6 scenic fall drives where you can get your foliage fix this year
Autumn's superb colors can be seen at DeSoto Falls. The park that's home to the waterfall is a perfect spot to hike and camp.
By Forrest Brown
The annual rituals of autumn – shoulder season vacations, football games, the unpacking of sweaters, the pumpkin spice tsunami – are upon us.
And then there’s perhaps the best of them all: the scenic fall drive.
Timing is everything when setting up the perfect fall drive.
If you want to increase your chances of seeing the leaves in their various colorful shades, check out this US foliage predictor map. Just remember peak leaf-viewing time might also mean peak traffic time. Plan accordingly, especially on weekends.
As for where to go, here are six route suggestions for 2025 scattered around the United States. And whether the leaves disappoint or dazzle, we’ve included plenty of other things to see and do when you pull the car over.
Ozark Run Scenic Byway, Missouri
This 80-mile (130-kilometer) drive through prime Ozark Mountain terrain got its official designation as a scenic byway in 2023. It’s already a source of pride in the Show Me State.
The byway “is where you’ll find some of our most beautiful natural landscapes – clear, spring-fed rivers, rocky bluffs, dense forest,” said Katie Blake, public relations specialist with Visit Missouri, in an email. “Along the way you’ll run across charming small towns and one of the state’s most magnificent state parks, Elephant Rocks State Park.” There, visitors can find giant boulders more than a billion years old.
Check with the Missouri Department of Conservation for color reports, usually starting in the second half of September.
Because of the rugged land, most major highways skipped the area. That’s a peaceful bonus for folks who want a leisurely trip in a somewhat isolated area.
Along the route or nearby:
• Old Village Mercantile in Caledonia has more than 600 varieties of old-fashioned candies sold in a building dating back to 1909.
• Mark Twain National Forest offers everything from hiking and horseback riding to kayaking and camping.
• Battle of Pilot Knob State Historic Site is for Civil War history buffs.
Find out more about the Ozark Run Scenic Byway here.
Lake Champlain Byway, Vermont
The little state of Vermont is a big deal in New England and beyond when it comes to scenic fall drives. And one way to take in the visual feast is on the 184-mile (297-kilometer) Lake Champlain Byway.
It “provides beautiful views of America’s sixth-largest lake, Lake Champlain, as well as of Vermont’s Green Mountains and New York’s Adirondack Mountains,” said Dan Albrecht, chair of Lake Champlain Byway Council, in an email.
With the right timing, you might glimpse the state’s maple and beech trees’ vibrant colors reflecting in the lake’s clear waters. To that end, Albrecht suggested visiting Vermont’s fall foliage tracker and using New England 511 to check on road and driving conditions.
Along the route or nearby:
• Vermont’s largest city, Burlington, offers a hip vibe, farm-to-table dining and quaint places to spend the night.
• The college town of Middlebury and Vergennes, the state’s first city, are the very definition of small-town New England charm.
• The ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain in Burlington is for science and nature lovers, especially the school-age ones.
• Grand Isle State Park, on an island of the same name in Lake Champlain, is a popular camping site. And farther south is Button Bay State Park, named for button-like formations along the shoreline.
Find out more about Lake Champlain Byway here.
Peter Norbeck National Scenic Byway, South Dakota
You’re in for a real treat – and some driving thrills – if you can make it to this achingly gorgeous, 70-mile (113-kilometer) byway in southwestern South Dakota.
“A masterpiece of artistic engineering, this byway includes spiraling bridges, hairpin curves, granite tunnels and awe-inspiring views,” says Katlyn Svendsen, global public relations director for Travel South Dakota.
“The Iron Mountain Road section … leads you around impressive wooden ‘pigtail’ bridges. Several tunnels carved through the granite mountain not only provide a transportation passage, but artistically frame the four faces on Mount Rushmore in the distance.”
As you ride, watch for mountain goats, deer and chipmunks.
Along the route or nearby:
• September and October are less busy than the summer months at colossal Mount Rushmore National Memorial.
• Custer State Park is home to almost 1,400 bison. There’s also plenty of biking and hiking in this Black Hills wonder. And don’t miss the alluring Sylvan Lake within the park.
• The Black Elk Wilderness is popular with climbers, hikers and horseback riders.
• Crazy Horse Memorial is a private mountain monument depicting the Lakota leader Crazy Horse. The monument is still under construction.
Find out more about Peter Norbeck National Scenic Byway here.
Laurel Highlands Scenic Byway, Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources says the state “has a longer and more varied fall foliage season than any other state in the nation.” That leaves a lot of options in a large state. Where to start?
“The Laurel Highlands region is annually ranked among the nation’s best destinations for fall foliage, and this 68-mile-long drive shows why,” says Eric Knopsnyder, director of public relations for GO Laurel Highlands.
“It features a diverse collection of deciduous trees that line mountain ridges and plunging river valleys, some of America’s favorite small towns and a UNESCO World Heritage Site [Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1935 house Fallingwater],” he said.
The second week of October is generally the peak for fall foliage, according to Visit Pennsylvania, but “changes in elevation and weather patterns mean that any trip from mid-September through the end of October should be a scenic one. “
Along the route or nearby:
• The small town of Ligonier is known for its Christmas atmosphere but is a nice visit year-round.
• Pletcher’s Farm Market offers a photo op with the “Great Pumpkin” and the chance to pick a pumpkin in just about any size or color.
• Baughman Rock Overlook is a popular vantage point for leaf peepers.
• Tired of driving? Put your legs to work on the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail.
Find out more about Laurel Highlands Scenic Byway here.
High Road to Taos Scenic Byway, New Mexico
Who would ever want to leave charming Santa Fe? One thing that could lure you out of the state capital would be the High Road to Taos Scenic Byway, a 76-mile route north to the famous ski town.
Nicole Barker, media relations manager with the New Mexico Tourism Department, says it takes about one hour and 45 minutes to drive without stops. But she suggested folks plan for a minimum of a half-day to fully enjoy the route. And what will you see?
“The route meanders through desert badlands, striking white geological formations and gold-drenched cottonwoods that line the Rio Nambe before winding through villages backdropped against Carson National Forest’s golden aspen groves and deep, dark evergreens blanketing the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo peaks,” Barker said.
Along the route or nearby:
• Santuario de Chimayó is an 1800s Catholic church that’s a National Historic Landmark. According to Barker, autumn is the perfect time to buy Chimayó red chile, which is only grown in the town of Chimayó.
• Folk-art gallery Eight Million Gods is in Truchas, an 18th-century Hispanic settlement turned artist enclave.
• Truchas Overlook “is also worth stopping for views of Quemado Valley and Truchas Peaks,” Barker said.
• “The High Road Art Trail makes it easy for visitors to locate studios and galleries,” Barker said. The High Road Artisans Studio Tour takes place in September 20-21 and 27-28.
Find out more about the High Road to Taos Scenic Byway here.
Appalachian Highlands Scenic Byway, Alabama
If you thought Appalachian beauty petered out in northern Georgia, this scenic byway in the northeastern part of this Deep South state will prove you delightfully wrong.
Its 80 miles are hilly and curvy in places, “but overall, it is not a white-knuckle drive,” said Jo Jo Terry, digital marketing strategist with the Alabama Tourism Department. “Fall colors will be more prevalent on the northern part of the trail. The scenery is beautiful all along the trail.”
Drivers will find lush vegetation, interesting geologic formations and quaint communities along the route.
Along the route or nearby:
• Cheaha State Park, on the southern end of the byway, is home to the highest point in Alabama and is known for its beautiful, panoramic views, Terry said.
• DeSoto State Park, on the northern end of the byway, features waterfalls and has hiking, camping and bird watching among its activities.
• Mentone is an arts and crafts community about 10 minutes from DeSoto State Park. The Wildflower Café “is a delicious and magical place to eat,” Terry said.
• The Little River Canyon National Preserve contains “one of the deepest and most extensive canyon and gorge systems in the eastern United States,” according to the US National Park Service.
Find out more about the Appalachian Highlands Scenic Byway here.
M-119, Michigan
The Great Lakes make for great scenery. And the state of Michigan has shoreline on three of ‘em — Michigan, Huron and Superior — making for a dizzying number of choices. David Lorenz, vice president of Travel Michigan, helps narrow down the options, singing the praises of M-119, tucked away in the northwest of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula.
It’s affectionately known as the “Tunnel of Trees,” Lorenz told CNN Travel. The roadway starts just outside of the town of Harbor Springs and extends 21 miles (33.8 kilometers) north to Cross Village. It hugs the coast of Lake Michigan, showcasing “some of the state’s most brilliant fall foliage sure to delight any traveler,” Lorenz said.
Follow this map and turn the drive into a scenic loop of about 50 miles, or a one-hour and 15-minute drive.
Along the route or nearby:
• Travel Michigan said Thorne Swift Nature Preserve in Harbor Springs is a great stop to get fall foliage photos.
• Good Hart General Store has an early 1900s era charm.
• No fear of heights? The pedestrian SkyBridge Michigan at Boyne Mountain Resort is 1,200 feet (366 meters) long and 118 feet high. It’s about 26 miles south of Harbor Springs.
• Enjoy the 46th Annual Apple Fest in Charlevoix, about 40 minutes southwest of Harbor Springs. The festival takes place October 10-12 this year.
Find out more about the M-119 here.
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