--- title: The Best Fall Foliage Vacations That Aren't In New England description: Fall foliage vacations are a time-honored tradition—but New England is far from the only game in town when it comes to brilliant autumn color. image: https://www.turnerpr.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/fall-foliage-trips-2022-3-3.png --- 2 min read # Never Mind New England: The Best Fall Foliage Vacation Spots That Aren't In The Northeast [ Tyler Wilcox ](https://www.turnerpr.com/spin-kitchen/author/tyler-wilcox) : August 23, 2022 [Destinations](https://www.turnerpr.com/spin-kitchen/tag/destinations) ![Never Mind New England: The Best Fall Foliage Vacation Spots That Aren't In The Northeast](https://www.turnerpr.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/fall-foliage-trips-2022-3-3.png) Fall foliage vacations are a time-honored tradition—but New England is far from the only game in town when it comes to brilliant autumn color. Skip the crowds this fall with these off the beaten path destinations and you'll be rewarded with ravishing reds and glorious golds everywhere you turn. ## Natchez Trace Parkway (Tupelo, Mississippi) **Peak Foliage:** Mid- to late-October One of the nation's top 10 national parks, [Natchez Trace Parkway](https://www.nps.gov/natr/index.htm) (which is headquartered in [Tupelo](https://www.tupelo.net/), but winds through three states—Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee), is a 444-mile tree-canopied route that delivers picturesque views of maple, hickory, and oak trees vibrantly changing into autumn colors. ## Newfound Gap Road (Gatlinburg, Tennessee) **Peak Foliage:** Late-September to Late-October Known as one of the most popular and scenic drives in the Smokies, [Newfound Gap Road](https://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/nfg.htm) is ideal for travelers hoping to go leaf-peeping in [Tennessee](https://www.tnvacation.com/). The road is also known for being the location where former President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered his speech during the grand opening of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in 1940. ## The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore (Bayfield, Wisconsin) **Peak Foliage:** Late-September to mid-October Set sail aboard one of [Wisconsin](https://www.travelwisconsin.com/)'s boat cruises and you'll get a new view of spectacular fall foliage. In the [Apostle Islands](https://www.travelwisconsin.com/boating-sailing/apostle-islands-cruises-203594), fall color paints the area each year adding a magical glow as you cruise past lighthouses, sea caves, shipwrecks and abundant wildlife. To see when and where things are really popping off, check out [Travel Wisconsin's Fall Color Report](https://www.travelwisconsin.com/fall-color-report). ## Rocky Mountain National Park (Estes Park, Colorado) **Peak Foliage:** Throughout September Known as the basecamp to [Rocky Mountain National Park](https://www.nps.gov/romo/index.htm) and only a 90-minute drive from the Denver airport, [Estes Park](https://www.visitestespark.com/) offers dazzling leaf-peeping in the fall, including lovely golden aspens. Surrounded by the protected lands of Rocky Mountain National Park and Roosevelt National Forest, Estes is home to hundreds of miles of trails, breathtaking views and chilly mountain streams. ## ABQ BioPArk Botanic Gardens (Albuquerque, New Mexico) **Peak Foliage:** Late-September to mid-October One of the most beautiful displays of fall colors in [Albuquerque](https://www.visitalbuquerque.org/) is at the [ABQ BioPark Botanic Garden](https://www.visitalbuquerque.org/listing/botanic-garden-abq-biopark/4785/). The BioPark is impressive all year long, but in the fall, the park truly comes to life with fiery reds, bright oranges and vibrant yellows mixed in with spectacular shades of green. The whole park is something special to take in, but the Japanese Garden within the Botanic Garden should be at the top of your leaf-peeping list. ## Clifty Falls State Park (Madison, Indiana) **Peak Foliage:** Late-September to mid-October Located on Route 56 just west of Madison, [Indiana](https://www.visitindiana.com/), the gorgeous [Clifty Falls State Park](https://www.in.gov/dnr/state-parks/parks-lakes/clifty-falls-state-park/) sits atop the hills overlooking the Ohio River. Enjoy a scenic, winding drive through the park while taking in picturesque waterfalls, cliffs and steep gorges, all bathed in the beauty of fall. ## Table Rock State Park (Pickens, South Carolina) **Peak Foliage:** Mid-October to Mid-November Some of the most beautiful fall foliage in the U.S. can be found in the Upstate region of [South Carolina](https://discoversouthcarolina.com/). [Table Rock State Park](https://discoversouthcarolina.com/table-rock)'s rocky namesake mountain provides the backdrop for beautiful fall colors from below, but there are also miles of hiking trails—including the lovely Pinnacle Mountain Trail. - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) [![Autumn Beauty: 10 Fall Foliage Destinations For 2023](https://www.turnerpr.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/visitestespark-fall-foliage-3.png) ](https://www.turnerpr.com/spin-kitchen/autumn-beauty-10-fall-foliage-destinations-for-2023) #### [Autumn Beauty: 10 Fall Foliage Destinations For 2023](https://www.turnerpr.com/spin-kitchen/autumn-beauty-10-fall-foliage-destinations-for-2023) [Tyler Wilcox](https://www.turnerpr.com/spin-kitchen/author/tyler-wilcox) : September 07, 2023 Fall foliage vacations are a time-honored tradition, with the changing colors providing one of nature’s greatest spectacles. The toughest part is... [Destinations](https://www.turnerpr.com/spin-kitchen/tag/destinations) [Read More](https://www.turnerpr.com/spin-kitchen/autumn-beauty-10-fall-foliage-destinations-for-2023) [![Beyond New England: The Best Fall Foliage Destinations](https://www.turnerpr.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/fallestes-345059_600x200-1-3.png) ](https://www.turnerpr.com/spin-kitchen/beyond-new-england-best-fall-foliage-destinations) #### [Beyond New England: The Best Fall Foliage Destinations](https://www.turnerpr.com/spin-kitchen/beyond-new-england-best-fall-foliage-destinations) [Madeleine Towne](https://www.turnerpr.com/spin-kitchen/author/madeleine-towne) : August 31, 2015 Temperatures are cooling. Bikinis are being swapped for sweaters. Pumpkin spice lattes are back. That’s right: fall is right around the corner – and... [Destinations](https://www.turnerpr.com/spin-kitchen/tag/destinations) [Read More](https://www.turnerpr.com/spin-kitchen/beyond-new-england-best-fall-foliage-destinations) [![Autumn Escapes: 5 Extraordinary Fall Road Trips](https://www.turnerpr.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/fall-road-trips-3.png) ](https://www.turnerpr.com/spin-kitchen/autumn-escapes-5-extraordinary-fall-road-trips) #### [Autumn Escapes: 5 Extraordinary Fall Road Trips](https://www.turnerpr.com/spin-kitchen/autumn-escapes-5-extraordinary-fall-road-trips) [Tyler Wilcox](https://www.turnerpr.com/spin-kitchen/author/tyler-wilcox) : September 25, 2023 TURNER recently teamed up with Airstream, the manufacturer behind the iconic “silver bullet” Airstream® travel trailer and the longest-tenured... [travel tips](https://www.turnerpr.com/spin-kitchen/tag/travel-tips) [Destinations](https://www.turnerpr.com/spin-kitchen/tag/destinations) [Read More](https://www.turnerpr.com/spin-kitchen/autumn-escapes-5-extraordinary-fall-road-trips) JavaScript is required for best experience ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Tyler Wilcox", "url" : "https://www.turnerpr.com/spin-kitchen/author/tyler-wilcox" }, "dateModified" : "2025-02-24T14:16:42.481Z", "datePublished" : "2022-08-23T04:00:00.000Z", "headline" : "The Best Fall Foliage Vacations That Aren't In New England", "image" : [ "https://www.turnerpr.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/fall-foliage-trips-2022-3-3.png" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://www.turnerpr.com/spin-kitchen/best-fall-foliage-vacation-spots", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://www.turnerpr.com/hubfs/FM_Website_Branding/Logos/Shipyard_Fahlgren_Mortine_G2_Black.png" }, "name" : "The Shipyard Collective (Shipyard, Fahlgren Mortine, TURNER)" } } ```