Autumn is pure magic, especially if you’re surrounded with maples and dogwoods and red oaks and other deciduous beauties that display dramatic hues and shades as the weather cools. And some spots are truly special in the fall, transforming into wonderlands of foliage displaying a true kaleidoscope of color. Here are five of the best places for leaf-peeping in the United States.
Skyline Drive, Virginia
Running a total of 105 miles, this is a signature drive that runs through Shenandoah National Park. Riding the mountaintops of the Blue Ridge, the vistas from 75 separate scenic overlooks sweep over neighboring flanks and the valley, far below. The leaves change by elevation; fall foliage becomes visible at above 3,500 feet in early October, and at lower altitudes later in the month. The whole drive should take about three hours, depending on how many stops you make, but there’s plenty more to do up there, including bike trails and sections of the Appalachian Trail to hike.
Sunrise in autumn at Shenandoah National Park. (LHBLLC/Shutterstock)Cadillac Mountain, Maine
Once you summit Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park, you’ll never forget the view. A total 360-degree panorama at the top of the highest point on the Eastern Seaboard stretches all the way to the Atlantic Ocean, with plenty of forests in between. Around the middle of October, maples turn red. Then, oaks and birches follow, creating a stunning mosaic with their yellows and oranges. Explore 45 miles of car-free carriage roads, then descend into beautiful Bar Harbor for a steaming bowl of seafood chowder (perfect on a chilly fall evening).
Traverse City, Michigan
Set on the shores of Lake Michigan, Traverse City might be one of America’s most underrated destinations. At nearby Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, 450-foot bluffs look out over vast expanses of water and the surrounding woods, whose colors peak in mid-October. Take scenic drives through birches, aspens, maples, and oaks, past smaller lakes and through covered bridges. Recommended: a modest, but spectacular, hike on the Empire Bluff Trail, where just 1.5 miles of walking will be rewarded with breathtaking views. Then, settle down for a nice evening in the city itself, strolling the charming Front Street, and perhaps grabbing a craft brew on a patio.
A view of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Mich. (Benedek/Getty Images)Stowe, Vermont
This is one of the most popular ski destinations in the Northeast during the winter months. In autumn, those same mountains explode with color. A noteworthy tip: The change gets started a little earlier here, with the peak of the season in late September and early October. Drive the Auto Toll Road up Mount Mansfield (Vermont’s tallest peak) to see the foliage on the Adirondacks and Green Mountains and around Lake Champlain. Or ride the Gondola SkyRide at Stowe Mountain Resort to literally swoop over the treetops.
Horses grazing amid a scenic fall view in Stowe, Vt. (WLDavies/Getty Images)Aspen, Colorado
Leaf-peeping in Colorado is a very different experience—and perhaps a more dramatic one, too—from that in the East. Here, the rounded Appalachians are replaced by the snow-capped Rockies. Near the world-famous ski town of Aspen, drive all the way up to 12,000 feet at Independence Pass to view groves of aspen that have turned a warm golden hue. Or, take a leisurely hike to the base of the Maroon Bells. These mountains are some of the most photographed in the United States, and they’re at their best in autumn, when the shores of Maroon Lake and the flanks of the Bells burst orange with aspen leaves. And again, a gondola ride is always a good idea, and a number of local ski resorts offer a bird’s-eye view of all that autumnal beauty as you ride to a summit.
This article was originally published in American Essence magazine.
