2024’s Best States to Visit This Fall: Foliage and Festivities

What are three unique activities you’d recommend for getting in the spirit for fall?

As I am originally from Australia, I like to do quintessential American things like visit a pumpkin patch or corn maze.

Many farms offer festive fall activities like pumpkin picking, corn mazes, and hayrides. For example, Richardson Farm in Spring Grove, Illinois, has the world’s largest corn maze spanning 28 acres.

Attend a Fall festival. Many states host special autumn events celebrating the season. Pennsylvania planned 46 fall festivals for 2023, the most of any state, including Halloween Festivals which are also in Fall. Again, more Americana.

Go on a scenic train ride. Several states offer special autumn train excursions to view the changing leaves, like the Conway Scenic Railroad in New Hampshire.

When is the optimal time to see Fall foliage depending on the region where one lives?

By region:

• Northeast: Late September to mid-October
• Midwest: Mid to late October
• Southeast: Mid-October to early November
• West: Late September to mid-October

What’s a Fall travel essential that every traveler should pack?

Think layers: Pack a mix of light and warm layers like sweaters, jackets, and scarves. Fall weather can be unpredictable, so having options allows you to adjust to changing temperatures throughout the day.

How might climate change impact autumn travel plans and seasonal foliage?

Climate change may lead to:

• Later onset of fall colors.
• Shorter foliage seasons.
• Less vibrant colors in some areas.
• Increased risk of extreme weather events.

Apart from scenic drives, what are three ways for folks to enjoy the fall foliage?

1. Hiking. Many national and state parks offer stunning autumn views on foot trails.

2. Kayaking or canoeing: See the colorful leaves reflected in lakes and rivers.

3. Hot air balloon rides: Get an aerial view of the autumn landscape from above.

What are three unique activities you’d recommend for getting in the spirit for fall?

I don’t know how unique these are but a few of my favorites:

• Apple picking at an orchard or pumpkin picking at a pumpkin patch.
• Hay ride in a cart behind a tractor or a good corn maze.
• Sitting by a fire pit (or campfire) with a favorite cider, craft beer, or local wine (preferably at a cidery, brewery, or winery!
• A high school Friday night football game.

When is the optimal time to see fall foliage depending on the region where one lives?

Well, I live in Virginia, so mid-October to early November.

I am from New England (the best place for foliage and crisp fall weather in my personal opinion), and the further north you go it can peak mid-September into October.

What’s a fall travel essential that every traveler should pack?

• A fuzzy blanket to pull out for a fall picnic when you find a beautiful spot. Which also means a picnic basket full of good fall fruit (apples, pears), amazing cheeses, crusty breads, and your favorite beverage (cider, craft beer, local wine — and something for the designated driver).
• Your favorite sweater, sweatshirt, or flannel shirt.
• Good hiking boots so you can walk and really enjoy the crisp air and gorgeous views.

How might climate change impact autumn travel plans and seasonal foliage?

• Sadly, the heat and dryness will cause the leaves to dry and fall before we get to enjoy the beautiful colors (I am no scientist or environmental specialist, this has just been my observation).
• It may be that it pushes the best times to later in the year (if at all).

Apart from scenic drives, what are three ways for folks to enjoy the fall foliage?

• I took a photography class in Maine in October one year and learning about colors and light and using a camera to enhance the pics was an awesome way to view them better (literally through a lens).
• A canoe or kayak ride on a lake and seeing the gorgeous colors reflected in the water and seeing the leaves from the middle of a lake or pond. Stunning.
• A hike in the midst of the trees so you can look up into the trees from underneath and see the colors that way.

What are three unique activities you’d recommend for getting in the spirit for fall?

1. Visit a local orchard or farm. Pick apples, drink cider, eat donuts, take a hayride, navigate through a corn maze, and enjoy traditional fall activities like pumpkin carving or cider pressing. Many agritourism farms feature local vendors selling seasonal produce, baked goods, and crafts, making it the perfect way to get in the fall spirit while supporting local businesses.

2. Host a dinner party with a menu that features seasonal produce and fall favorites. Mix a fall-themed signature cocktail, and plan different courses that feature a fall ingredient (e.g., pumpkin soup shooters, salad with apples and nuts, caramel apple crisp for dessert, etc.)

3. There is no more perfect activity, for a crisp fall day than taking a hike at the peak of the autumn colors. The weather is cooler, there are fewer bugs buzzing around you, and the autumn woods stimulate all five senses.

When is the optimal time to see fall foliage depending on the region where one lives?

This varies a lot by location and recent weather. Predicting fall colors has become more difficult with a changing climate, however there are websites and apps that can help.

For Instance, the Farmer’s Almanac has maps of the US that predict color changes based on a number of factors including crowd-sourced reports from readers sharing foliage color changes in their area.

Also, some GPS apps, such as Gaia, offer the ability to view your location via recent satellite images as recently as today or over the past two weeks.

What’s a fall travel essential that every traveler should pack?

A pair of walking/hiking shoes to get outside and enjoy the season. Crunch through fallen leaves. Feel the crisp air in your lungs. Take in the diversity of colors. And watch critters prepare for the coming winter.

How might climate change impact autumn travel plans and seasonal foliage?

In a number of ways, but mostly by lack of predictability. Climate change leads to greater variation in seasonal weather patterns. Warm falls can delay peak foliage and early frosts can shorten the duration of the foliage season.

Trees under stress from warmer temperatures may produce less vivid reds, yellows and orange colors. Over time, tree species known to produce fall colors may struggle to survive in warmer climates as disease and pests migrate.

Apart from scenic drives, what are three ways for folks to enjoy the fall foliage?

1. Kayaking or canoeing down a river that winds through the forest or area with many trees.

2. Canopy walks (a series of bridges and platforms suspended from trees in a forest canopy).

3. Hot air balloon ride!