10 great states for fall foliage

Rob Lovitt Travel writer • E-mail

The leaf-peepers are coming, the leaf-peepers are coming! And, for better or worse, most are heading for New England, where the brilliant colors draw considerable crowds and the vivid vistas too often include neon No Vacancy signs.

Fortunately, New England doesn’t have a monopoly on fall foliage, and leaves are turning -- or getting ready to -- in dozens of states across the Southeast, Midwest, and Rocky Mountains. The 10 below go one better, combining splendid scenery with wonderfully unique ways to enjoy the show. Some options are off the beaten path; others are just plain offbeat.

EAST
About the time the leaves begin falling in northern New England, those in the Mid-Atlantic states are hitting their prime. From the Poconos to the Smokies, you can catch the show via back road, balloon ride, or BASE jump -- or with a good bottle of wine.

Pennsylvania (www.fallinpa.com/): Blazing red, yellow, and purple, the local foliage is eye-catching from any angle, but from high up in a hot-air balloon, it’s breathtaking. Seasonal highlights include daily flights over the Amish Country and Brandywine Valley and the Timber and Tether Festival at the Shawnee Mt. Ski Area, October 13–15.

Virginia (www.fallinvirginia.com/): October is both Virginia Wine Month and prime leaf-peeping season in The Old Dominion. Celebrate the harvest while you toast the foliage at the Virginia Wine Festival (Leesburg, September 30–October 1), Fall Wine Festival & Sunset Tour (October 6–8) in Mt. Vernon, Virginia Wine & Garlic Festival (October 14-15) in Amherst County, and dozens of others.

Slide show Autumn’s awesome rainbow Across the nation and the world, fall repaints landscapes with a palette of vivid hues. more photos

West Virginia (www.wvtourism.com/): Care for some adrenaline with your foliage? Then head to Fayetteville for Bridge Day (October 21) to watch (or be one of) the BASE-jumping parachutists who launch themselves off the 876-foot-high New River Gorge Bridge. For a less intense experience, the gorge is equally beautiful by train ride or float trip.

North Carolina (www.visitnc.com/): The Blue Ridge Parkway is truly one of the world’s great drives. Unfortunately, it can also resemble a parking lot, especially when the local slopes are putting on their autumn show. For an off-the-beaten-path alternative, try the Cherohala Scenic Skyway, which traverses the Unicoi Mountains in the southwest corner of the state. Similar views, much less traffic.

MIDWEST
Flatter terrain doesn’t mean flatter colors, especially in the Upper Midwest, where the arboreal rainbow is often framed between cobalt skies and crystalline waters. Add in hiking and biking trails that go on forever, and you can forget all about leaf-peeping traffic jams.

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