The Northeast of the U.S. is world-famous for its spellbinding fall colors, with states such as Vermont, Maine and New Hampshire meccas for leaf-peepers thanks to their kaleidoscopic forest tapestries.
Such is their renown for autumnal displays that other states with fiery fall foliage often get overlooked.
Here, we’re putting some of these underrated destinations in the spotlight. They all offer magnificent leaf-peeping opportunities, but without the crowds you’ll find at better-known spots.
There’s the state often associated with glaciers and snowy mountains that has secret seasonal fall foliage; the destination with a desert vibe where golden-yellow aspens cloak the valleys come September; and the West Coast state renowned for evergreens that’s draped in molten colors in October and November.
Plus, there’s an under-the-radar region that’s rarely associated with leaf-peeping that becomes a living canvas during fall.
1. Alaska
Alaska is most famous for its snow-covered landscapes, with fall foliage something of a seasonal secret. While it’s brief, it's nothing short of spectacular.
When?
The colors move north to south from late August through early October.
What to expect
Think golden birch trees against crimson tundras and snow-capped mountains.
Where to go
In the Southcentral Region, the Glenn Highway, which links Anchorage to Glennallen further north, offers spellbinding fall colors in all directions after the city of Palmer.
In this area of the state, dazzling fall hues can also be appreciated at Hatcher Pass, the Seward Highway, the Kenai Peninsula and Chugach National Forest. It’s an often overlooked backdrop where swathes of birch and cottonwood turn brilliant gold beneath snow-dusted peaks and the tundra bursts into crimson and amber.
In the Interior Region, a brief but spectacular display can be seen in Denali National Park, while golden hues also emerge on road trips from Fairbanks that take in Chena River State Recreation Area and the Steese and Elliot highways.
Mendenhall Valley is a prime spot for enjoying a wash of colors in the Inside Passage region, while in the Southwest Region, fall colors take hold in style in Lake Clark National Park and Katmai National Park, both accessible via flightseeing day trips from Anchorage and Homer. As a bonus, these are both prime destinations for autumn bear viewing.
In the even more remote Arctic region, adventurous fall foliage hunters (with 4x4 ) will be treated to eye-catching colors along the rugged Dalton Highway, which runs through the Brooks Range mountains.
How to get there
Alaska Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, American Airlines, and Hawaiian Airlines all offer services to Anchorage, Alaska’s biggest city.
Reaching Alaska via road, you’ll likely use the Alaska Highway, a 1,400-mile route from Dawson Creek, British Columbia, to Delta Junction, Alaska.
Where to stay
Alyeska Resort, a gateway to the Chugach Mountains, features 299 rooms, an indoor saltwater pool, and seven dining options, including Seven Glaciers, an AAA Four Diamond Award restaurant with views overlooking seven hanging glaciers.
Read more: These hotels have very specific concierge services, from sandcastle building to a ‘bourbon butler’
2. New Mexico
Think of New Mexico and deserts and canyons likely spring to mind, but the state puts on a memorable show during fall. And you're likely to have viewing spots all to yourself.
When?
Mid-September to early November, with higher elevations, such as the Taos region, turning amber first, followed by lower areas.
What to expect
Magnificent shows through valleys, across mountainsides, and along rivers.
Where to go
Drive the Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway, which loops Wheeler Peak — the state's highest mountain — to witness golden-yellow aspens, golden-brown oaks and maples, and vivid-yellow cottonwoods.
Navigate the 16-mile Sunspot Scenic Byway and you'll be surrounded by flaxen aspens as it winds south along the Sacramento Mountains.
Other highway highlights for tantalizing tones include the High Road to Taos Scenic Byway; the Sandia Crest Byway in the Sandia Mountains; and U.S. 64 across the Carson National Forest.
State capital Santa Fe also offers terrific tints, with the foliage typically peaking from mid-September to early October. Groves of aspens blaze against the city's adobe architecture and the surrounding Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
One of the best drives is along the Santa Fe National Forest Scenic Byway – a 16-mile route lined with brilliant gold and crimson leaves that starts in Hyde Memorial State Park and finishes 10,000 ft up in Ski Santa Fe. Once there, jump out in your hiking boots and ascend the moderate Aspen Vista Trail through the aspen forests.
At Hyde Memorial State Park, beginner-friendly trails like East Circle and Piggyback wind through aspen and pine, while the Dale Ball Trails provide routes through pinyon-juniper woodlands and into higher-elevation forests.
How to get there
From Denver, the I-25 offers sweeping plains-to-mountains panoramas. Texas visitors can follow U.S. 84 or U.S. 285 through ranchlands and valleys aglow with golden cottonwoods; while LA and Chicago residents can opt for Amtrak's Southwest Chief, which connects their cities to Albuquerque, New Mexico, and from there, the New Mexico Rail Runner offers a golden-hued ride into Santa Fe.
There are flight connections to Santa Fe Airport from major hubs, including Dallas, Denver, and Phoenix.
Where to stay
The boutique Pueblo Bonito Inn is located between the Santa Fe Plaza and Railyard District, with world-class galleries, restaurants, and museums just moments away.
Read more: European towns and villages that look like a Disney movie
3. Idaho
Idaho is famed for rushing rivers and rugged landscapes, but it's also an under-the-radar destination for fall foliage.
When?
Expect colors to start popping in early October in northern, central and eastern areas of the state, with displays developing further south by mid-October.
What to expect
Golden aspens and fiery maples marching across valleys and mountains.
Where to go
In Northern Idaho, head along the International Selkirk Loop, which runs to the Canadian border, and ready your camera for a kaleidoscope of colors at the Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge at the base of the Selkirk Mountain Range.
A tapestry of hues also awaits in the Cabinet and Purcell mountains, and along the 89-mile St. Joe River Scenic Byway.
The town of Moscow should also be on your itinerary — you'll be immersed in a mosaic of shades as you stroll the University of Idaho campus and the surrounding fields glisten with gorgeous golds.
In Central Idaho, trees are dressed in their finest colors along the Salmon River Scenic Byway and Ponderosa Pine Scenic Byway, which both pass through the Sawtooth Mountains, while in southwest Idaho, the hotspot for hues is Boise, also known as "The City of Trees." Here, oaks, maples and ash trees shimmer with oranges and reds, while cottonwoods and aspens burst into glorious gold.
Head north to the Payette River Scenic Byway and the Wildlife Canyon Scenic Byway for further cascades of color.
In Eastern Idaho, Mesa Falls Scenic Byway and the Harriman State Park also reward leaf-peepers, while in South Central, a symphony of autumn colors awaits at Thousand Springs State Park (plus breathtaking waterfalls).
How to get there
Interstate 84 connects Idaho to Oregon and Utah, while the I-90 provides a link to Washington.
On the rail front, Amtrak's Empire Builder links Sandpoint in northern Idaho with Chicago, Portland and Seattle.
The primary flight hub is Boise Airport, which offers non-stop flights to several major U.S. cities, including Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, and Dallas/Fort Worth.
Where to stay
Modern Hotel, a former motel turned boutique inn with a modish mid-century vibe, is located in the Linen District of downtown Boise and offers rooms featuring Japanese hot tubs and glass-enclosed showers, along with an open-air terrace with stone fire pits.
Read more: Luxury hotels with the best service: The world’s most impressive stays loved by billionaires
4. Wisconsin
Vacationers tend to head to Wisconsin to enjoy the shorelines of lakes Superior and Michigan, and eat cranberries and fine cheese. However, the state known as America's Dairyland is also an amazing, less-crowded alternative for experiencing rich fall foliage.
When?
Mid-September and through October, with fall color developing from north to south.
What to expect
An abundance of red/brown oaks, bright-yellow birches, purple dogwoods and orange maple trees, with stunning coastal views thrown in for good measure.
Where to go
Wisconsin is the birth-state of Frank Lloyd Wright, and one of the many unique fall foliage viewing opportunities is along the 200-mile Frank Lloyd Wright Trail, which runs from Racine County on Interstate 94 and ends in Richland Center, where the architect was born.
Visitors can experience fall colors while also admiring some of Wright's most iconic pieces of architecture, from the SC Johnson Administrative Building and Research Tower to the Taliesin estate and the A.D. German Warehouse.
For vibrant foliage encounters with coastal views, hit the Wisconsin Lake Superior Scenic Byway and Door County Coastal Byway.
Foodies can admire a painter's palette of fall foliage along the 50-mile Wisconsin Cranberry Highway, which meanders through century-old cranberry marshes (Wisconsin is one of the top-producing regions of the fruit in the world).
Inevitably for Wisconsin, a cheese trail is never far away. Take the multi-use Cheese Country Recreation Trail that starts in Mineral Point and finishes in Monroe (aka "Cheese City USA") for a smorgasbord of jewel-like woodland tones.
Wisconsin's 1,000-mile-long Ice Age Trail through open prairies and thick forests and the Great River Road National Scenic Byway, which stretches 250 miles along the Mississippi River, are also both excellent routes for earthy autumnal hues.
How to get there
The largest airport is Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport, which serves cities including Boston, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Miami and San Diego.
Arriving by car is a cinch, with the I-94 connecting Wisconsin to Chicago and the I-90 linking the state to the wider national highway system.
Amtrak services that travel through Wisconsin include the Hiawatha Service (which links Chicago with Milwaukee), the Empire Builder and the Borealis.
Where to stay
Spring Valley Inn, set in a wooded prairie in Spring Green, was designed by one of Frank Lloyd Wright's apprentices, with the 35-room architectural gem featuring a bar serving regionally brewed beer and an indoor pool.
Read more: 10 of the best under-the-radar beaches in the US for crowd-free coastal escapes
5. Oregon
Oregon is renowned for its evergreens, so its surprisingly vibrant fall colors are often overlooked. And there's a lot of foliage to view. At 96,000 square miles, the state is 36 percent bigger than the leaf-peeping mecca of New England, and almost half of it is forested.
When?
Early October to early November, with colors popping in Central Oregon in mid-October, followed by Southern Oregon and the northeastern corner of the state transforming in early November.
What to expect
Firs, larches, aspens and maples cloaked in molten colors amid volcanoes, waterfalls and spellbinding coastlines, without the East Coast crowds.
Where to go
In Central Oregon, the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway from Bend offers countless pull-offs for epic leaf-peeping photo moments, with dozens of alpine lakes making the trip extra spellbinding.
Jaw-dropping fall foliage spectacles also await on the McKenzie Pass–Santiam Pass Scenic Byway, where gilded larch trees soar above dramatic lava fields.
Hike the Tumalo Falls/North Fork Trail and you'll be rewarded with views of a 97-foot waterfall and aspen groves adorned in leaves in shades of yellow, gold, orange, and red.
In Southern Oregon, target Crater Lake National Park, Umpqua Valley, and Ashland's Lithia Park for patchwork quilts of glowing leaves.
In Northeast Oregon, Columbia River Gorge and the Mount Hood region offer memorable leaf-peeping vistas.
And don't forget the cities. In Portland, for example, parks including Hoyt Arboretum (which has 2,000 species of tree) and Forest Park put on impressive autumnal displays.
How to get there
The main airport is Portland International Airport, with Redmond Municipal Airport serving Central Oregon.
The state is connected to the rest of the U.S. by several interstate highways: the I-5 (which links Oregon to California), the I-84 (which connects to Idaho) and the I-82, which connects Oregon with Washington.
Where to stay
The Hoxton, Portland, has two restaurants, a speakeasy bar, complimentary wifi, and rooms with rich walnut paneling.
Read more: Six of the most unique Airbnbs in the US revealed, from a missile launch site to a giant shoe
6. Arkansas
Arkansas is not likely to be at the very top of a leaf-peeper’s bucket list, but the Natural State becomes a living canvas during fall.
When?
Mid to late October in the northern Ozark Mountains, early to mid-November in the central and southern regions of the state.
What to expect
Maples and sweetgums turning apple red, hickories draped in gold and oaks adorned in pumpkin oranges.
Where to go
There are several noteworthy drives in Arkansas that offer incredible leaf-peeping perspectives.
The Scenic 7 Byway begins within the West Gulf Coastal Plain and ascends into the Ozark Mountains, which have stellar fall foliage views. The road also takes in the "Grand Canyon of the Ozarks."
The Talimena National Scenic Byway travels through the scenic Ouachita National Forest, where autumn colors burn, while Crowley's Ridge National Scenic Parkway passes through seven state parks festooned with hardwood forests and orchards that become a symphony of colors during fall.
The state capital, Little Rock, at the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains, also offers an array of alluring autumnal views.
Options for leaf-peepers include the 17-mile-long Arkansas River Trail, which offers sweeping riverfront views and fiery foliage; Rattlesnake Ridge Natural Area, just west of the city, which harbors 370 acres of protected forest; and Fourche Creek Wetlands, a 700-hectare escape in the heart of the city.
How to get there
Arkansas has two main commercial airports: Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport in Little Rock and Northwest Arkansas National Airport in Bentonville.
Major highways that pass through the state include the east-west I-40; the I-30, which connects Little Rock with Texas; the I-55, which links eastern Arkansas to St.Louis and Chicago; and routes 65 and 71, which run north-south.
Prefer rail? Amtrak's Texas Eagle makes several stops in Arkansas, including Little Rock, and connects the state to major cities such as Chicago, St. Louis, and Dallas.
Where to stay
The Capital Hotel, a beloved landmark for over a century, graces Downtown Little Rock with timeless elegance. Rooms feature hardwood credenzas, floor-to-ceiling drapes, smart TVs, and Molton Brown bath products.
Read more: Nine of the US’s most epic beaches revealed, from flour-soft sand in Florida to castaway havens in California
