Colorful Autumn

Alaska

At Denali National Park the autumn colors can be seen with a backdrop of Denali, the highest point in North America. While you’re admiring the changing colors you might also see wildlife like moose, bears, and elks. Since autumn come early to Alaska if you are journeying to see the changing of the season it is best to travel in early October.

California

You can see lovely changes of the season in Julian, a former gold-mining town. The town is located just north of Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. To catch all the colorful hues you can hike the perimeter of Lake Cuyamaca, go uphill on the Volcan Mountain and Garnet Peak Trails. Some of the most colorful autumn leaves can be found at Three Sisters Falls.

Visitors enjoy apple picking time here at the Volcan Valley Apple Farm or Calico Ranch Orchard.

Colorado

Aspen might be a skier’s dream in the wintertime but it is also lovely when the autumn colors come around. You can see shimmery golden trees and spot leaves of orange and yellow which look particularly beautiful against the backdrop of snow-capped mountains. Take a bike ride up the Rio Grande Trail to see all the colors up close.

Georgia

Brasstown Bald is the highest point in the mountainous northeastern part of Georgia. It also offers lovely and colorful autumn foliage which looks breathtaking when see atop the viewing deck. From this viewpoint you can see the changes in colors in Georgia, both Carolinas, and Tennessee.

Take a closer look at the lovely colors at Anna Ruby Falls.

Idaho

The beauty of autumn can be seen in the Sawtooth National Forest in central Idaho. You can glimpse the many trees changing color in yellow, orange, and red. There are maples, aspens, tamaracks, and birches. To see the beauty up close you can hike along Fishhook Creek Trail. Other trails are Sawtooth Lake and Bench Lakes Trails.

Maryland

Deep Creek Lake State Park in Garrett County has many ways to catch the autumn foliage by foot, car, or boat. You can also hike or bike the many trails and see all the changing colors up close. With six marinas at the park you can choose to take a boat on the water and see the colors from the lake.

For more lovely autumn colors there is Elk Neck State Park in the northeast offering unique scenery with sandy beaches, white clay cliffs, and dense forests shimmering in autumn colors. To get a great view of all the foliage head for Turkey Point Lighthouse and climb to the top and you can see Chesapeake Bay and the Elk Neck River.

Michigan

The Upper Peninsula provides lovely coastal scenery, bordering three of the Great Lakes you can see the changing autumn colors driving across the Mackinac Bridge and along the Keweenaw Peninsula.

Among the most colorful spots is Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

Minnesota

North Shore of Minnesota offers the loveliest autumn colors as it stretches from the shores of Lake Superior and the town of Duluth to the base of the tallest waterfall in the state.

New York

Upstate New York has some of the loveliest autumn foliage in the Adirondack Mountains and there are festivals that run almost every weekend through October. You can also see amazing colors in the Catskill Mountains, where the famous “Five State Lookout” in East Windham lets you see the colorful leaves in New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Connecticut with views all around.

You can even take a hike to the summit of Mount Utsayantha in the Catskills for a 360-degree autumn foliage experience. You can also get a bird’s eye view of the colors by taking the scenic skyride at Hunter Mountain.

North Carolina/Tennessee

Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the place to catch the change of colors in autumn particularly from mid-October to early November. You can see a sea of red, yellow, and orange.

Take a hike to Looking Glass Falls to enjoy them up close.

Pennsylvania

Pine Creek Gorge in central Pennsylvania in the Tioga State Forest offers many lovely autumn colors. The colors seem to come right at you as you hike along the various trails.

For a really special experience in the autumn take the 62-mile Pine Creek Rail Trail, a bike route that takes you through the colorful canyon and between charming small towns.

Virginia

Shenandoah National Park is home to the famous 105-mile Skyline Drive where you can see a multitude of colors like red, orange, yellow, and brown.

Another famous drive is the Blue Ridge Parkway that climbs to an elevation of thousands of feet starting in central Virginia and ending in the Cherokee National Forest. The most beautiful color changes occur from mid-September.

Washington

Chuckanut Drive located just north of Seattle has plenty of autumn colors to offer along its twisting roads of State Route 11. Among the dense pines you can see the vivid yellows and oranges that burst out each autumn.

West Virginia

Harpers Ferry offers some dramatic autumn scenery especially at the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers in the Blue Ridge Mountains. To catch all the autumn colors you can take some hikes like one to Jefferson Rock with the natural rock formation. There is the four-hour round-trip trek to the Maryland Heights Trail offering a bird’s eye view of the town, rivers, and mountains. The Highland Scenic Highway stretches through the Monongahela National Forest and reaches an elevation of 4,500 feet offering amazing views all around.

Wisconsin

Door County is referred to as “the Cape Cod of the Midwest” It sits on the shores of Lake Michigan. To catch the colorful autumn scenery you can hike or kayak through Peninsula State Park or visit the Newport National Park which is bright with autumn colors.

Take a look at the scenic Cana Island Lighthouse lovely with foliage all around.