The most colorful time of the year is almost here. The fall season is one of the most exciting times for photographers because it provides such a unique perspective to landscapes with vibrant autumn colors and changing weather. However, a sad reality to the fall foliage season is that it comes and goes so quickly. You have to know exactly where you plan to shoot to maximize on peak colors. While most of the United States experience the beautiful changes of fall, there are several states that stand out among the rest as premier fall foliage photography destinations. Here are 15 amazing states for fall foliage photography, from east to west.
All you need to do is grab your camera, the best lenses for landscape photography, and our beginner’s guide to shooting landscape photography. You can also check out the Fall Foliage Prediction Map; it’s a fantastic way to track peak fall foliage across the United States.
Northeast
Maine
Maine has the charming towns and beautiful mountains famous to the Northeast, but also has its rugged, idyllic coastline. When fall season begins, this makes for an incredible combo, and the entire state is covered in color. From Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park on the coast to Baxter State Park in the mountains, Maine is a fantastic state for fall foliage photography.
New Hampshire
New Hampshire might not get as much attention as its neighboring state, Vermont, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t equally stunning. In the north, the White Mountains shine in the fall season, with beautiful towns like Lincoln and North Woodstock and state parks like Crawford Notch State Park and Franconia Notch State Park. Northern New Hampshire also features the Kancamagus Highway, or Highway 112, one of the most beautiful scenic highways on the East Coast.
In the south, the state’s Lake Region is just as beautiful in the fall, with amazing lakes like the large Lake Winnipesaukee. The quiet lake towns and charming cabins, surrounded by bright orange, reds, and yellows in the fall are the highlights. No matter where you go in New Hampshire in the fall, you will have ample opportunity to photograph some of the best fall foliage in the country.
Vermont
When you think of a premier fall destination, you think of Vermont. It stands out in the Northeast United States, and for good reason. Vermont has the incredible Green Mountains and scenic Green Mountain Byway, that winds through mountain valleys and around beautiful, pristine lakes lined with timeless looking cabins, perfect for fall photography.
However, Vermont’s towns are just as beautiful. From the capital Montpelier to the ski town of Stowe, and Burlington on Lake Champlain, Vermont offers some of the most beautiful cities and towns on the East Coast. Vermont is beautiful year-round but is truly breathtaking in the fall.
New York
New York isn’t just known for the Big Apple. It is widely recognized for its beautiful fall foliage. New York City’s Central Park is magnificent in fall and if you head north through the Catskill Mountains, the High Peak Wilderness Area in the Adirondacks, or lake towns like Lake Placid or Lake George, you will be treated to amazing fall foliage. Whether you prefer the urban or mountain fall scenes, New York has you covered.
Midwest:
Michigan
The Great Lake State in the fall is a magnificent experience. The Upper Peninsula is beautiful year-round, with picturesque coastline and pristine waters. However, in the fall, the state takes it up a notch, with some of the best fall colors you will see in the country. Whether it’s photographing Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore or the vivid colors near Copper Harbor, Michigan is a must for fall photography.
Minnesota
Minnesota might be known for its winters, but its fall season is just as notorious, and won’t give you frostbite. The entire state seems to ignite in color in the fall, from Minneapolis to Duluth.
Minnesota’s North Shore and Scenic Highway 61, which begins in Duluth and runs parallel to beautiful Lake Superior, is also considered one of the most beautiful fall drives in the country. Both Split Rock Lighthouse State Park and Tettegouche State Park lie alongside Highway 61, offering iconic fall views you’ll only find in Minnesota. The scenic drive itself is worth the journey north.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is typically known for its yellow and orange cheese, but in the fall, its yellow and orange fall foliage is just as fantastic. From the Wisconsin Dells in central Wisconsin, to beautiful Door County on the Wisconsin Peninsula, and the Apostle Islands in the north, Wisconsin puts on a show in the fall season.
South
Tennessee
Tennessee is home to the Great Smoky Mountains and Great Smoky Mountains National Park, one of the most popular and busiest national parks in the country. In the fall, this bustling national park and neighboring towns of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge erupt in incredible autumn colors. Whether you’re photographing Tennessee’s beautiful waterfalls, lakes, or mountains, everything is amplified in the fall season.
North Carolina
Neighboring Tennessee to the right, North Carolina shares the beautiful Great Smoky Mountains. But it’s most known for its iconic Blue Ridge Mountains and Blue Ridge Highway. This national scenic highway is considered to be one of the most beautiful scenic highways in the United States.
The Blue Ridge Mountains are stunning year-round but truly shine in the fall season. The Blue Ridge Highway, which is beautiful in itself to photograph, acts as a connecting point for several beautiful hikes and scenic vistas. The mountain towns of Boone and Ashville are fantastic cities to visit in their own right. North Carolina is one of the best states to explore and photograph in the Eastern United States. But if you haven’t photographed this state in the fall, you’re missing out.
West Virginia
There’s a reason why John Denver loved West Virginia. This mountainous state — it truly lives up to its “Mountain State” nickname — is one of the best destinations to experience fall foliage in the United States. Adventuring around Seneca Rocks or explore the beautiful New River Gorge and Babcock State Park. West Virginia is hard to beat in the fall season.
West
Colorado
There is simply nothing like Colorado in the peak fall season. It’s legendary for fall foliage in the United States. Whether you are visiting Aspen, Crested Butte, or taking the scenic San Juan Skyway around Telluride, Silverton, and Ouray, you will be welcomed with some of the best fall foliage in the country.
What makes Colorado’s fall season so spectacular are the Aspen trees, which normally grow in massive groves on the side of mountains in higher elevations. And when I say they are everywhere in Colorado, I mean they are everywhere. With their striking white bark and yellow leaves that glitter like coins in the wind, there’s nothing like them. Photographing their bright yellow color, next to the deep evergreens and white, rugged mountains is absolutely spectacular.
Utah
Utah, like Colorado, is magnificent in the fall season thanks to massive Aspen groves that blanket the Wasatch Range near Salt Lake City and Provo. However, Utah also offers variety in colors, thanks to the large amounts of Scrub Oak in the northern mountains.
In southern Utah, there are also amazing locations for fall colors, even with the high desert environment. Destinations like Zion National Park and Grand Staircase of Escalante ignite in color, thanks to the large amounts of cottonwoods that line the rivers in these areas.
Montana
Montana is another western state that is incredibly beautiful in the fall season. Locations like the Beartooth Mountains and Yellowstone National Park offer amazing autumn colors. However, Glacier National Park is where Montana truly shines in the fall.
Glacier National Park is one of the most picturesque and beautiful national parks in the world. While the fall season is viewed as the offseason, with many of the park accommodations and services closing, don’t let that deter you from visiting. Fall in Glacier National Park also means fewer crowds, more animal activity, and amazing fall colors. Iconic landmarks like Lake McDonald, Going-to-the-Sun Road, and Saint Mary Lake turn bright yellow and orange. These classic landscape photography locations become even more intriguing to shoot.
Northwest:
Oregon
Oregon is a landscape photographer’s dream and its lush, temperate landscapes and beautiful waterfalls are famous. However, when you think that the state couldn’t get any more beautiful to photograph, fall season rolls around.
Amazing locations like the Columbia River Gorge and Silver Falls State Park erupt in bright yellows and oranges, contrasting beautifully with the vivid greens of the Pacific Northwest. Hiking through these areas or taking a scenic drive down the Historic Columbia River Highway will lead to some of the best fall foliage opportunities on the West Coast.
Washington
Last, but certainly not least, we have Washington. Washington offers a wide variety of amazing fall foliage throughout the state, including several jaw-dropping, scenic drives near Seattle. The iconic Chuckanut Drive or WA-11, right on the shores of Samish and Bellingham Bays, is a favorite.
However, Washington is truly known for its abundance of Larch trees. These beautiful trees turn golden in the fall, high up in the Cascade mountains. This golden addition to an already breathtaking mountain range is an absolute must for landscape photographers who love fall foliage.
Feature image by Nathan Lee Allen
