16 Cozy Vacation Rentals Where You Can See Fall Foliage
Settle in for the ultimate fall retreat at these cabins and guest homes in prime fall foliage country.
The best dates to frolic among trees bursting with fall color can be dramatically different depending on the weather and elevation of where you're going. A simple rule of thumb is that colder, higher elevation spots start changing in mid-September, and warmer areas start changing much later and can hold out as late as early November.
But no matter where you want to go, autumn color is as ephemeral as it is gorgeous, and there are only so many cabins in the woods to go around. It's never too early to book your leaf-peeping getaway.
We rounded up some of the prettiest tiny houses, cabins, apartments and lodge-style homes to help you start your search for the perfect fall getaway. From affordable spots in cute towns to splurge-worthy cabins nestled right among the trees, there are options here all over the country.
Want to make sure you're going at the right time? Many local tourism boards for foliage-friendly destinations keep tabs on changing colors and forecast peak peeping dates, like Connecticut's Fall Foliage Report, which predicts this year's colors will peak between Oct. 3 and Nov. 14 in various corners of the state.
You might not think of New Mexico as a fall foliage destination, but this might be one of the most underrated states in the U.S., overshadowed by its neighbors to the north and west. Cloudcroft is in the mountains of southern New Mexico, a little oasis of forest amid the state's deserts. This guest suite is in a cabin on a plot with oak and aspen trees. White Sands National Monument, an otherworldly gypsum dune field, is a 45-minute drive away.
This one-bedroom, three-bed home is on nine acres of property in Knoxville, Tennessee, so you can settle in and enjoy the views from "home" or set out for scenic drives around the mountains of eastern Tennessee. Great Smoky Mountains National Park is about an hour away.
This log cabin in the Poconos in Hamlin, Pennsylvania, is in a gated community with its own lakes and parks. The three-bedroom house is the perfect place to go off-grid: There's no WiFi or cable, but there are plenty of board games to keep the family entertained.
Silverthorne, Colorado, is a great basecamp for fall adventure. It's right in the heart of the Rockies, with easy access to mountain towns like Breckenridge but without the same high prices. You can spend an entire day taking scenic drives around this area to spot golden aspen groves in the mountains. This one-bedroom guest suite has space for three and gorgeous views of the mountains from the back patio.
This adorable tiny house is a great place for a cozy couple's retreat on a budget in a fairly secluded area. You'll be just a 15-minute drive from Asheville and will have easy access to mountain roads with stunning views of the Blue Ridge mountains.
This adorable apartment is right in Asheville, an artsy North Carolina mountain town with great food, boutique shops and local beer. You'll be a short drive away from the best scenic drives in the Appalachian Mountains and all along the Blue Ridge Parkway, which bursts with fall color starting in late September.
This carriage house in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, where the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers meet, is an ideal basecamp for leaf-peeping: The Appalachian Trail runs just steps behind the house. A short walk away, you can reach a gorgeous river overlook.
This gorgeous two-bedroom cottage in Smiths Station, Alabama, is right on Lake Oliver, which straddles the Alabama-Georgia border. Columbus, Georgia, one of the region's best spots for leaf-peeping, is just a short drive away.
You can't really get more classic fall than in the countryside of Vermont, where there's a real commitment to keeping the vibe local, rural and down-to-earth. This carriage house has space for six people and plenty of access to hiking trails nearby.
Cripple Creek is an old mining town tucked away in the mountains west of Colorado Springs. The drive to get here offers stunning views especially in the fall when the aspen groves turn bright yellow, gold and orange. This three-bedroom house with space for six guests has massive windows with gorgeous views.
This quaint artist's studio with two bedrooms and space for four has been tested by true professionals: The hosts say that early modernist painter Marc Chagall once used it as a respite from New York. The house is tucked right into the woods and offers easy access to Lake Waramaug and the hills of northwestern Connecticut, which is a hidden gem if we've ever seen one. Just a few hours' drive from New York and Boston, the rural Litchfield Hills area feels worlds away from city stress.
This gorgeous home in the Litchfield Hills of northwestern Connecticut sleeps six in four separate bedrooms, so it's a great place for a retreat with friends or family who all need a little space to themselves. For a special treat, take a 7-minute drive over to Arethusa al Tavolo, where the restaurant's cheese, butter and ice cream come from its own neighboring farm.
Indigo Nature Retreat, in western North Carolina, features these adorable rustic tiny homes shrouded in trees. The area surrounding Indigo is chock-full of scenic drives and mountain byways where fall color views peak. Note: This tiny home does not have a bathroom; there is a community barn with two full bathrooms on-site for guests.
Sweat away the stress of Zoom calls in the private sauna at this home in Wallace, Michigan, right on the banks of the Menominee River. There's space for a proper family reunion here, with eight beds spread across three bedrooms sleeping up to 16 friends and family.
Put your phone on airplane mode and relax into the countryside on the 63-acre Dry Hollow Farm near Huntingdon, Tennessee. The farm has many friendly animals, especially goats, who produce milk used to make artisan soaps. This cabin sleeps three in two rooms and has plenty of outdoor space to enjoy the views.
Upper Logan Canyon, in northern Utah, bursts with red, orange and yellow leaves once the trees start to turn. This cute guest suite is just a block off Main Street in the cute town of Logan, which is a great basecamp for scenic drives through prime fall colors.
