Highest point between the Rocky Mountains and Western Europe, the Black Hills have all the ingredients for the perfect autumn drive—plentiful trees, endless views and rich local history. The hills are best explored on two scenic byways - the 68-mile Peter Norbeck and the 20-mile Spearfish Canyon - on either side of Mt Rushmore. Spruce, aspen, birch and oak are among the local trees that transform come fall, although the ubiquitous Ponderosa pine (dark when seen from the surrounding prairie) is what gives the hills their name. Base your stay in the town of Custer for the Peter Norbeck drive and Deadwood for the Spearfish Canyon journey.
For more information: Black Hills
Meandering from the Pacific Coast to the Cascades, Oregon's route 126 offers a running commentary on how the fall foliage changes between sea level and 4,800 feet. You can start the day walking along a driftwood strewn beach beneath a lighthouse and end it soaking in hot springs beneath some of the highest peals in the Lower 48. Along the way is the scenic Mackenzie River Valley with its New England-style covered bridges and brilliant fall colors. The city of Eugene—and the ultra-leafy University of Oregon campus—lies about midpoint in the journey. At either end you'll find pleasant coastal Florence and the high desert town of Bend.
For more information: Lane County
Gravel for most of its length, this 135-mile "road to nowhere" runs up and over Maclaren Summit through alpine tundra wilderness on the outskirts of Denali National Park. Depending on the weather, fall colors can bloom in late August and continue into mid-November - although it's not unusual for the road to be closed by snow as early as October 1st. Maintained by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the route is also rich in wildlife including moose, caribou, wolves and bears. Places to stay include Paxson Lodge at the road's eastern terminus (on the Richardson Highway that runs up from Anchorage) and the secluded Denali Highway Cabins at the 42-mile marker.
For more information: Bureau of Land Management
First traversed around 8,000 years ago by prehistoric man, the route of this 444-mile parkway runs between Nashville and southern Mississippi, culminating at riverside Natchez. Native Americans used the Trace as a trading route, colonial Americans as a means to explore, conquer and settle the lower Mississippi valley. The Parkway Visitor Center in Tupelo, run by the U.S. National Park Service, offers maps, books and other information on the route. Along the way are dozens of nature areas and historic sights ranging from Tombigbee National Forest (where the foliage camouflages ancient Indian mounds) to the birthplace of Elvis Presley.
For more information: National Park Services
Hailed as one of the most gorgeous drives in North America no matter what the season, this 182-mile loop around the northern tip of Nova Scotia province is especially enticing in autumn, when the resident birch, beech and maple ignite the landscape. Named after 15th century explorer John Cabot, the route traverses both the Cape Breton Highlands and the Margaree River Valley where autumn hues are especially intense. The old fishing village of St Ann's is the region's unofficial capital and home base for the annual Celtic Colours Festival, a week-long bash in mid-October that pays tribute to both the fall foliage and Celtic music and culture from around the globe.
For more information: Celtic Colours
For quaking-aspen splendor, Jensen recommends heading west to California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains along Highway 88, over Carson Pass just south of Lake Tahoe. “An added pleasure of Highway 88,” he says, “is the abundance of Gold Rush-era ghost towns and mining camp remnants in the western foothills, places like Sutter Creek and Volcano, but as you climb higher and higher into the mountains toward the 8,650-foot pass, you truly leave civilization behind. The best fall color can usually be found just east of the crest, in the high mountain vastness of Hope Valley, where the angular granite mountainsides are trimmed by extensive groves of golden aspens, leaves quaking in the breeze.”
For more information: Carson Pass Highway (Route 88)
“I was overwhelmed by the intensity of the reds,” remembers Alice Zeytz of her trip along this popular New Hampshire route, the Kancamagus Scenic Byway, which also figures in to Kevin Smith’s favorite drive for fall foliage-viewing. Smith’s itinerary begins in "North Woodstock, N.H. on U.S. Route 3 heading north through the mountain pass known as Franconia Notch, joins with I-93 for a ways and then continues on its own until joining Route 302 in Twin Mountain. Route 302 heads east and south, through Bretton Woods with a great view of moody Mount Washington, before descending through the little town of Bartlett, and joins with Route 16 in Glen. Stay on Route 16 south through to Conway to Route 112, the Kancamagus Highway. Travel east on the ‘Kanc’ with great views on either side through to Lincoln and North Woodstock.”
For shimmering autumnal gold and panoramic views, Hall-Bruzenak recommends a drive starting with National Scenic Byway 12 in Utah’s Dixie National Forest, continuing to Bryce Canyon National Park for “more green mixed with gold.” Then, she says, “Catch Hwy U.S. 89 south through Kanab to U.S. Highway 89A and then Highway 67 to see more color at the north rim of the Grand Canyon in Arizona, along with the reds of the canyon walls.” Jensen points to Utah’s Zion National Park, where he says most of the brilliant red sandstone colors are permanent, not seasonal, “but in October the reds are contrasted by the golden leaves of cottonwoods and box elder trees.”
For more information: National Scenic Byway 12 or Zion National Park
Near the small town of Baraboo, Wis., off Highway 123, is the entrance to Devil’s Lake State Park, where you can follow Park Road as it twists and turns through a glacially formed 10,000-acre preserve. “Turnouts provide the opportunity to walk over 30 miles of great trails through colorful autumn-tinged birch, maple, and other trees—many with fabulous views of scenic Devil’s Lake,” says Barbara Dolezal, co-author of "The Most Scenic Drives in America." “The bluffs towering above the blue lake reflect the fall colors against the autumn sky.” Extend the visit by following South Lake Rd. east to Highway 113, heading south to the car ferry at Merrimac. The short ride across the Wisconsin River, Dolezal adds, affords spectacular foliage views.
For more information: Devil's Lake State Park
“For the quintessential New England experience,” says Jamie Jensen, “head for Route 100, which runs north-south along the spine of the beautiful Green Mountains.” Here you’ll find “classic combinations of rolling pastures, rustic red barns, white clapboard churches, quaint villages and covered bridges.” Jaimie Hall-Bruzenak adds, “Vermont has the most brilliant display of fall colors I've ever seen. Cutting through the Green Mountains on Highway 89 is spectacular.” The authors of "The Most Scenic Drives in America" add another endorsement for this Northeast route; Bob Dolezal (who is also the author of the guidebook "Where the Birds Are") explains that it’s prime avian territory, and says the Green Mountain Audubon Center in Richmond is worth a visit.
For more information: Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests
American Road magazine's executive editor, Thomas Repp, describes Route 120 as “less like a man-made thoroughfare and more like one long winding root that wiggles from under the hills. The colorful landscapes along the route overwhelm as you make your way to one of the grandest views in the United States at Hyner View State Park.”
For more information: Hyner View State Park
The authors of "America’s Most Scenic Drives" pick this Northwest passage, the first scenic highway to be designated a National Historic Landmark, as an autumn-touring favorite.Mid-October is prime time, and the highlight, these experts say, is the starting point at Cape Horn viewpoint, with “a striking panorama at the western gateway to the Columbia River Gorge.” Road Trip! Magazine editor Sequoia Hamilton adds that following this highway all the way to Multnomah Falls affords “some of the most spectacular scenery in the world.” She suggests an end-of-drive stop at the romantic Multnomah Falls Lodge.
For more information: Columbia River Gorge
Thomas Repp emphasizes the charm of the villages that sprout up along this 160-mile route—one of the towns, in fact, is called Charm. Autumn travelers will find gourds and squash for sale along the roadside, he says, and “one of the most charming fall scenes involves the ‘select-your-own’ pumpkin wagons that appear along the edges of Amish fields.” The Amish use the honor system, Repp explains: “Simply leave your payment in the money box and take home a whopper for Thanksgiving Day dessert."
For more information: Amish Country Byway
Jensen says this 500-mile route is “designed expressly to maximize driving pleasure and scenic appreciation.” It runs along the crest of the Appalachian Mountains at the heart of North Carolina. “While the leaf color may be marginally less intense than it is in New England,” Jensen points out, “the season lasts much longer here, so your chances of catching the peak is much greater.” Added bonus: these dense forests starred in the movie “The Last of the Mohicans.”
For more information: The Blue Ridge Parkway
Hall-Bruzenak says U.S. Highway 89A from Flagstaff down through Oak Creek Canyon to Sedona is a “twisty ride with wonderful views, and even prettier in the autumn.” Alternatively, take FH3 (Lake Mary Road) out of Flagstaff. Return when you reach Highway 87 or you can continue down through the forest past the tiny towns of Pine, Strawberry, and Payson. At the end, she says, you will “descend through Saguaro cacti to Mesa and Phoenix.”
For more information: The Coconino National Forest