12 Unexpected Places to See Spectacular Fall Colors

For general national park information, go to NPS.gov and type “foliage” in the search bar.

State forests

State forests are often overlooked as fall color destinations. To find one near you, do a Google search for “state forests near me.”

Brush Creek State Forest: In the hill country of south/central Ohio, this rugged, mostly timbered 13,000 acres is a blanket of fall colors. Established in 1928 with 285 acres, Brush Creek was originally part of the nearby Shawnee State Forest, a 60,000-acre tract that includes nearly 8,000 acres of designated wilderness.

Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park is in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where the fall foliage season throughout this heavily timbered and sparely populated region typically arrives in September, though colorful shades sometimes show in August. Plan an early visit to see the old growth, which takes up more than half of the park’s 60,000 acres.

Lost Maples State Natural Area in Vanderpool, Texas, covers about 2,200 acres, and bigtooth maples will be on display at this Hill Country property. Expect the maple trees to be dazzling and cell service to range from spotty to nonexistent. 

Stairs going down into the forest at Tallulah Gorge State Park, Georgia.

Stocksy

Tallulah Gorge State Park, Georgia: The centerpiece of this 2,739-acre north Georgia park is the 2-mile-long, 1,000-foot-deep gorge. But the fall foliage reaches far beyond the gorge. Typical peak time is early October. Find more on Georgia’s fall colors at ExploreGeorgia.org.

National forests

These lands are sometimes a patchwork of properties. What most have in common are good road accessibility. It would be hard to pick one that doesn’t display rich fall colors.

Shawnee National Forest: This surprisingly rugged, 289,000-acre timbered tract sprawls across southern Illinois near the lower Ohio and middle Mississippi rivers. Like many national forest properties, it features accessible roads and displays rich fall colors. 

Black Hills National Forest, South Dakota: Nearby Mount Rushmore often grabs the Black Hills’ spotlight, but the more-than-1-million-acre national forest is stunning, especially in early fall. A highlight for many foliage visitors is Highway 14A through Spearfish Canyon. South Dakota offers several surprising fall color destinations. Details can be found at travelsouthdakota.com. 

Chippewa National Forest, Minnesota: The forest swallows about 1.6 million acres of north-central Minnesota. When the forest shows its colors, often beginning in early September, don’t miss the 47 miles that Highway 38 winds through the forest. It’s a stunning drive.

White Rock Mountain Recreation Area in the Ozark National Forest in Arkansas.

Inge Johnsson/Alamy Stock Photo

The Ozarks: The hills that roll primarily through Missouri and Arkansas are an idea as much as they are a place. Fall colors often arrive early and stay late, compared with other areas of the U.S. The landscape feels ancient, and in many ways it is. A drive through the fall Ozarks is riveting, especially on Arkansas’ Highway 7. A gentle float along an Ozark stream brings the colors intimately close. There is no better place to paddle through the foliage than Missouri’s Ozark National Scenic Riverways.

Sawtooth National Forest, Idaho: Beauty and wildness collide in a bath of colors in central Idaho. It’s a worthwhile road trip, but fall colors come early for what is often a short but beautiful season.

Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area: This 170,000-acre mostly wooded property managed by the U.S. Forest Service separates Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley in western Kentucky and west Tennessee. Most visitors come for the fishing, camping and hiking, but the fall colors that blanket this 40-mile-long and 10-mile-wide peninsula are worth the trip. LBL is laced with a web of secondary roads that are mostly two-wheel-drive-accessible and wind through the surprisingly uncrowded forest. Fall foliage season often stretches from mid-September through early November, absent summer’s humidity and insects.  

Share your experience: Where’s your favorite off-the-beaten-path place to go to watch fall colors? Let us know in the comments below.