The fall season is when plant-blind people suddenly find themselves in love with leaves, looking out of office windows and snapping photos of the new colors.
It can all be over before you even think of going to the best places to see it. We have put together a list of the top leaf-peeping spots in the US.
New England is known for its fall colors. The sweeps of red and gold are unparalleled if you visit at the right time. Much of the credit can go to the sugar maple, native to the northeast and adjacent parts of Canada, but a host of other trees also add to the palette.
The peak foliage locations in Vermont are tracked through autumn by multiple services. The leaf peeping season can start as early as the first week of September and last through the middle of October. Foliage colors peak in September and October.
Take a road trip to see Vermont's fall landscapes.
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The autumnal equinox is the same day on every calendar in the north, but the trees aren't paying much attention. The higher you go the sooner the colors will change. A mixture of colors and different tree species can be found on the Blue Ridge Parkway, which spans from Virginia to North Carolina. The maples here are different from the sugar maples up north, and you can find a lot of other trees.
Depending on the elevation, the colors peak along the Blue Ridge Parkway in October. You can go to higher altitudes in early October to see the leaves change. There are maps on the internet that show cities, major highways and peak color dates.
The Blue Ridge Mountains are in the USA.
Most of the western US, including Oregon, is known for its vast evergreen forests and leaves that fall. I apologize to evergreens. There are many surprises in the forests of the West. There are many waterfalls in the Columbia River Gorge, including the famous Multnomah Falls, which can be seen from an autumn drive through the Gorge. Take the full Mt. A three- to four-hour drive that follows the Columbia River and then circles back around the snowcapped peak of Oregon's tallest mountain is called the Hood scenic loop.
The fall colors in this region of Oregon peak in October. Sign up for a hiking and biking adventure into the Columbia River Gorge with Around Portland Tours.
Southwest Oregon is a great place to go for an outdoor adventure.
The fall colors in the desert of Utah's Zion National Park are unlike any other time of the year. You won't find the vast forests all changing color at once like in New England, but what you will see is just as striking: spots of brilliant crimson maples, burnt-orange oaks and vibrant yellows of box elders and cottonwood tracing the creek, all set against the striking An easy tour of the trees of Zion National Park is provided by the Emerald Pools trail. You can have hidden maple groves all to yourself if you lose the crowds.
Zion's higher elevation peaks in color in early to mid- October, but at lower elevation and along the Virgin River, colorful foliage can last until mid-November.
Utah has national parks.
Between the summer and winter ski seasons, the town of Telluride has a lot of visitors. The most beautiful season of all is when the aspens turn gold. The quaking aspens look like they are rippling with golden light because of the slightest breeze. You can take the gondola up the mountain for free. Hike down through the aspens from the sky at your leisure.
You can expect leaves in Telluride to start showing their colors in mid-September. The most up-to-date color-changing information can be found in the Forest Service's San Juan National Forest fall color report.
The best hikes in Colorado are in the mountain range.
Minnesota has a lot of lakes, but also a lot of rivers. The logging town of Stillwater is located on the banks of the St. Croix River and overlooks Wisconsin. In the fall, the hills along the St. Croix light up with orange and red leaves. You can cross the river on the St. Croix crossing bridge if you want.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resource's Fall Color Finder can be used to find out when the fall colors will peak.
State parks are the best in Minnesota.
It doesn't mean you've tasted too much of the local Bourbon if you see colors around Louisville You don't have to leave Kentucky to enjoy the changing of the seasons. The colorful fall foliage makes the Old Louisville row of Victorian-era homes more atmospheric. There are 50 miles of bike trails along the Ohio River and Floydsfork in Louisville. You can take a short drive south of the city to Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest, which has more than 40 miles of trails open to walkers and bikers.
Fall color changes can start as early as September in higher, mountainous regions of Kentucky, which is nearly half of the land area. It is possible to see color peaks in October and November.
The best museums in Louisville have great collections.
Who made the decision that the leaves weren't worth a trip? Fern Canyon will tell the truth. The 60ft high sheer walls of the creek canyon set back from the California coast are covered in mosses and ferns. It is easy to see why Steven Spielberg used it as a shooting location. In the summer months, footbridges help hikers cross the creek, but it's a good idea to get wet the rest of the year. If you want quiet and people-free photos, you should hit the park early.
October and November are peak leaf-peeping times. As the leaves change, you can check out the California Fall Color Map for the most up-to-date information.
There are many national parks in California.
The article was first published about a year ago.
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