The fall weekend trips worth planning — small towns with peak foliage, orchard stops, and a coffee shop worth the drive. Peak color dates included so you book the right weekend. Saved for my own someday trip 🍂
Foliage peaks mid-to-late October, right on the edge of Acadia National Park — coastal trails in the morning, a bookstore and cider in the afternoon. Best for: sweater-weather weekends.
Visit Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park
A Catskills Main Street village with brightly painted buildings, cafes, and antique shops — Kaaterskill Falls (a 260-ft two-tier cascade) and Hunter Mountain are minutes away. Best for: a 48-hour foliage reset.
Discover Your Perfect Getaway
Aspen groves turn gold on the back roads above town, and the mineral hot springs sit a short walk from downtown — home of the world's largest hot springs pool. Best for: fall color and a soak in the same weekend.
Glenwood Springs, CO — Fall Color & Hot Springs
Home of Quechee Gorge (Vermont's deepest) and the covered bridge over the Ottauquechee — fiery maples peak in the first two weeks of October. Best for: the quintessential New England foliage weekend.