The Best Fall Foliage Spots in the United States

Fall foliage, contrary to what everyone may tell you, is not just a New England thing. For most of the country there are great places to see leaf color change not too far away. While New England has been most famous for its foliage, other parts of the country have equally stunning leaf color with mountain backdrops, rock canyon vistas, lakeside scenes, or sprawling vineyards.

Intro image of fall foliage available at AllPosters.com.

Often overlooked are the southwestern states for foliage, but it's a great time to visit or view the foliage. Northern Arizona, New Mexico and and southern Utah, including the National Parks, will peak in mid-October. This means cooler temps in the desert region, making for easier hiking and the bonus of fall colors added to the already wide spectrum of red and brown canyons.

Try Arches, Zion or Canyonlands National Park in Utah, or the red rocks of Sedona. Northern Utah, western Colorado and western Wyoming will peak in early October/late September. Here you'll find the beautfiul parks of The Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, the Rocky Mountains (and Rocky Mountain National Park), and more, along with Salt Lake City and the grand views of Hells Canyon in Idaho.

Washington, Oregon, and the inland areas of northern California, including Napa, Lake Tahoe and Yosemite National Park will peak much later, in mid-late October. Here you'll find a wide variety of colors including the intense purples and reds from Napa and Sonoma harvest, the beautiful contrast of Yosemite National Park's granite rocks and multicolored leaves, and the always fun, intriguing Lake Tahoe. Also, you'll see some color in inland Oregon and Washington.

Fall foliage is something that lurks everywhere on the east coast, in pockets and hidden spots. You can find it on a creek, near the ocean, high in the mountains, or in the center of a busy city. These books will give you an idea on where you can find these leaf peeper hot spots all across the United States.

Skip over to the midwest and you'll find more foliage in mid-October in the states of Iowa, southern Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

The Appalachian Trail is beautiful and worth the ride, you'll see gorges, orchards, scenic trails, and mountains...this part runs along West Virginia and features several large parks and scenic areas.

The Northern Midwest, the Great Lakes Region, peaks in early October. This includes Wisconsin, northern Minnesota, the northern Michigan peninsula, and northern Michigan. The Great Lakes area has some awe-inspiring water views, lighthouses, rocky cliffs, sand dunes and pine forests.

A visit to Sleeping Bear Dunes in Michigan or Pictured Rocks National Seashore will greet you with beatuful contrast of the sienna grass against the rocks and light blue autumn skies.

If you're looking for a long, relaxing, yet utterly breathtaking drive to see fall colors, there is no drive better known than the Blue Ridge Parkway. This road traverses the mountainous border between Tennessee and North Carolina, and covers a majestic 469 miles. That's more miles than driving from Boston to Washington D.C.!

The Blue Ridge Parkway also has the benefit of being a late bloomer in fall color, peaking in mid to late October. That's a few weeks beyond the peak times of the northeast, so you can space out your journey from your recent summer vacations.

The main purpose of the Parkway is to connect Shenandoah National Park and Great Smoky Mountain National Park, and offers gorgeous in late October. Along the route and nearby, you'll find small towns like Blowing Rock Brevard, and Asheville.

Above: Linville Gorge, North Carolina, near the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Northern Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi and South Carolina won't peak until early November, just before Thanksgiving! There's still plenty of foliage down south.

Most of Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and North Carolina will peak in late October. However, the Appalachian area will peak a few weaks earlier in early-mid October. The Blue Ridge Parkway and the Smoky Mountains are a favorite area for fall foliage, with the breathtaking mountain views, rolling autumn fog, and countryside appeal. Visit Smoky Mountain National Park for the ultimate experience.

It's just not true that foliage can only be seen in the northeastern states of the USA. Great fall color can be seen throughout the country, from Northern California to the Western Carolinas, even into Georgia! Below are some great spots for leaf peeping in the South, including one of the best in the country, the Great Smoky Mountains.

Finally, the Northeast will peak in early October for the most part. New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, southern New York (including New York City and Central Park), and southern Massachusetts will peak in late October. Northern New England peaks in late September through early October.

The city will offer great views, like Manhattan's Central Park, or visit Long Island for a fall experience including pumpkin patches, coastal retreats and sandy beaches.

Connecticut will offer beautiful rolling hills along the Connecticut River Valley, and Rhode Island's rocky coast will provide stark difference to the inland foliage.

The Blue Hills of Massachusetts offer grand views of the city of Boston and hillside walks. This area will peak in late October, along with most of the rest of coastal Massachusetts.

The Hudson River Valley of New York and the Berkshire Mountains of Western Massachusetts will peak in mid-October. These areas offer unmatched riverside viewpoints, brilliant foliage, rough rock-filled mountains and quaint village towns. Camping, hiking, fishing, and shopping will be abundant. Be sure to bring your camera!

Upstate New York, southern Vermont, southern New Hampshire and most of Maine will exhibit peak foliage color in early October. The Green Mountains of Vermont and the White Mountain region of New Hampshire are argued as the best in the country in terms of fall leaf color display.

Small towns along the ride in Vermont and New Hampshire will give you the ultimate autumn experience. Try taking a ski-lift up the mountains in middle Vermont, and you'll see babbling brooks, white birch with fire-intensity oranges and yellows against the tall pines. Maine as well, will offer unparalleled vistas of the coastline paired with the foliage, however it might be more intense inland. Northern Vermont and New Hampshire will peak earlier, in the last week or so of September.

Where have you been lately that the foliage was outstanding? Share it with the world here!

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