15 Best Places To See Fall Foliage In The US In 2024

For many travelers, the Autumnal Equinox (which falls on September 22 this year) signals the beginning of an exciting and beautiful opportunity to explore new places and get out into nature: fall foliage season. With the best weeks for fall colors in the U.S. fast approaching, it's no surprise that Google searches like "best places to see fall foliage near me" and "best places to visit in fall USA" are up a staggering 5,000% in the last month. If you're among the many leaf peepers planning a trip to track down the most vibrant colors, you're in luck.

Here at Islands, we analyzed the most popular destinations to experience the glorious changing colors, and picked the top 15 best fall foliage spots where we're expecting to see an incredible display of autumn color this year. From New England gems like and Stowe, Vermont, Bar Harbor, Maine, and Boston to intriguing destinations such as Taos, New Mexico and Gatlinburg, Tennessee, this list has something for every fall foliage lover. While nature can be unpredictable, we're expecting a seasonal explosion of color this year — and you can see it all from some of our favorite hiking trails and scenic routes.

Static Media

Vermont fall foliage has travelers flocking to the Green Mountain state every year, longing to see some of the best autumnal colors in the U.S. Fall in Vermont's largest city, Burlington, is so popular that one of the city's boutique hotels actually set up a hotline for leaf peepers to call and get tips on where to see the best colors. According to our research, however, the much smaller town of Stowe, Vermont has the best of what Vermont's sprawling forests have to offer. If you're looking for craft beers from local breweries, a delicious farmers market every Sunday until October 20, and gorgeous hiking trails, Stowe may be the best choice. For peak peeping, make sure to check out Stowe's fall foliage between October 3-10.

Of course, there are plenty of other places to look in New England for pristine fall colors. Franconia, New Hampshire is nestled in the White Mountains and gives you easy access to the beautiful Franconia Notch State Park (pictured). While it doesn't have a particularly long peak foliage range, it is near more than 25 scenic hiking trails and is close to three scenic byways that you can take to see the fall color. Your best option may be to take I-93 through the mountains and admire the show through your windshield. You'll probably get the best views in the first week of October.

If you like the idea of walking around a pretty college town with a slightly hippie vibe, New Paltz, NY, is for you. Hike any of the more than 40 trails near the town to check out the fall color covering the landscape (pictured). You might want to start with the winding paths of Mohonk Preserve or hit the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail for an easy walk through the woods. From October 16-24, you'll be treated to an extraordinary show, as the leaves turn deep red and brilliant yellow. To complete the perfect relaxing autumn afternoon, stop by Manny's Art Supplies for a sketchbook and some colored pencils or watercolor paints so you can capture the beauty of the natural world for yourself.

For a totally different vibe, take a trip to Taos, New Mexico. This unique place is steeped in history and culture. The adobe homes there are worth a sightseeing trip on their own, but if you visit in the fall, you'll be rewarded with ribbons of deep orange and bright gold leaves crisscrossing the landscape. Taos is near no less than four scenic byways, but the most popular way to appreciate this incredible sight might be to drive the Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway, an almost three-hour journey that takes you by historic towns, ancient quartz rocks, and Taos Canyon, giving you ample opportunity to admire the New Mexico foliage. For the best views, plan to visit October 14-21.

For only about one week at the beginning of October, the tiny town of Lincoln, New Hampshire boasts some of the best fall foliage in the U.S. (pictured). It might be a short burst, but you still won't want to miss the show. New Hampshire's White Mountains may be home to the dangerous Presidential Traverse Hike, but with more than 75 hiking and scenic trails nearby, there are plenty of ways for trekkers of all skill levels to explore the region. While the view from the heights of the difficult Mount Lafayette and Franconia Ridge Trail Loop are impressive, you can have a relaxing experience walking the Franconia Falls Trail, spending about two and a half hours beneath a canopy of colorful leaves as you stroll to the waterfall.

New York fall foliage is expected to be exceptionally beautiful this year, and the best spot to see it might just be Lake Placid. Head up into the Adirondack mountains between September 30 and October 8 and find out for yourself why this place is so famous for its fall colors. You can check out the Riverside Drive Loop and see the brilliant reds and oranges of the leaves reflected in the Ausable River or get your heart pumping with the short, steep hike up Cobble Hill to admire the incredible, colorful landscape. History buffs won't want to skip a tour of the home and grave of American hero and abolitionist John Brown, which is also surrounded by gorgeous technicolor woods in the fall.

While you might not think of it as a setting for admiring nature, the area around Boston, Massachusetts is one of the top five best places to spot fall foliage this year thanks to its long period of peak foliage, its positioning near three scenic byways, and 36 nearby hiking and scenic trails. Without even leaving the city, you can walk its iconic Freedom Trail and learn about the history of the founding of the United States and admire the gold leaves that erupt all around Boston Common. If you're looking for something more rural, less than an hour from the heart of Boston is the gorgeous coastal World's End. Within sight of the Boston skyline, you can enjoy this landscaped area along the shore while taking in the fall color. Between October 29 and November 9, the colors will be especially vibrant.

Gatlinburg, Tennessee is located right in the Great Smoky Mountains, and every year its wild, green forests transform into brilliant reds, yellows, and oranges. This town knows how to help you get the most out of its position up in the mountains, even if you don't want to hike. From October 26 to November 3, you can get incredible views of the Smokies bathed in autumn color from above on the Gatlinburg Aerial Tramway, which takes visitors from the downtown into the sky on a more than 2-mile journey to a nearby amusement park. From there, if you're brave enough, you might want to try walking over the longest cable bridge of its kind in North America (pictured) or climbing the rope bridges to the top of the steel viewing platforms of The Tulip Tower.

Bar Harbor, Maine is known as the gateway to Acadia National Park, where you can experience the absolute most stunning sights that Maine has to offer. This park has famously beautiful hikes for fall foliage hues, from the quick and easy Jordan Pond Path to the more challenging Cadillac South Ridge Trail — both of which are ranked by AllTrails as being among the best fall foliage hikes in the United States. We noted an impressive 86 hiking and scenic trails around Bar Harbor. If you'd rather put your feet up and enjoy seeing the views drift by, consider Acadian Boat Tours, which leave from the Atlantic Oceanside Hotel in Bar Harbor. You can even bring your dog onboard with you.

According to our research, the absolute best place to enjoy the fall foliage this year is Asheville, North Carolina (pictured). This artsy little town can be found in the Blue Ridge Mountains and is less than an hour and a half from Great Smoky Mountains National Park. As noted on the town's website, it has one of the longest windows to see fall color on earth — though we recommend going sometime between October 23 and November 3 for the peak of the peak. It is also located near three scenic byways and more than 50 scenic hiking trails. If you want to come early in the season, head to the Graveyard Fields Loop Hike, where the fall color first emerges around little rushing waterfalls. If you're planning to arrive later in the season, head to the famous Chimney Rock for breathtaking views of the valley below.

In order to determine the very best spots for fall foliage in the United States this year, we analyzed the 54 places frequently considered to be the best leaf peeping towns and cities in the country. From there, we ranked these locations based on several different criteria: how long the leaves stay vibrant, how many nearby scenic byways there are to enjoy the foliage from the road, and how many hiking trails are in the vicinity so that you can explore the landscape on foot. While we shouted out our favorite routes and ways to see the peak foliage, we only selected places where there are many, many ways to enjoy the views. 

Finally, we chose the cities and towns that had the highest overall scores. In addition to the top 10 profiled here, the towns of Burlington, Vermont, North Conway, New Hampshire, Lake George, New York, Portland, Maine, and Aspen, Colorado also scored high. Our data, including the estimations of when the fall foliage will be at its peak, was finalized on September 13, 2024. Travelers heading out to these destinations may want to confirm that there have been no major changes by checking local reports and foliage maps as the dates get even closer.