Although we probably have a good few weeks of the summer left, autumn is just around the corner and in the US, that means one thing – breathtaking fall foliage. The spectacle of the trees’ leaves turning from shades of green to vibrant yellows, oranges and reds is an annual event, and one that you should try to catch if you’re planning a holiday to the USA in September, October or November.
Travel+Leisure Magazine has picked out its top driving routes to appreciate the autumnal colours – here are just a few of the places the publication singled out.
Lake Placid, New York
The Lake Placid area is located to the north of New York City and it puts on a wonderful show come the autumn. The drive, which begins in Lake Placid, is 45 miles long and follows Route 86, looping back around to the starting point. It takes you into the Adirondacks – a vast wilderness area – where you can see the golds, reds and auburns of the leaves on the sugar maple, birch and American beech trees that line the route.
Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
Shenandoah National Park in Virginia is home to one of the most scenic driving routes in the country – the Skyline Drive. This isn’t only picturesque in the autumn (although it is particularly spectacular at that time of the year), as the road runs along a mountain ridge, providing incredible views.
In the fall, it is flanked by trees and plants with deep red, bright orange and shimmering yellow foliage. It runs for 105 miles and there’s beauty around every corner. Begin your drive in Front Royal and conclude it in the Waynesboro-Charlottesville area.
Eastern Sierras, California
It isn’t only the east coast of the USA that puts on a wonderful show in the autumn, with Travel+Leisure also highlighting the Eastern Sierras region in California. The suggested route here covers 125 miles, setting out from Coleville and taking in Lundy Lake, Mono Lake and Mammoth Lakes, before concluding in Rock Creek Canyon.
As well as the spectacular golden hues of the trees, you can also see tumbling waterfalls and towering snow-dusted mountains on this drive.
