Certain landscapes lend themselves particularly well to spring car travel, like Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in Kansas, when its swaths of wildflowers are in peak bloom. Others shine in summer, the ideal season for embarking on a windows-down cruise along the Pacific Coast Highway in California, for example.
For an incredible autumn road trip, you want gorgeous color-changing foliage that can be enjoyed just as much from inside the car as on foot. Other criteria include crisp weather and cozy coffee shops where you can munch on maple-flavored pastries while getting to know the locals.
These types of trips are arguably the domain of rural America. Fall’s warm color palette and relief from summer’s heat are part of what makes the season a favorite, and bucolic locales with outdoor attractions offer up ample opportunity and encouragement to enjoy both.
Below are five of the best road trips to take in autumn. Be sure to check annual fall foliage predictions when planning the dates for your trip, as heat waves and droughts can influence when color changes peak.
The Million Dollar Highway in Colorado
When: Mid- to late September through mid-October
We’re starting in the West with a short road trip for the thrill seekers. Though its narrow lanes and sharp switchbacks have earned it a reputation as one of the country’s most dangerous drives, many feel that the jaw-dropping views on Colorado’s Million Dollar Highway are worth the risk. The 25-mile stretch of aspen-lined road winds through the San Juan Mountains from Silverton to Ouray, two small towns in the southwestern part of the state.
You’ll begin your travels a bit farther south, though, in Durango, to extend your time on (and off) the road. The route is only about 70 miles from start to end, but you’ll need several days to make the most of your excursion.
Durango, where many famous Hollywood Westerns were shot, is an alpine city with a vibrant downtown, miles of trails, and numerous quaint B&Bs. Silverton, at an elevation of over 9,000 feet, is a former mining town and National Historic Landmark, and train enthusiasts can ride a historic steam engine through the peaks on the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. Ouray is called “the Switzerland of America” — as its official website touts — for its resemblance to the Swiss Alps, abundance of waterfalls and natural hot springs, and sense of tranquility.
Chicago, Illinois, to Mackinac Island, Michigan
When: First three weeks of October
A journey for the lake lovers, this road trip will start you in a metropolis, take you up a section of America’s “third coast,” and leave you — sans car — in an idyllic town you may as well have time traveled to get to. The key end point is northern Michigan, where autumn colors typically flourish by early October and are past peak before November. Use a tool like this one to see this year’s predicted dates.
You could take the main highways for the bulk of your driving, making detours west to enjoy the coastal sites, or spend some time mapping out the entire route along the water. The fastest direct route from Chicago to Mackinaw City (your last driving stop before taking a ferry to car-free Mackinac Island) is about a six-hour drive, so give yourself several days or even a week to go the slower route, visiting the Old Lighthouse Museum in Michigan City, Indiana; going apple picking in Holland, Michigan; and taking a color tour along M-22 in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
Kancamagus Highway in New Hampshire
When: Mid-September to early October
Another short but sweet stretch of pavement, the Kancamagus Scenic Byway cuts through northern New Hampshire’s White Mountain National Forest and is known for its gorgeous fall foliage. Per the National Forest Foundation, it’s “one of the best drives in the country to view the autumn symphony as its colors splash across the hillsides of the northern Appalachian Mountains.”
“The Kanc,” as it’s called, begins in Lincoln and ends in North Conway. You can camp in the fragrant pine wilderness or stay in civilization at night and stick to daytime hikes. Highlights include the stunning Hancock Overlook and the Albany Covered Bridge, built in 1858. Because the highway is only about 34 miles, be sure to plan your trip to take advantage of other parts of the state, where changing colors abound throughout.
Route 100 in Vermont
When: Late September to mid-October
Naturally, New England needs to appear twice on this list, and Vermont’s scenic Route 100 — the entire length of which can be driven in a day but should be spread out over several — is another ideal road to hit.
Besides its beautiful leaf-peeping potential, its main appeal is the diversity of its offerings, according to blogger and photographer Jeff “Foliage” Folger. “Vermont’s Route 100 is among one of the most scenic roads we have in New England,” he writes, “but it’s not so much for outstanding vistas as it is for its sheer variety of unique scenic views of the New England countryside.” Think: waterfalls, churches, bridges, barns, and more (don’t miss Ben & Jerry’s flagship factory for touring and ice cream tasting, and be sure to stop into a sugar house to bring home some authentic Vermont maple syrup).
Referred to as “Vermont’s Main Street,” Route 100 begins near the Massachusetts border, goes up along the eastern edge of the Green Mountains, and ends 216 miles later in Newport near Canada (or vice versa). Leaves peak in the north before they do in the south.
Virginia to North Carolina on the Blue Ridge Parkway
When: Mid- to late October
Starting in Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park and ending 469 miles later in North Carolina’s Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Blue Ridge Parkway makes for a stunning autumnal auto trek. For a longer trip, continue into the Smoky Mountains, where more than 100 native tree species provide all the seasonal scenery one could possibly desire.
The best time to go, according to the parkway’s official website, is typically mid- to late October, with leaves changing colors first in the higher elevations and then the lower. (The elevation ranges from around 6,000 feet in North Carolina to just under 650 feet in Virginia.) The parkway seems like somewhere you could really get lost in, not literally, but metaphorically: In addition to the vast expanse of the great outdoors at your fingertips, it’s dotted with dining, shopping, and myriad Appalachian and Native American cultural experiences to enjoy.
Note that portions of the parkway remain closed for Hurricane Helene recovery and other construction, so check current road conditions and detours before setting out. Get more info about making the drive in the fall.
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