11 Scenic Drives in the USA for Fall Foliage

While you could take a long road trip to see fall foliage, a shorter scenic drive means less time behind the wheel and more time outdoors enjoying the season—perfect temperatures, canopies of red, orange, and yellow foliage, and cinnamon-sugar doughnuts and cups of apple cider.

These 11 scenic drives are all under 200 miles, meaning travelers can enjoy the full spectrum—from a summit drive that takes a mere 20 minutes to a meandering day trip.

1. Park Loop Road, Acadia National Park, Maine

Start: Bar Harbor, Maine
End: Cadillac Mountain, Maine
Distance: 7 miles

To take in views of the mountains and the colorful foliage, start at Acadia National Park‘s Hulls Cove Visitor Center (Bar Harbor) and drive up the summit of Cadillac Mountain. At the base of the mountain, Afar writer Melanie Haiken suggests stopping by the 187-acre Jordan Pond. Take a canoe and you can have the fall foliage experience by boat as the surrounding landscape “provides a wash of color against two rounded hills known as the Bubbles, which offer a spectacular view of a multi-hued treeline in the backdrop.”

Black and white cows in a green field against a backdrop of colorful fall trees — The scenes along Route 7A in Vermont are postcard perfect

2. Route 7A, Vermont

Start: Bennington, Vermont
End: Manchester, Vermont
Distance: 25 miles

This scenic drive along the state’s Route 7A sneaks between the Taconic Mountains and the Green Mountains, running parallel to the Long Trail, a 272-mile footpath. Bookended by the towns of Bennington and Manchester (you can start your trip in either place), the route stretches nearly 30 miles, passing small towns, hay bales, and general stores selling syrup and candies, with the Green Mountains as a backdrop.

Fall foliage reflected in a small lake — Just off the North Carolina section of Cherohala Highway is pretty Santeetlah Lake.

3. Cherohala Skyway, Tennessee to North Carolina

Start: Tellico Plains, Tennessee
End: Robbinsville, North Carolina
Distance: 43 miles

The Cherohala Skyway is the kind of road you’d expect to see at the end of a James Bond movie: A skinny highway winds through mountains blanketed only by trees, with nothing but more mountains in the distance. The route stretches from eastern Tennessee to western North Carolina, crossing through the Cherokee and Nantahala National Forests. (The skyway’s name is a portmanteau.) There are scenic vistas along the way, but more adventurous travelers can hike one of 29 trails along the route or fly-fish in Tellico River near the Tellico Plains end of the skyway.

Winding road against backdrop of mountains with some snow; green and yellow grass in foreground — Beartooth Highway is considered an “All-American Road,” which is a part of the U.S. National Scenic Byway program.

4. Beartooth Highway, Montana and Wyoming

Start: Red Lodge, Montana
End: Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Distance: 68 miles

The Beartooth Highway is an “All-American Road”—a designation given to fewer than 50 highways in the United States—and one of the most eye-popping ways to approach Yellowstone. From Red Lodge, Montana, drivers follow the switchbacking highway into Wyoming, through three national forests (at one point reaching 10,947 feet), ending near the northeast entrance of the park. Keep in mind that the elevation (and the associated unpredictable weather) means the highway typically closes around mid-October—but don’t worry: The foliage in these parts peaks as early as September.

An aerial view of the Kancamagus Highway, curving through colorful forest — Consider a drive through Kancamagus Highway early in the morning.

5. Kancamagus Highway, New Hampshire

Start: Conway, New Hampshire
End: Bath, New Hampshire
Distance: 56 miles

Winding along country roads through New Hampshire’s White Mountain National Forest, the Kancamagus Highway drive has earned its place on several “best of” road trip lists, thanks to its picturesque ponds, hiking trails, scenic overlooks, and hairpin turns. Colloquially known as the “Kanc,” the byway draws millions of visitors every year. If you go during a peak foliage week, you may find fewer crowds in the early morning.

Mackinac Bridge in Michigan with vibrant fall colors in foreground — From St. Ignace, you can see the Mackinac Bridge.

6. Historic Upper Peninsula, Michigan

Start: St. Ignace, Michigan
End: St. Ignace, Michigan
Distance: 160 miles

History is at the heart of this tour of the picturesque Upper Peninsula. Start in St. Ignace, which was founded in 1671 at the Straits of Mackinac, then go east toward heavily wooded Drummond Island. (You will need a ferry to make the 15-minute crossing.) Head back to the mainland once you’ve had your fill of island life—kayaking, swimming, fishing—and spend some time in historic Sault Ste. Marie, the oldest city in Michigan and the third oldest in the entire country, before closing the loop in St. Ignace.

Low mountains with red and green trees backed by a blue sky with white clouds — See views like this from Shenandoah’s Skyline Drive, which can be accessed through points including Front Royal and Thornton Gap.

7. Skyline Drive, Virginia

Start: Front Royal entrance to Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
End: Rockfish Gap entrance, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
Distance: 105 miles

The curving Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park—with mostly a 35 mph speed limit—encourages drivers to take it slow and bask in the peaks and valleys of the Appalachian Mountains as they change colors. Start your drive at the Front Royal Entrance Station and continue south as the road winds along the Crimora Lake Overlook and Hogback Overlook. The 3,284-foot peak of Old Rag Mountain offers a challenging hike for a brilliant panoramic view, but easy hikes like Blackrock Summit make a fall foliage trip just as accessible for kids. If you can’t get enough of the regional foliage, the Blue Ridge Parkway starts at the endpoint of the Skyline Drive, offering 469 more miles of Appalachian autumn scenery.

A Tuscan-style castle surrounded by a vineyard with green and red leaves — Feel like you’re in Tuscany without leaving Napa

8. Silverado Trail, California

Start: Napa, California
End: Calistoga, California
Distance: 30 miles

“When you rave about the reds in Napa Valley in fall, you might mean leaves as well as wines,” Afar editor Pat Tompkins writes in her article on California’s notable fall foliage. Yellow and red grape leaves adorn wine country in the fall, making a trip as captivating for sight as it is for taste. While Highway 29 efficiently connects Napa and Calistoga, take the parallel Silverado Trail to experience a less-crowded scenic drive through the region’s rolling hills. And for those amazing reds mentioned earlier? Stop at Quintessa, Castello di Amorosa, or Clos du Val for some of the region’s best bottles for later—the perfect way to celebrate a drive well done.

The sun setting over Columbia River running between two hillsides covered in green and yellow trees — The trees along the Columbia River Gorge show off their autumn colors.

9. Historic Columbia River Highway, Oregon

Start: Troutdale, Oregon
End: The Dalles, Oregon
Distance: 70 miles

After a weekend getaway in Portland, drive about 15 miles east to Troutdale to embark on the country’s first scenic highway, built in 1913. This road trip takes travelers along the Columbia River, contrasting the river views on the driver’s side against the colors of the maples, oaks, and alder trees on the passenger side as it heads east. The ride along the way offers waterfalls galore, including Latourell Falls, Shepperd’s Dell Falls, Wahkeena Falls, and Oregon’s tallest, the 620-foot Multnomah Falls. Many of these scenic drops are easily accessible from the parking lot (if you even need to leave it), making it well-suited for trips with kids.

Desert-brown landscape along the High Road to Taos, Northern New Mexico, with snow-topped mountains in distance — Flora in the region include junipers, piñon trees, and aspens.

10. The High Road, New Mexico

Start: Santa Fe, New Mexico
End: Taos, New Mexico
Distance: 105 miles

The U.S. Southwest isn’t exactly known for its fall foliage, but at high elevation, you can see spurts of changing aspens contrast with red desert landscapes. There’s another good reason to drive the High Road in autumn: The summer heat can be brutal, but it starts to wane in September. Kick off in Santa Fe, head north through Old Spanish communities like Chimayo, and see the Sangre de Cristo Mountains backdrop the yellowing leaves and green junipers. Once in Taos, there’s the option to extend the adventure along the Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway.

Red, yellow, and orange trees cover a big hill, with white farm buildings in foreground — The region has inspired artists with its awe-inspiring landscapes.

11. Catskill Mountains Scenic Byway, New York

Start: Olive, New York
End: Andes, New York
Distance: 52 miles

If you’re a New Yorker in need of a weekend break from the big city, look no further. The streams, mountains, and valleys of New York’s Catskill Mountains were the inspiration for the Hudson River School of landscape painters, making this route a no-brainer for those in search of gorgeous scenery. Golden and amber hues dot the surrounding landscape, as you drive through towns Olive, Shandaken, Middletown, and Andes along the way. These small towns offer quirky handmade furniture shops and easy walking trails, so use the extra daytime to follow your curiosity.

This article was originally published in 2023 and most recently updated on August 29, 2024, with current information.

Chloe Arrojado

Chloe Arrojado is the associate editor of destinations at Afar. She’s a big fan of cafés, dancing, and asking people on the street for restaurant recommendations.

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