America's best fall foliage

Mount Magazine Scenic Byway, Ark.
For: Vivid Vistas of Mountain Colors and a Lovely Lake

Start at Havana, and drive right up Mount Magazine, which happens to be the tippy top of Arkansas at 2,800 feet. You will be glad you did. The view goes on forever, in every possible direction, in the vivid colors of autumn, capped by blue.

From this aerie, you can gaze down at a deep blue lake—not surprisingly called Blue Mountain Lake—and can see foliage that may top any other fall vistas you’ve seen. There are numerous campgrounds there, if you want to feel the fall, but The Lodge at Mount Magazine offers beautiful views of the lake and the Petit Jean River Valley. Adventure lovers can soar over the valley via hang glider. Others may just enjoy leaning against a tree and gazing at the superb scenery below. (Photo: Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism)

Aspen, Colo.
For: A Rocky Mountain High

Think Aspen, and think about the vibrant, 24-carat-gold-looking leaves on the trees that gave the town its name. Through early October, be sure to ride the tram (weekends only) to the top of Aspen Mountain for autumn in 360 degrees.

Reserve rooms at the Little Nell Hotel, which in winter becomes a popular ski-in, ski-out destination. Don’t miss dinner at the hotel’s new “Element 47,” (referring to the silver that made Aspen rich, long ago). Hike to either American or Cathedral Lake, take along an autumn picnic in your backpack, and enjoy the Rocky Mountain high. (Photo: Dave Amerault)

Acadia National Park, Mt. Desert Island, Maine
For: Seeing Fall Foliage as a Rockefeller Would

How do you make a “Down Easter,” a Maine native, laugh? You pronounce Mount Desert as you would pronounce the Sahara Desert. Surely everyone in Maine knows that it’s pronounced “Mount Dessert,” no matter how it’s spelled.

A visit to Acadia National Park, a gift to the public from John D. Rockefeller, and magnificently situated on this lovely island, gives hikers and bicyclists and folks who like to paddle their own canoes a glorious opportunity to do it all among some of North America’s most vibrant fall colors. Drive to the top of Cadillac Mountain to watch the sun set over the sea and to get the whole panorama of fall colors, or climb Acadia Mountain for big sea vistas. (Photo: National Park Service)

Oxbow Bend, Grand Tetons, Wyo.
For: Reflecting on Wildlife in a Grand Setting

If you’ve ever seen a photo of the Grand Tetons on a glossy color calendar, odds are good that you have seen Oxbow Bend, one of the loveliest scenes in what is one of America’s prettiest national parks. Add fall colors and it is perfection.

Locals say that end of September is prime time for autumn drama, when the aspens pull out all the stops, in shades of scarlet, orange, and gold. And you get a double whammy because the colors are reflected in the waters of Oxbow Bend. Come back at sunset, when the pastel pinks and purples add to the palate. Keep your eyes out for massive grizzlies shambling through the forest, and for bull moose that look like they are sporting large chandeliers. (Photo: iStockphoto)

Napa and Sonoma valleys, Calif.
For: Autumnal Tastings and Fall Colors

Sure, California has fall foliage, and we aren’t just talking about Yosemite. In autumn, the vineyards of Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley take on their own magenta-russet-ruddy redness. It isn’t sugar maples showing off, but it’s pretty.

Napa Valley alone boasts some 400 vineyards, with Sonoma Valley claiming an additional 370 (perhaps best to not visit all of them in one leaf-peeping trip).

Folks in the know say that October, peak harvest time, is definitely the best time to visit. The good news is that superb restaurants tend to spring up in wine-growing areas. The even better news: The wineries’ successes are helping to keep this piece of paradise from overdevelopment. That merits a toast. (Photo: Visit Napa Valley)

The White Mountains, Bretton Woods, N.H.
For Great Fall Hikes, a Cog Railway, and a Grand Hotel

New Hampshire’s White Mountains—and especially towering Mount Washington, the highest peak in the Northeast—offer autumnal drama in abundance. What makes it fun is the vast variety of ways you can experience the scene.

Splurge on a room at the Omni Mount Washington Hotel, one of America’s grandest hotels, in the heart of New England’s fall foliage display. Bring your clubs and play a round of golf there, amid the red and gold fall scenery. Hike up Mount Washington to savor the views in slow motion, or choose to chug up the mountain aboard the Mount Washington Cog Railway. (Photo: Courtesy of Omni Mount Washington Resort)

Skyline Drive, Shenandoah National Park, Va.
For: A Chance to Slow Down and See the Colors

Sometimes it can sooth your soul to stop rushing. And the good news is that you simply cannot rush through Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park, because the speed limit on the pretty, 105-mile-long Skyline Drive is 35 mph.

Get on the road at Front Royal, Va., and then cruise along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains, noticing pretty white-tailed deer and black bears. Break your trip at Skyland Resort, at mile marker 31.7, which offers a lake, guided horseback riding on certain days, and twilight hikes to watch the day begin its ending. As you drive along the very top of the Blue Ridge Crest, the brilliant fall colors continue to surprise, as will the dramatic sunset at day’s end. (Photo: iStockphoto)

Mohonk Mountain House, Hudson Valley, New Paltz, N.Y.
For: A Classic Grand Hotel That Offers Fabulous Hiking and Incredible Fall Foliage

Take an autumnal trip back in time to one of America’s classic, Victorian-era grand hotels—complete with working fireplaces in many rooms, three dining rooms, golf and gardens and greenhouses, and one of America’s top spas.

It is also one of the best places in the East to get out and experience vibrant fall foliage while enjoying as much solitude as you like. Stroll along the property’s Victorian-era carriage trails—now very comfortable walking paths—past trees in every vibrant autumn shade. Take a rowboat out on pretty Lake Mohonk, formed by a glacier eons ago, and see red and gold foliage reflected in the water. While still on the property, hike up to Sky Top Tower and see vistas that span six states. (Photo: Mohonk Mountain House)

Sundance Resort, Provo, Utah
For: A Low-Key, Leisurely Resort Experience

Clearly, Robert Redford has an eye for beauty. When he created his Sundance Resort in Utah’s Wasatch Mountains, he found one of the prettiest mountain settings in all of the Rocky Mountain chain. And he kept it pristine.

In autumn, the ski trails that define the resort are perfect for mountain hiking on a blanket of green and pastel wildflowers still in bloom, even as the trees turn to shades of deep russet and 24-carat gold. Guests can go horseback riding along quiet mountain trails or can walk alongside a pretty waterfall. Despite some of the high-profile homeowners and guests at Sundance, there is never a “scene.” (Photo: Courtesy of Sundance Resort)

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina and Tennessee
For: Nature and History and Lots of Color

Given how glorious the fall foliage is in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, leaf peepers should be aware that driving through the park during peak autumn weeks can be slow, but It lets you savor the scene.

Start your exploration in Cades Cove, where you can get a superb look at how early settlers lived in these challenging mountains. As you explore the now derelict buildings—homes and barns and churches—the setting comes to life. Then get way off the beaten path; the hike to Abrams Falls offers great views. Camp or leave the park for accommodations, either in Asheville, Gatlinburg, or Pigeon Forge, home to Dollywood. (Photo: National Park Service)