#fall-foliage

#fall-foliage

The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad takes passengers on scenic, round-trip journeys through North Carolina. You can opt for just a train ride, or choose a package that pairs a train ride with white-water rafting or ziplining. However, if you are planning to visit around leaf peeping season, be sure to book far in advance-tickets go fast. One of the most popular options on the railroad is the

Hop in your car or on a train, and you can find peak autumn energy a short distance from the city-with gorgeous scenery throughout the Hudson Valley, the Catskills, the Berkshires, the Adirondacks, and even into the quieter corners of Pennsylvania and New England. The properties you see below are so much more than just a place to rest your head.

30 minutes west of Lebanon, New Hampshire, is the cute-as-a-button town of Woodstock, Vermont. As the fall season ramps up, there's nothing more fulfilling to me than visiting a place where the air is filled with the smell of mulled apples, maple syrup, and the crisp cool of autumn. I've been heading north from New York City and Boston to Vermont since I was a kid. Now, I have a family of my own, and the Green Mountain State has become our little escape.

It is the world's first mountain-climbing railroad, and it was invented by New Hampshire native Sylvester Marsh, who thought there should be an easier way than hiking for people to visit the summit. The thought came to him during a hike up Mount Washington in 1857, when bad weather closed in on him and a friend, and the pair barely made it to the two hotels-the Summit House and Tip Top House -on top of the 6,288-foot peak.

The Old Farmer's Almanac has released its 2025 fall outlook, and for Lancaster, PA, the forecast calls for a cooler and drier-than-normal season. While the western half of the U.S. basks in lingering warmth, the Northeast and Appalachians-including Pennsylvania-are bracing for a brisk autumn. But while the state is seeing a cool down, several suburbs like Lancaster are having a red hot moment after being named among the top ZIP codes in the country this year.

The Old Farmer's Almanac has released its 2025 fall forecast, and for Cuyahoga Falls, OH, cooler-than-usual days are ahead. While much of the western U.S. will feel warmer-than-normal, the Northeast, Great Lakes, and Ohio Valley regions-including northeast Ohio-are in for a brisker, drier autumn. While a cool down is headed for the area, the suburb is still enjoying being dubbed a hot market after landing one the Realtor.com® 2025 Hottest ZIP Codes list.

As temperatures drop across the U.S. and Canada, the trees become an autumnal mix of red, yellow, and orange hues. Sure, you could appreciate the scenery from a car window, but to fully immerse yourself in the riot of color, lace up those hiking boots and hit one of the best fall trails from Upstate New York to British Columbia.

The fall colors in Minnesota don't get the attention of the foliage in Vermont or Maine, but while every other leaf peeper heads east this autumn, our tip is to head north, where you can experience two distinct peak foliage seasons. Along Minnesota's North Shore, which runs along Lake Superior between Duluth, Minnesota, and the Canadian border, there are two distinct fall foliage seasons: the colorful maple trees in the mountains, followed by the aspen and birch trees that run along the shore.

Larch trees, a type of deciduous conifer, are typically found east of the Cascade Crest throughout Washington's Cascade Mountains, as well as the broader Pacific Northwest and Canadian Rockies. Unlike other conifers, though, larches lose their needle-like leaves each fall. But first, they turn gold, blanketing the mountainsides of their high-altitude homes in a gilded hue. The spectacular vistas and short viewing window create the same foliage-spotting frenzy as the rest of the U.S., drawing huge crowds for Larch Madness season.

Few experiences compare to riding a vintage steam train that winds through the heart of the Rockies in the fall. The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad, North America's longest and highest steam railroad, takes passengers deep into landscapes that few people ever get the chance to see. Designated a National Historic Landmark, this remarkable route spans more than 64 miles of unspoiled wilderness, traversing the majestic scenery of Colorado and New Mexico.

Take full advantage of autumn's cooler temperatures and beautiful foliage by planning a fall road trip through the most scenic regions of the United States. Naturally, the prettiest state to visit depends on your road trip goals-cruise the Northeast to see the colorful changing leaves on a journey through mountain landscapes, or head south to the Gulf Coast, where you'll find foliage with a side of warmer weather and ocean views.

And as it does, the leaves begin their own slow evolution-putting on one final display of color before winter arrives. This unhurried transformation is well suited to Michigan's Mackinac Island, where life always moves a bit slower. Instead of cars, there are horse-drawn carriages, and the debate on who makes the best homemade fudge is ongoing. The island moves to its own beat-one that is noticeably slower than life on the mainland.

Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park is always gorgeous - but in my opinion, it's especially beautiful in the fall. By mid-September, the tall aspen trees in the park turn a brilliant gold, standing out against the high mountain peaks. Walking around Bear Lake is one of my favorite ways to take in the fall foliage. Just keep in mind that if you're visiting the park through mid-October, timed-entry reservations are required for certain parts of the day.

There will be drastic differences in fall foliage across this country this year,

The first report lands September 10 and will drop every Wednesday through November, courtesy of more than 90 volunteer "leaf peepers" stationed across New York's 11 vacation regions. Their job is to obsessively monitor tree lines and send in dispatches on everything from the percentage of color change to the best viewing spots for the upcoming weekend. In other words, you'll know exactly when it's worth leaving your couch for a road trip.

Two excellent interactive map tools can help reveal when the leaves are likely to change in your area. However, it should be noted that no tool is entirely accurate when predicting fall colors, and several factors, including local temperatures and rainfall, can affect when the leaves will change. Still, as September progresses into October and October into November, the leaves will continue to change through their cascade of seasonal colors, progressing from north to south.

Garner State Park, located in Concan, Texas, about three hours southwest of the Live Music Capital of the World. It's a popular destination for tubers who like to float the Frio River, but come fall, the park dazzles as trees turn from green to golden, orange, and red. Founded in 1941, Garner State Park is one of many parks built by the Civilian Conservation Corps, a program created by President Franklin Roosevelt to combat the unemployment crisis of the Great Depression.

there should still be plenty of time to enjoy outdoor activities without the need to bundle up. That's because meteorologists are now predicting that the Boston area will see an autumn that is warmer than average. Forecasters with the National Weather Service's Climate Prediction Center recently released a temperature outlook for September, October, and November. It shows that most of New England has a high chance of experiencing temperatures that are warmer than what is normally seen during the fall months.