Autumn Road Trip Classics: 9 States For The Best Fall Foliage Drives
Crisp air, apple farm stops, and miles of color. If fall gets you itching for the open road, this list is your go-to. These nine states serve up the best leaf-peeping drives in the country, from maple-draped byways to lakefront overlooks. Expect bright reds, warm golds, and plenty of cozy small-town stops along the way.
Vermont
Vermont delivers peak color with classic barns, rolling hills, and tidy village greens. Route 100 runs north to south through the heart of the state, and it is legendary for a reason. You get covered bridges, farm stands, and winding lanes framed by sugar maples. The Green Mountain Byway around Stowe pairs well with a scenic gondola ride and cider doughnuts.
- Don’t miss: Waterbury to Stowe via the Green Mountain Byway, plus backroads near Waitsfield.
- Bonus loop: Molly Stark Byway for moody ridgelines and gold-toned valleys.
For planning, check this roundup of scenic routes and byways across the state, including the Green Mountain Byway and Stone Valley Scenic Byway at Vermont Scenic Drives.
Vermont – Route 100 Highlights
Small towns link together like beads on a string. Pull over often. You will find farm markets, mill ponds, and mountain pullouts made for photos.
Vermont – Mad River and Stowe Area
Expect a tight blend of dramatic hills and tight-knit villages. Add a short hike to stretch your legs and catch long views of layered color.
New Hampshire
New Hampshire brings bold hardwood color, mountain passes, and granite notches. The Kancamagus Highway, known as “the Kanc,” is the star. It cuts through the White Mountain National Forest with hairpin curves, scenic overlooks, and trailheads right off the road. The White Mountain Trail loop adds covered bridges and classic New England villages.
Get a helpful overview of scenic foliage routes, including the Kancamagus Highway and White Mountain Trail, from the state’s tourism site at 7 Scenic Foliage Drives.
New Hampshire – The Kancamagus Highway
Start in Conway and track west to Lincoln, or reverse it. Watch the elevation shifts. Color pops differently on each side of the pass.
New Hampshire – Notch Country
Crawford and Franconia Notch frame your drive with big walls of rock and long valleys of blazing maples and birch.
Maine
Maine’s fall color reaches from the craggy coast to deep, quiet lakes. Coastal Route 1 threads together harbor towns and lighthouse views with bursts of crimson along salt marshes. Inland, the Rangeley Lakes Scenic Byway offers hillside vistas, waterfalls, and calm water that mirrors the trees.
Acadia National Park’s Park Loop Road is a color-loaded classic. Dawn or late afternoon gives you warm light, glassy ponds, and smooth driving. Finish with a cup of chowder in Bar Harbor, then wander past porch pumpkins and sea air.
Maine – Rangeley Lakes Scenic Byway
This one feels timeless. Slow curves, frequent overlooks, and a mix of conifers and hardwoods for rich contrast.
New York
New York shines across the Adirondacks, Catskills, and the Finger Lakes. The Adirondack Loj Road near Lake Placid gives you postcard views with every bend. Around Keene Valley, mountain walls frame a wild palette of reds and oranges. In the Catskills, follow Route 28 for river valleys, stone walls, and artist towns with harvest markets.
Finger Lakes wine country adds rolling hills, vineyards, and waterfalls under a canopy of gold. Scenic drives around Keuka and Seneca Lakes stand out, with long lake views and easy tasting room stops. Time it with harvest weekends for the best local flavor.
Adirondack High Peaks
Expect dramatic color gradients that change with elevation. Pull into roadside trailheads to catch quick half-mile views.
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania has some of the longest fall color seasons in the Northeast. Route 6 across the northern tier delivers a calm, rural drive with classic small towns and covered bridges. Near Wellsboro, Pine Creek Gorge, known as the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania, offers sweeping overlooks with deep, layered color.
The Laurel Highlands add rolling farmland, stone churches, and covered bridges near Ohiopyle. Waterfalls glow under golden beech and sugar maple. It feels idyllic and low-key, with easy loops and plenty of picnic spots.
Pennsylvania Route 6 and Pine Creek Gorge
Stop at Leonard Harrison State Park for the big views, then continue west for farm stands and classic diners.
Michigan
Michigan pairs bold color with blue water and charming lake towns. The M-22 loop around the Leelanau Peninsula is a fall favorite, with rolling vineyards, dunes, and steep bluffs over Lake Michigan. Color pops best on the inland stretches, then you round a bend and see glittering water below.
Farther north, the Upper Peninsula shines on routes near Houghton, Copper Harbor, and the Porcupine Mountains. Look for overlooks where ridgelines pour into Lake Superior. Quiet, wide-open, and dramatic. If you like long, unbroken drives with little traffic, this is your spot.
Michigan – Leelanau and M-22
Work your way past Suttons Bay, Leland, Glen Arbor, and Empire. Add a dune overlook for the full effect.
Minnesota
Minnesota’s color season sweeps from the North Shore to bluff country along the Mississippi. Highway 61 from Duluth to Grand Marais serves up a greatest hits reel of maple reds and lake blues. Waterfalls at Gooseberry Falls and Tettegouche glow with bright sugar maple backdrops, and every wayside opens to fresh views.
In southeast Minnesota, the Great River Road hugs limestone bluffs and sleepy river towns. Expect gold cottonwoods, amber oaks, and eagle sightings over the backwaters. Farm stands sell apples and honey, and the views from scenic overlooks run for miles.
minnesota – North Shore Favorites
Drive point to point between state parks. The turns are easy, the pullouts are frequent, and the water adds drama to every frame.
Minnesota – Mississippi River Bluffs
Take the river route through Red Wing, Lake City, and Wabasha. Bluffs rise and fall, and the color follows the curves.
Colorado
Colorado combines aspens and high peaks for a different kind of fall show. The leaves flash bright gold, and when the sun hits, they almost shimmer. The San Juan Skyway around Durango, Silverton, and Ouray is a dream loop, with alpine valleys, mining towns, and photo stops every few miles.
Closer to the Front Range, Peak to Peak Scenic Byway strings together Nederland, Estes Park, and high meadows of quaking aspen. Elevation changes mean a rolling peak season. Start high and work lower, or flip it for the late show.
Colorado – San Juan Skyway
This loop packs variety, from rugged passes to broad basins. The aspens create long ribbons of color that spill down the mountainsides.
Oregon
Oregon’s fall color blends evergreens, vine maples, and bigleaf maples into a rich tapestry. The Columbia River Gorge pops with scarlet vine maples against dark basalt cliffs. Pullouts along Historic Columbia River Highway offer waterfall stops with quick walks to overlooks.
Further south, the McKenzie Pass and Santiam Pass areas light up with bright aspen pockets, lava fields, and river views. In wine country, country lanes twist through vineyards and orchards, where gold leaves hang over cellar doors and farm stands.
Oregon – Columbia River Gorge
Waterfalls, viewpoints, and a river canyon that feels cinematic. Colors peak quickly at higher elevations, then drift downriver as the season rolls on.
Conclusion
Leaf season moves fast, but a well-chosen route makes it feel easy. These nine states bring signature color, scenic overlooks, and classic small-town stops that fit right into a fall weekend. Pick a region, map a loop, and give yourself time for views. The best drives reward a slow roll and a few extra miles for the detours you will want to take.
