Ready to start planning your trip on the best route to see the foliage fall in autumn, a week-long vacation, or even a quick overnight? We've scrutinized countless reviews and hundreds of photos to compile the biggest highlights of fall for solo trips, couples' getaways, and family vacation destinations. Keep reading Top 10 Best Places to See Fall Foliage in America to discover the one that's best for you.
1 Outer Banks, North Carolina
The Outer Banks area is notorious for shipwrecks and wildlife (Image: internet)
Best for: Beach lovers and wildlife enthusiasts
The Outer Banks area is famous for shipwrecks, wildlife (it's one of the few places where you can still spot wild horses roaming freely in North America), and long stretches of sand that invite lazy summer days. This picturesque barrier archipelago off the coast of North Carolina is also a great fall getaway. Autumn ushers in a patchy patch of color. Not-so-crowded beaches and great fishing are also on the list of off-season selling points of the Outer Banks Road excursion.
Highlights
You can take a horseback riding excursion on Hatteras Beach.
The trails at Currituck Banks National Estuary Preserve take visitors into marine forests and wetland areas.
2 Niagara Falls, New York
Niagara Falls is a top spot to witness Mother Nature perform her magic (Image: internet)
Best for: Families with children
Niagara Falls is a top spot to witness Mother Nature perform her magic. This family destination in New York State has vibrant forests, fast-flowing waterfalls, and unique vantage points (such as Goat Island and the Rainbow Bridge) to delight your eyes at the fall foliage. Due to its special microclimate characteristics, the tree changes leaves later than the rest of the region, making visits in mid to late October an important time.
High Light:
The Cave of the Winds, a tour that takes you up close to the falls, is a top-rated attraction for good reason. (Just remember to bring a hooded raincoat.)
Board the Maid of the Mist for an up-close look at Horseshoe Falls.
3 Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Grand Prismatic Spring is one of the most exciting attractions on the planet (Image: internet)
Best for: Nature lovers and wildlife enthusiasts
Yellowstone National Park is beautiful all year round. With that said, photographers and nature lovers alike claim that this is one of the many national parks that look more prominent in autumn. And there is plenty of visual evidence to substantiate that claim. When autumn comes, the mountains are covered with a strip of colors, diminishing crowds and abundant wildlife.
High Light:
Grand Prismatic Spring is one of the most exciting attractions on the planet.
If you're lucky, you might see a male elk.
4 Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
A helicopter ride offers an unforgettable perspective and really shows the colossality of the Grand Canyon (Image: internet)
One of the most iconic and photographed tourist attractions in the Americas, Grand Canyon National Park is the definition of a bucket list destination. Activities like helicopter rides or train rides show the canyon in all its glory and are fun for the whole family. What is the best time to go? For our money, it should be in the fall—specifically, in late September to early October, when the leaves turn a color resembling layered strips of red stone. Mild temperatures and fewer crowds are just an added bonus.
High Light:
A helicopter ride offers an unforgettable perspective and truly shows the colossality of the Grand Canyon.
The Grand Canyon Railroad departs from the historic train depot in the town of Williams and runs along a scenic route to the Grand Canyon's South Rim—one of the best train tracks in America.
5 Whitefish, Montana
Whitefish, Montana (Image: internet)
Best for: Nature lovers and outdoor sports enthusiasts
Big Sky Country is undeniably charming. And Whitefish—the gateway to Glacier National Park—certainly fits that category. Now it's time to take a trip on Montana roads; The "secret season" brings clear blue skies, sunshine and captivating colors. Aspen trees and tamarack trees turn golden yellow in early October. Whether you enjoy hiking, stand-up paddleboarding, canoeing, or cycling, active activities will be indispensable. Craving some R&R? Book a therapeutic massage or a restorative yoga class.
High Light:
Glacier National Park is the last outdoor playground.
Whitefish Mountain Resort Bike Park consists of more than 20 miles of trails.
6 Adirondacks, New York
Source: DIANA ROBINSON PHOTOGRAPHY/GETTY IMAGES
Take a tour of the Adirondack Mountains in Upstate New York if you want to see the beautiful fall foliage. You can find more than 5,000 square miles of red, yellow and orange leaves throughout the mountains. Visitors to the area can see the most beautiful foliage in the Placid Lake Region, Saranac Lake Region, Tupper Lake Region an
7 Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee
Source: DAN REYNOLDS PHOTOGRAPHY/GETTY IMAGES
If you're looking for a place to see the fall colors in late fall, consider taking a trip to the Great Smoky Mountains. The peak leaf season comes from mid-October to early November. You can catch the best views of the transitional fall leaves, on trees up to 4,000 feet tall throughout the area by driving on Clingmans Dome Road, Blue Ridge Parkway, or Foothills Parkway.
8 Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee
Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee (Image: internet)
If you're looking for a place to see the fall colors in late fall, consider taking a trip to the Great Smoky Mountains. The peak leaf season comes from mid-October to early November. You can catch the best views of the transitional fall leaves, on trees up to 4,000 feet tall throughout the area by driving on Clingmans Dome Road, Blue Ridge Parkway, or Foothills Parkway.
9 Trail Ridge Street, Colorado
The path starts from Estes Park (Source: WESTEND61/GETTY IMAGES)
Stretching over 48 miles, the Ridge Trail in Rocky Mountain National Park offers some of the best foliage views each fall in Colorado. The path starts from Estes Park and continues to Grand Lake, and is also home to wildlife such as elk, bighorn sheep and elk in the area. The peak of the color show begins in late September and lasts until early October.
10 Kancamagus Highway, New Hampshire
See the vibrant foliage (Source: DENIS TANGNEY JR./GETTY IMAGES)
The Kancamagus Highway—known locally as The Kanc—takes you to an altitude of just under 3,000 feet at the highest point on the slopes of Mount Kancamagus. Every year, leaf watchers across the country drive their cars on the winding roads and gaze at the brilliant foliage. Hiking trails, waterfalls, and quaint gift shops are all exits of the route near the picturesque town of Lincoln.
11 Connecticut River Valley, New England
The Connecticut River Valley stretches south 406 miles across four states (Source: DENIS TANGNEY JR./GETTY IMAGES)
The protected natural areas along this winding waterway (visible from Routes 154, 82 and 434) remain alive until November. The Connecticut River Valley stretches south for 406 miles across four states, considered the longest river in New England. Along with the foliage, bed inns, antique shops, opera houses. If you don't want to drive, you can always hitchhike on the Essex Steamboat and boat on the river, starting the round trip, narrated from historic 19th-century Essex Station.
