8 Best Places to Visit in the U.S. During Autumn

Autumn in the United States is something indeed special and magical. When the season returns, the air is chilly, the days are shorter and the scenery has turned to be a beautiful mix of red, gold and amber colors. The expansive nature of the country, with its foggy mountains and silent lakes, to busy towns and scenic highways, explodes into color, which gives the travelers the ideal reason to explore. Fall in the U.S. is not merely a season, it is an experience that includes pumpkin patches and harvest festivals and warm sweaters and picturesque drives that would look right on the cover of a postcard.

Stunning cliffs, mountains, meadows, and other amazing landscapes make the country a great destination whether one wants to take a relaxing trip to the countryside or an exciting road trip to see the fall. Autumn leaves its colors on every part of the country, from the golden aspens in Colorado to the burning maples in New England. Now grab your camera, your best jacket and a sense of wonder as these eight fall destinations in the U.S. will leave you with nothing less to wonder about.

1. New England

New England cannot be outdone in the fall. The last fall postcard is this area – Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island. Suppose we have winding roads and red maples, quaint villages, with white steeple churches, and market-stalls of farmers full of cider and pumpkins.

The countryside of Vermont, particularly in Stowe and Woodstock, is the most famous place in the world with its colorful foliage. The Golden and crimson leaves cover the White Mountains and the Kancamagus Highway in New Hampshire is one of the most picturesque roads in the U.S. Make sure you visit quaint cafes, shoot covered bridges and breathe in the mountain air which defines the season here.

2. Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee, and North Carolina

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, located on the border of Tennessee and North Carolina is a colorful wonderland in the end of September and the beginning of November. The 100-plus variety of trees in the park lay on a spectacular show-case, scarlet maples to golden birches.

Cades Cove and Clingmans dome are one of the places that photographers and hikers should not miss as they have stunning views with rolling hills that are covered with fall colors. Whatever you choose to do; hiking, scenic road trips or just sitting by the cabin fireplace the Smokies in autumn are sheer magic.

3. Aspen, Colorado 

There is not a single location that is as full of the golden light of fall as Aspen, Colorado – a town actually called so due to its well-known trees. It is amazing to see the shining aspen trees changing their colors to gold against the snow-white mountains.

To see the very pretty sights, go to the Maroon Bells, two giant mountains in the middle of a lake of reflection and a forest. The Roaring Fork River is also an ideal place to enjoy peaceful walks with the golden leaves in the reflection along the water. Fall in Aspen is also peaceful, romantic and memorable- it is a dream place that will be remembered by both nature enthusiasts and photographers.

4. Blue Ridge Parkway, Virginia and North Carolina 

The Blue Ridge Parkway is also known as America’s favorite drive; it covers a distance of more than 450 miles across Appalachian mountains, between the Shenandoah national park in Virginia and the great smoky mountains in North Carolina.

One of the most scenic byways in the U.S. is leaf-peeping which provides panoramic views, picnic sites and hike trails endlessly. With every turn, a new masterpiece of color can be seen – burnt orange oaks, crimson maples. You would not want to miss Mabry Mill, which is among the most photographed places in the Parkway, with reflections of hues of character in the millpond.

5. The Catskills, New York 

The Catskills are a short drive out of New York City and provide a relaxing escape with cool air and winding paths and unending autumnal beauty. It is the place where an outdoor lover would enjoy oneself the most with hiking, camping, fishing and scenic rail rides along the trail of forests that have been painted in reds and oranges of all shades.

Take a ride on the Catskill Mountain Railroad on a nostalgic fall foliage ride, or go to Woodstock, a quaint town with quaint shops and quaint cafes. The Catskills provide the best mix of adventure and fun in the wilderness as well as relaxation as an ideal weekend outing near the city.

6. Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

Shenandoah National Park is a dream of any painter in autumn with the area of over 200 thousand acres of natural wilderness. Its interminable woods of oak, hickory and maple tree echo with warm colors extending miles far.

One of the most scenic fall routes in America is the Skyline drive in the park that covers a distance of 105 miles across the Blue Ridge Mountains. It has more than 70 viewpoints, which give a panoramic view of the valley below, particularly at sunrise or sunset. It is common to find deer, black bears and hawks strolling along the route and every trip is an adventure on its own.

7. Door County, Wisconsin 

Door County is a Midwestern secret set in scenic autumn between Green Bay and Lake Michigan. The coastal villages, orchards and state parks of the region ensure that it is the ideal place to have a relaxing fall getaway.

Harvest your own apples at local orchards, drive through the colorful woods at the Peninsula State Park or have a more isolated experience on a ferry to Washington Island. The coasts of Door County with their historical lighthouses and small towns are also the paradise of a photographer in the fall.

8. Napa Valley, California

Although Napa Valley is most recognized as the place of the best wines in the world, it is also gorgeous during autumn. When the harvest season sets in, the vineyards are turned into golden and crimson scenery, and the valley is filled with life.

Tour wine tasting, join harvest dazzles, or get in a hot-air balloon flight to see the vineyards flying. Napa in fall is the place that offers all the romance, luxurious comfort, and nature that can be absorbed in perfect harmony and mix with the smelling of grapes, sunset colors, and fresh air.

Final Thoughts

Autumn in America is a festival of transition – a time when the earth is closing in on itself, and is charged out with the strongest colour it can possess, before the cold settles down. Driving along the meandering roads of New England, hiking in the golden woods of Colorado or taking a glass of wine in the vineyards of California, these places display the finest of fall has to offer.

Thus, when you feel as though you need the right moment to plan your next trip, allow the hues of autumn to lead you. There is nothing in this world that is as beautiful as the U.S in the best shades of autumn.