With cool temperatures and colorful leaves as a springboard for hiking, biking, and kayaking, the best mountain towns in the U.S. feel especially welcoming in the fall months. The fresh air builds an appetite for autumn treats, too, especially when you throw in apple picking, corn mazes, and Halloween vibes for good measure.
If you're in the mood for a fall getaway where crimson, gold, and pumpkin-colored leaves take center stage, then pack your sweater and get ready for some high-altitude leaf-peeping. In America's most scenic mountain towns, the hotels are cozy and the trees are ablaze with fall foliage this time of year.
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Gorham, New Hampshire
White Mountains
Perched in the shadow
of New Hampshire's towering Presidential Range, Gorham boasts a wide mix of tree species that give great color as the leaves change in the fall, making it one of the best fall foliage getaways in New England. The carriage roads of Gorham's Great Glen Trails Outdoor Center are bordered with fluffy ferns and crunchy leaves in a rainbow of autumnal hues, a paradise for bikers and hikers. Frosty weather tends to arrive early in this mountain town, though, so pack a warm jacket alongside your hiking boots.
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Where to stay: Adjacent to the outdoor center, The Glen House offers sweeping alpine vistas from its modern guest rooms. Budget-friendly Top Notch Inn makes a family vacation easy with amenities like barbecue grills, picnic tables, a fire pit, and a laundry facility.
Aspen, Colorado
Rocky Mountains
It may be best known as an upscale winter ski destination, but fall foliage season is a beautiful and less expensive time to visit Aspen. The town's ubiquitous aspen trees present a sweep of yellow leaves against a bluebird sky. Hiking the peaks of Maroon Bells is a local favorite. And if you’re looking for weatherproof fun, the Aspen Art Museum has family programming and free admission.
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Where to stay: Soak in a cerebral vibe at Aspen Meadows Resort, a hotel that's also home to the Aspen Institute, a prestigious think tank. Condo-style stays at The Gant make it a great choice for a family getaway.
West Dover, Vermont
Green Mountains
With a windfall of colorful foliage, fall is breathtaking across Vermont. But in the village of West Dover, the locals are especially committed to maintaining the region's rural roots, and the result is a pastoral landscape punctuated by covered bridges and brilliant bursts of color. To experience the foliage from on high, ride the Bluebird Express to the summit of ski resort Mount Snow for a panoramic look at Mount Monadnock and the Somerset Reservoir.
Or, take to the Valley Trail on foot or bike – a section of the pedestrian and cyclist pathway is paved in West Dover, making it easy enough even for little cyclists who still use training wheels. Top it off with a romp at Dover Town Park's playground.
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Where to stay: At the elegant and inviting Hermitage Inn, kayaking, archery, and fly-fishing will keep kids busy, while the pocket-sized spa provides parental pampering. Farm Road Estate offers a peaceful spot for an adult getaway.
Schroon Lake, New York
The Adirondacks
In the late 19th century, wealthy industrialists built extravagant lakeside retreats in the Adirondack Mountains. Today, you can immerse yourself in beauty that borders on poetic, just as those tycoons once did at Schroon Lake, a tiny hamlet at the northern tip of its namesake body of water.
The Adirondacks are one of the best family vacation spots on the East Coast, and it's easy to see why during the fall. With a plethora of rambling paths adorned with a crunchy carpet of fallen leaves, expect solitude on the hiking trails. After dusk, the dark sky provides ideal conditions for celestial observations. And the lake itself begs to be explored by boat. Autumn crowds are thin, and often the silence is broken only by the call of the loon.
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Where to stay: Base yourself at The Lodge at Schroon Lake for a lakefront setting that's truly gorgeous when autumn leaves are reflected in the clear water.
Park City, Utah
Wasatch Mountains
Leaf peeping season in the Wasatch Mountains presents a golden wonderland of aspens with a smattering of reddish scrub oak and red-orange maples. At the center of it all is Park City, a year-round destination that's a paradise for cyclists in the fall.
Mountain bikers can pedal 40 miles of trails on the Round Valley Trail System, including paths shaded by a canopy of tall pines. For more leisurely fall foliage sightseeing, lace up your hiking boots and walk the 1.6-mile McPolin Farm Nature Trail, an interpretive loop designed to introduce visitors to native plants and wildlife.
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Where to stay: Stay at the posh St. Regis Deer Valley for an array of activities ranging from guided hikes and cookie decorating to splashing in the year-round pool. Goldener Hirsch, Auberge Collection sits mid-mountain at Deer Valley Resort for easy access to outdoor fun.
Bethel, New York
The Catskills
Situated just two hours from New York City and boasting a wide variety of deciduous trees packing a big autumn color punch, the Catskills have long been a popular New York vacation destination for outdoorsy urbanites. And the town of Bethel, one of the area's historic hamlets, is a cozy-cute starting point for clean lakes, mountain trails, and leaf peeping galore. Visit on Sundays in the fall for the annual Harvest Festival featuring a farmers' market, live music, corn maze, and hay wagon rides.
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Where to stay: At Kenoza Hall, a lakeside property a few miles from Bethel, you can rent a chic bungalow and enjoy the heated saltwater pool (open until mid-October), family yoga, and complimentary canoes. The Bradstan Boutique Hotel at The Eldred Preserve is another stylish option for an outdoorsy fall getaway.
Skytop, Pennsylvania
The Poconos
Ringed by Alpine scenery that's especially brilliant in the fall, Skytop is a bucolic spot to enjoy autumn colors in the Pocono Mountains. Just a few miles north is Promised Land State Park and its hiking trails, two lakes, and a wildlife observation station for spotting eagles. An abundance of rich green pines offsets the fiery red and orange hues.
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Where to stay: Nestled among 5,500 acres of woods with waterfalls and wildlife, the spectacular and kid-friendly Skytop Lodge offers nonstop activities and stellar service with the option to include a meal plan.
Williamstown, Massachusetts
The Berkshires
Sprinkled throughout with a patchwork of quaint New England villages, the Berkshire Mountains present painterly scenes with a cornucopia of oak and maple trees tinged scarlet and marmalade. Collegiate Williamstown is home to the Clark Art Institute, where a world-class collection of Impressionist art is surrounded by walking trails and a herd of pastured cows. For easy fall hikes with a big visual payoff, Mountain Meadow Preserve is laced with four miles of forest, field, and wetland trails.
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Where to stay: Top off your visit at The Williams Inn, built with accents of native Berkshire stone and timber and located right in town.
Spearfish, South Dakota
Black Hills
In autumn, a hodgepodge of yellow birch and aspen leaves are sprinkled with crimson vines against a landscape of limestone cliffs and foamy waterfalls along the 19-mile Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway in the Black Hills. Mountain goats and deer roam freely here, and it's just a 75-minute drive to Mount Rushmore National Memorial, where you’ll be wowed by the stone faces of Presidents Lincoln, Washington, Jefferson, and Theodore Roosevelt.
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Where to stay: Commune with nature and fall colors at Spearfish Canyon Lodge, where activities include hiking, mountain biking, fly-fishing, and bird-watching. Budget-friendly Best Western Black Hills Lodge offers free breakfast and a seasonal outdoor heated pool.
Hocking Hills, Ohio
Appalachian Mountains
For kaleidoscopic color on a Midwest fall getaway, head to Hocking Hills. Dotted with waterfalls, hemlock-shaded gorges, and natural rock bridges, Hocking Hills State Park is a prime leaf-peeping location and a fine spot for getting out in nature on foot or by kayak. The skies are largely undisturbed by light pollution, and autumn’s early nightfall makes for fine stargazing at a bedtime-friendly hour.
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Where to stay: Elevate your experience and sleep in a treehouse at Among the Trees for an extra close look at the fall colors.
Cumberland, Maryland
Allegheny Mountains
Colorful shades of red, orange, and yellow adorn the mountainsides in Maryland's Allegany County during the fall, and Cumberland makes an excellent home base for taking it all in. The historic hamlet serves as the western terminus of the C&O Canal Towpath, a 184-mile dirt and stone path that runs all the way to Washington, D.C. Once used by mules to pull the canal boats, today it’s a tree-lined expanse for hiking and biking.
The Great Allegheny Passage nonmotorized path heads in the other direction toward Pittsburgh, offering equally impressive fall views as it travels over valleys, around mountains, and alongside rivers. Rocky Gap State Park and Green Ridge State Forest are also ablaze in fall colors at this time of year. If you’d rather sit back and enjoy the ride, book a trip on the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad’s Frostburg Flyer.
Where to stay: The recently opened Willis Hotel, the region’s first and only boutique lodging option, is just steps away from the trailheads for the C&O Canal Towpath and Great Allegheny Passage. Reliable chain options include Fairfield by Marriott Inn & Suites Cumberland and Hampton Inn Cumberland.
America's most scenic mountain towns for leaf-peeping season originally appeared on FamilyVacationist.com.
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The views and opinions expressed in this column are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY. LuxuryVacationist.com, FamilyVacationist.com, and TourScoop.com are owned and operated by Vacationist Media LLC. If you buy an item through a link in our content, we may earn a commission. Beth Luberecki also contributed to this story.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: These mountain towns deliver the ultimate fall foliage getaway
