Think October and you probably imagine a color: orange, both from Halloween pumpkins and the vivid leaves of a forest in New England or Virginia. For drivers, "fall color" means touring along country lanes or winding over mountain passes in search of the most intense red and gold maples, yellow birches, and purple dogwoods. The actual times and qualities of peak color has to do with weather and elevation (summer rains followed by cold fall nights makes for the best displays). Timing is everything--leaves are at peak condition for only a few days, usually one side or the other of October 1st, starting earlier in the north and later in the south. To see peak fall color, heading north to south, you can follow the leisurely flow of changing leaves; coming from the south to the north, you're bound to cross the peak color at least once. More help: most "fall color states," especially in New England, have online hotlines where you can find out about the leaves's current status. Also, leaf peepers fill motels and hotels to capacity, so plan ahead if you want to stay overnight.
Wherever you are in the eastern US, there's no better route to follow in your quest for fall color than the legendary Appalachian Trail, which follows the crest from Maine down to Georgia. Early in the month, make your way to the White Mountains area of New Hampshire, where a drive up Mount Washington will give you a grand overview of the heart of New England. Moving south, cruise through Pinkham Notch or over the Kancamagus Highway, and spend some time in idyllic Hanover, home to Dartmouth College. In Vermont, take a hike through Gifford Woods or Granville Gulf, then drive along the Green Mountains via Route 100 into Massachusetts. Quaint towns and villages dot the Berkshires, but one place is especially worth a look: Hancock Shaker Village. US-7 makes a leisurely run south across Connecticut, where towns like Salisbury and Kent are welcome rest stops amidst the fall color scenery.
Other roads to drive:
Though the changing leaves aren't always as intensely colored as those in New England, October is a great time to take a drive along the middle sections of the Appalachian Trail. Running through Delaware Gap and the Pennsylvania Dutch Country, past the Civil War battle fields at Gettysburg and Antietam, then on to the historic town of Harpers Ferry, this driving route offers much more than leaves to see. In Virginia, the route is better known as the Skyline Drive, and the forests of Shenandoah National Park are home to cascading waterfalls and high-flying hawks as well as offering stunning autumn color. In the valleys below, detour down to visit Thomas Jefferson's Charlottesville or Woodrow Wilson's Staunton.
At its southern end, the Appalachian Trail route rises to its highest heights along the Blue Ridge Parkway, a 469-mile scenic drive through the Blue Ridge and Great Smokey Mountains. Starting near Andy Griffiths all-American Mayberry (actually Mount Airy), the route winds past tourist-attracting mountain hamlets like Blowing Rock and Little Switzerland. The Blue Ridge Parkway winds around the delightful small city of Asheville, ending up at the magnificent forests of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This is the most popular park in the US, and is at its best (and busiest!) during the fall color season.
