Beautiful scenery, you can see the 208-foot waterfall.
5. GREEN MOUNTAIN BYWAY, Vermont
Maple, birch, and beech trees spreads 11 miles on both sides of the Vermont road. You can drive from Waterbury (the birthplace of Ben & Jerry ice cream) to Stowe, one of the most famous ski resorts in the east, crossing two national forests and three states parks. At Stowe, the ski lifts also offer a bird’s-eye view of the forest slopes.
Time: the second week of September, the peak of the first week of October.
6. ENCHANTED CIRCLE SCENIC BYWAY, NEW MEXICO
The 83-mile loop starting and ending in Taos has become a pilgrimage to Aspen’s foliage leaves in the fall. Here, Aspen’s color will not only turn yellow, it will become dark orange. The route surrounds the 13161-foot high Wheeler mountain, the highest point of New Mexico. Although aspens make a majority, purple plum and cotton poplar also show their own different colors from bright red to yellow.
Time: late September to early October
7. GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS, North Carolina and Tennessee
GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS is one of the most visited national parks in the United States. There are more than 100 kinds of native tree species, including oaks, maple, pecan trees etc. They made up the fall colors of golden, orange, purple and dark red. Surrounded by 800 miles of scenic excursions, you can spend a few days exploring the breathtaking views of the forest. You can also take a train ride to enjoy the view.
Time: early October to early November
Accommodation: On the Tennessee side, Gatlinburg has many hotels and accommodation to offer.
Nearby Park:
Selangor National Park, Virginia (Shenandoah National Park, Virginia)
Autumn time the best time: 10 at the end
The park is the most famous for the Skyline Drive (Skyline Drive), which runs across the entire park. In the foliage season, the changing color of the leaves along the road is spetacular. In October of every year, you can also participate here in the annual “Fall Foliage Bike Festival”, the mountain bike cyclers gather here and take in the mighty rewarding fall scenery while riding
official website: http://shenandoahbike.org/
8. UPPER PENINSULA, Michigan
Michigan’s state forest system is the largest forest in the east United States, covering nearly 4 million acres. Here, poplar, beech, birch, maple, oak, American sycamore are the stars of this state park. There are also quiet lakes with blue water in addition to the color of the trees refracted in the water. The beauty is almost indescribable by language.
Time: mid-September to mid-October, October will usher in the peak.
9. LAKE OF THE OZARKS, Missouri
While Missouri summer is flourish, it has a better fall season. When the crowd dispersed, the temperature dropped to 60 F, a variety of trees began to show their own grace. Here you can climb and hike, you can ride a mountain bike in the largest state park in Missouri. Or enjoy the falling foliage in a yacht and watch the lake golf tournament.
Time: late October
Accommodation: LAKE OF THE OZARKS State Park offers 230 open camps throughout the year, as well as cabins. Each is equipped with tables, chairs, firewood and other facilities.
10. GLACIER NATIONAL PARK, Montana
GLACIER NATIONAL PARK is one of the top destinations for fall foliage. The pine needles here will become bright golden color before they fall and render the entire national park the same color. There is also a large area of snow-covered peaks as a background. You could also watch a large variety of wild animals, elk, goats, big horns and bears preparing food for the winter.
Time: late September to mid-October
