Fall is right here, and which means it is time for tens of millions of leaf peepers to go to the Blue Ridge Parkway to take pleasure in vibrant foliage, panoramic overlooks, and the mild roads winding via the Appalachians. Stretching 469 miles from Virginia to North Carolina, it is typically thought of the crown jewel of fall drives within the U.S., and for a superb motive. However what in case you’ve already performed it? Otherwise you’re on the lookout for a highway much less traveled?
It seems, the Blue Ridge Parkway has some critical competitors. Throughout the nation, there are shorter, quieter, and in some circumstances extra spectacular fall drives that provide their very own variations of magical fall surroundings. From coastal New England to the Rocky Mountains, these scenic options mix good shade with fewer crowds, gorgeous views, and a regional allure the Parkway cannot all the time match.
Whether or not you are planning the perfect fall RV trip or a fast weekend escape, this is a better have a look at some Blue Ridge Parkway options that are not simply backups—they may really be higher.
Why You Ought to Think about Blue Ridge Parkway Alternate options
The Blue Ridge Parkway is essentially the most visited Nationwide Park System unit within the nation, 12 months after 12 months—a real nationwide treasure. Its elevation adjustments, lengthy uninterrupted stretches, and accessible trails make it an autumn pilgrimage for highway trippers and leaf peepers. Plus, it is free to enter and stuffed with scenic overlooks that showcase the Blue Ridge Mountains’ greatest angles.
The draw back, nonetheless, is that it is also crowded. Particularly throughout peak fall weekends, count on bumper-to-bumper visitors, packed viewpoints, and minimal parking at well-liked stops. Additionally, the highway’s decrease elevation in sure sections typically means a shorter foliage season in comparison with different elements of the nation.
That is the place options are available, with some climbing larger into the mountains. Others hug coastlines or meander deep into quiet forests. They’re scattered throughout the nation, and every gives one thing the Parkway does not: a twist on the traditional fall drive that brings recent surroundings and discovery.
Fall Foliage Alternate options To The Blue Ridge Parkway
For those who’re on the lookout for a fall foliage expertise that is simply as photo-worthy, however with fewer RVs and the identical or much more wow issue, these six routes would possibly simply be your new favorites.
Kancamagus Freeway — New Hampshire
The Kancamagus Highway tops the checklist of scenic fall drives better than the Blue Ridge Parkway. Beginning in Lincoln and ending in Conway, this iconic 34-mile portion of New Hampshire Route 112 slices via White Mountain Nationwide Forest, delivering wealthy crimson and gold canopies, spectacular mountain views, and roadside waterfalls. Recognized regionally as “The Kanc,” this two-lane byway is all in regards to the journey. With no fuel stations, no billboards, and really restricted cell service, the Kancamagus Freeway gives pure, unspoiled fall surroundings.
Journey tip: You’ll want to cease at Sabbaday Falls trailhead for a brief 0.7-mile hike to one of many space’s most scenic waterfalls.
Park Loop Street — Acadia Nationwide Park, Maine
Park Loop Road is a coastal drive providing a novel foliage expertise the place vivid hardwood forests meet ocean cliffs. It circles the east facet of Mount Desert Island, passing by a few of Acadia’s hottest landmarks, together with Sieur de Monts, Sand Seaside, Otter Level, Jordan Pond, and the granite peaks of Cadillac Mountain. Starting and ending at Hulls Cove Customer Heart close to Bar Harbor, this 27-mile drive comes alive in September to early October when the autumn foliage blankets the surroundings in reds, oranges, and golds.
Journey tip: Take into account that a park entrance pass should be clearly displayed when driving on Park Loop Street.
Route 6A — Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Route 6A, also called Previous King’s Freeway, contains the biggest contiguous historic district within the U.S., winding previous the shoreline, sea captains’ houses, farmlands, cranberry bogs, and salt marshes. Whereas it isn’t as dramatic in elevation as different routes, it delivers a mix of small-town allure and autumn shade that is distinctly New England. Beginning in Sandwich, MA, the 62-mile Route 6A formally ends in Orleans, although many vacationers proceed to Provincetown alongside U.S. Route 6, which stretches about 27 extra miles and maintains the identical scenic and cultural character.
Journey tip: Should stops alongside this lovely route embrace Barnstable Village and Brewster’s historic General Store.
Black River Nationwide Scenic Byway — Michigan’s Higher Peninsula
Quick however gorgeous, spanning simply 15 miles, the Black River National Scenic Byway hugs the Black River within the Ottawa Nationwide Forest and leads you thru a distant panorama of dense forests and a number of waterfalls, together with Rainbow Falls, Sandstone Falls, Gorge Falls, Potawatomi Falls, and Nice Conglomerate Falls. Beginning in Bassemer and ending at Black River Harbor, MI, the colour change is early within the season, making peak time for a shocking fall drive from late September to early October, and intense, due to the area’s northern latitude.
Journey tip: You’ll want to carry climbing sneakers—brief trails result in simply accessible waterfalls simply off the highway.
Guanella Go — Colorado
Climbing to over 11,600 ft, beginning at Georgetown and ending at Grant, CO, Guanella Pass is a dramatic 22-mile drive via the Colorado Rockies. The decrease elevations are lush and moist, whereas larger up, golden aspens mild up the slopes beneath snow-dusted peaks within the fall, creating one of the crucial vivid shade contrasts you may discover anyplace within the U.S. The go sometimes closes on the finish of November and reopens round Memorial Day, relying on snow situations.
Journey tip: Begin your drive early to keep away from mountain visitors and catch the morning mild glowing via the aspens.
Mt. Nebo Scenic Byway — Utah
Mt. Nebo Scenic Byway is a lesser-known Utah gem, beginning in Payson and ending in Nephi, UT, providing a high-elevation 35-mile drive via the Uinta Nationwide Forest. Count on jaw-dropping views of Mount Nebo (Utah’s highest peak) and stretches of glowing aspens blended with fir and spruce. The highway is distant and peaceable, good for vacationers looking for solitude together with their surroundings.
Journey tip: There aren’t any providers alongside the route, so gas up in Nephi or Payson earlier than you begin.
Extra Scenic Roads Value The Detour
Whereas they did not make the principle checklist, these different routes nonetheless pack a colourful punch and are nicely price exploring in case you’re close by. The Catskill Mountains Scenic Byway in New York is a 52-mile route from Olive to Andes, providing rolling mountains, quaint villages, and forested hills. For those who’re within the Hudson Valley space, this can be a must-do in October—particularly throughout fall competition weekend.
Vermont’s Route 100 is a 200-mile route that connects Stamford to Newport, passing via ski cities and farmland, with sugar maples creating blazing orange tunnels, and gives a real slice of rural New England. Often known as Skiers’ Freeway, this winding highway skirts almost each main resort in southern Vermont, with inns, gear outlets, and comfy cafés alongside the best way. Whereas fall brings leaf seekers as an alternative of skiers, the charming villages, outdated houses, and hand-carved indicators make the drive simply as memorable.
The Blue Ridge Parkway has earned its popularity, however these scenic drives show that it isn’t the one route price your consideration this fall. From the alpine roads of Colorado to the cranberry bogs of Cape Cod, these various routes showcase fall in distinctive ways in which the Parkway merely can’t match. So this 12 months, discover certainly one of these scenic fall drives that simply is likely to be higher than the Blue Ridge Parkway.
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