America’s Best Fall Foliage Road Trips

A meandering 469 miles across North Carolina and Virginia, the Blue Ridge Parkway is an American favorite made even more spectacular by a breathtaking display of fall colors. It’s home to Mother Nature’s longest-lasting show of fall foliage, and with thousands of feet in elevation, there is no shortage of scenic overlooks.

Worried you’ll miss the leaves? Mount Mitchell and Grandfather Mountain change color in early October, while areas like Chimney Rock hold out until early November.

The Mitten’s Gold Coast gets most of the attention when people talk about fall colors, but the somewhat untamed beauty of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula shines in the fall as well. This short 5-hour loop leaving from Newberry packs in everything you could want in a fall color tour — trees, beers and even bears.

Snap some pictures at the Crisp Point Lighthouse, Tahquamenon Falls State Park (pictured above) and Michigan’s only historic cranberry bog, the Centennial Cranberry Farm.