Life and living: Fall sightseeing tours

The trees are changing color, the air is getting colder and the crisp smell of leaves is in the air. Autumn is here! And we’ve got a list of some of the best and most brilliant places to take a memorable leaf-peeping tour this fall.

New England and New York

  • Acadia National Park in Maine has a one-third mile trail that leads to Cadillac Mountain overlooking the park. There’s also a scenic driving trail that overlooks the ocean, mountains and forests. 

  • Mount Washington in New Hampshire boasts the Mount Washington Cog Railway, a three-hour round trip to the top of the mountain and back. 

  • Finger Lakes National Forest in upstate New York was once used by the native Americans of the “Six Nations” Iroquois Indian Confederacy.

California 

  • Annadel State Park, 60 miles north of San Francisco, is perfect for hiking with its big-leaf maple and black oak trees.

  • Clear Lake State Park, located in wine country, includes the largest fresh-water lake in the state for added beauty.

  • McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park has every fall color you can think of thanks to black and white oak, alder, redbud, dogwood, maple, deer brushes, red flowering currants and many other trees.

Southern states

  • Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains Cades Cove Loop Road is a one-way 11-mile road that passes through historical sites and wildlife hot spots. 

  • The Blue Ridge Parkway, which runs through North Carolina and Virginia, has an option for camping.

  • Bankhead National Forest, the first declared wilderness area in Alabama, is populated with old-growth hardwood trees, including a 500- year-old tulip tree.

Of course, always research your destination before you go to be sure all trails are open and to stay informed of any safety considerations. But whether you choose the east coast, west coast, north or south, just get out there and take in everything nature has to offer with one or more of these gorgeous destinations for viewing fall foliage. 

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