You love road trips, but hate the heavy traffic of the summer months, right? If so, then making a road trip in autumn is the answer. You’ll have plenty of adventure and wonderful views of changing leaves – all without the crowds of summer travelers.
Here are four great autumn road trip destinations you might like to try.
Adirondack Adventure Road Trip
Forget the Big Apple. Instead, enjoy traveling New York’s Wilderness area by taking an Adirondack Road Trip. Made up of 6 million acres shaped like a giant oval, the Adirondack Park is the largest wilderness area east of the Mississippi and features beautiful forests decked out in autumn colors every fall.
In addition to the gorgeous scenery, you can explore tiny villages or visit one of the campgrounds and hike along some great scenic hiking trails that take you along picturesque streams and lakes. And don’t forget to stop at Fort William Henry and the Six Nations Indian Museum.
If you plan your trip for early October, you can visit the Lake Placid Flaming Leaf Festival and sample some local food. Or you might be more interested in watching the sporting events.
The Driftless Region of Wisconsin
Doesn’t the word ‘driftless’ bring to mind a hobo traveling the rails? Well, if you visit the Driftless Region of Wisconsin, you’ll come away with some new insight into the meaning of that word.
If you want to enjoy great foliage, then traveling the loop beginning and ending at Mineral Point will give you plenty of spectacular views. Travel north on highway 23 to Baraboo to see blazing colored leaves throughout the deeply-carved river valleys.
Additional sights to enjoy include Amish villages, the Pendavis miners’ home at Mineral point, the Cave of the Mounds, and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Home at Spring Green. You can even step out of your car and catch the Colsac III, a free ferry that travels across the Wisconsin River and back.
Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway in Northern New Mexico
If you are looking forward to seeing some of the wild and not-so-wild west during your fall road trip, then the Enchanted Circle Byway is a great road trip.
Just look at a New Mexico license plate and you’ll see the state’s slogan ‘Land of Enchantment,’ so it’s understandable that this scenic drive is called the Enchanted Circle.
Driving the Enchanted Circle in the fall, you’ll see gorgeous changing colors of golden aspen trees and red cottonwoods. This 84-mile circle loops from Taos to Eagle Nest where you visit the 13,000+-foot-high Wheeler Park. And if luck is on your side, you may also see elk, black bear, and eagles.
If you still have time and energy, visit the old gold mining town of Elizabethtown or historic Taos Inn, which opened its doors in 1936.
Travel All or Part of the Coast of Maine
Would you believe that the Maine Coast has more coastline than California? It does, so it takes some time to really view the entire coast. Depending on the length of your road trip, you may want to travel all or just part of it.
Of course, you can see magnificent fall colors, but this route has a lot more to see and do.
- Explore some charming fishing villages and eat some really fresh fish.
- Stop in Bath to absorb a bit of history and check out some of the homes built in the 19th century.
- Stop at Bootbay for a bit of whale watching.
- For those of you who want some great exercise, you can visit Acadia National Park and climb Cadillac Mountain.
- And be sure to bring back some of Maine’s famous organic products.
Fall road trips not only make for cooler and more comfortable travel, but offer plenty in the way of spectacular views and interesting sights and activities.
