Follow the Foliage Trail

Enjoy the autumn leaves with a bit of outdoor recreation. This is a classic outdoor activity for families in the fall!

Updated: May 17, 2023

Follow the Foliage Trail

This autumn, when leaf-peeping begins to peak across the country, why not involve your family in a classic outdoor activity -- get a front seat on the action! Hike a nature trail, bike through a national forest, canoe by colorful scenery -- even soar in a hot air balloon! Here are some of the best places in America to catch the changing leaves. For up-to-date foliage reports, additional locations, and travel routes, call the National Forest Service at (800)354-4595 or Tauck Tours' Fall Foliage Hot Line at (800)214-8209, or AMTRAK at (800)USA-RAIL.

In Vermont and New Hampshire follow routes through the White Mountains and Green Mountain National Forest, and along the White River. In Maine visit Arcadia National Park and the White Mountain National Forest. New York's Adirondack and Catskill Mountains are also a great choice.

In Pennsylvania, visit the Poconos and Dutch Country. In Virginia, start with the Blue Ridge Mountains. Heading south, see the Appalachian Mountains and the Chattahoochee and Oconee National Forests in Georgia. Most of Kentucky is primed for leaf-peeping.

In the mid-west head for the Hiawatha and Ottawa National Forests in Michigan; the Northwoods of Wisconsin and Apostle Islands of Lake Superior; and the Superior National Forest in Minnesota.

In Missouri, visit the Mark Twain National Forest. Lake of the Ozarks and Branson area of Arkansas are also good bets.

Try mountain passes around Colorado's Glenwood Springs and McClure Pass; Maroon Bells near Aspen and the Vail area; and the Red Rock area in Utah.

Visit the Cascades in Washington and Oregon; the eastern Sierra Nevadas in California; and the Coconino, Prescott and Coronado National Forests in Arizona.

Find more outdoor activities for the fall.

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