If you are planning for this year, the Smokey mountains will be later in October. You could rent a cabin in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, the smokies are beautiful. Cade’s cove is in the area and you could drive to Asheville, NC.
If you are looking for next year, I would look into this historic hotel and plan around fall colors. https://www.stanleyhotel.com. It’s in Colorado which would be so pretty in the fall.
I’m in northern Michigan and our colors are about this weekend depending on what the weather is like from year or year. It’s getting pretty out.
The Berkshire’s would be lovely. Getting a reservation for…basically…now…is going to be a challenge.
@MaineLonghorn we have really no color change in the leaves yet here in northern CT…and my southern ME relatives say…not much there either.
@HImom are you thinking about doing this THIS year? Maybe plan to be in this neck of the woods (pun intended) from about September 25-October 5 or so next year. That way…you would certainly see colors in the northern parts.
Yes, @thumper1, I am thinking about THIS year, like in a few weeks. I’m pretty flexible about location, but I think it would be a nice change from our heat and humidity we’ve been having this summer, ugh!
Well, if you only think the east coast has leaves, you could look around. If you want to go east to go east, that is a thing to do. But Southern Oregon has orchards and beautiful leaves. And I think the high country aspen groves in the Sierras are so so beautiful.
And my DH being from Indiana dragged me a couple of times to Brown County in Indiana (somewhere south of Indianapolis) for their big fall leaf celebration.
We did do a more east coast trip a couple of years ago, though. Drove around the Great Lakes and saw amazing leaves…best ones we saw that year were on the Canadian side.
Northern Ohio and barely any color yet. Have you ruled out the midwest? Indiana has some beautiful state parks as does Ohio…Michigan is magnificent as well but sound like @deb922 says the color is already in bloom there.
Really you could drive for hours depending which way you go to see color. Maybe drive more west to east or something.
OK, thanks. Looking more closely at the map, I’m starting to think that maybe Virginia has a better chance of having the peak leaves in mid-October. Hmmm, so much to think about. Thanks for all the ideas. Just spoke with one of the hoteliers in NH and they said they’re close to peak now, so mid-Oct will likely be past peak (lots of dead leaves).
Also in the Midwest, Door County, Wisconsin is a peninsula sticking out into Lake Michigan. Touristy and beautiful, it is filled with galleries and lodging as well as state parks. As the peninsula is long, the color peak is variable from north to south. Here is the color change information :https://www.doorcounty.com/autumn/ The website says peak is third week of October.
Yankee Magazine has some sort of tracker. They’re predicting “late,” but here, south of Boston, it’s got the same early jump ML and Doschicos note. Not all trees but the ones turning are super vibrant and close to fully red. Look at the fall foliage trackers. Totally agree you can be shut out of nicer hotels by planning this late.
I would visit my daughter at Williams in the Berkshires and disappointed at mid October with leave well past peak. I plan to visit the NC Mountains this year. Though I do need to get busy with making plans.
I just came back from hiking the White Mountains for three days. The leaves are just starting to change in the mountains. Would say only about 10-20% changed. I would think it will be another two weeks to peak.
@Iglooo oh good! I will be in Bartlett on October 20…late for leaves there…but hoping anyway.
@himom one thing folks haven’t mentioned…rain. Once the leaves change, one rainstorm…with wind…will knock most of the leaves to the ground. And that could happen anytime.
I know folks who’ve opted for the bus tours. Pick the right starting point (eg. NH vs VA or NC) and they’ll get you to the best viewing locations for those days. https://blueridgemountainlife.com/fall-foliage/
I think you will find foliage in New England in the next few weeks. It’s probably more difficult to find lodging at the last minute. Columbus Day weekend is one where places are booked solid, especially in NH and Vermont. My favorite spots are either in the White Mountains in NH or near Woodstock or Warren or Waitsfield in VT. The Woodstock Inn is quite nice.