35 Best Places in the World to See Fall Foliage
Proof that change is good.
Just as soon as the heat and humidity of summer become too much, you wake up to first crisp morning of fall. And while there are many things the season brings to be excited for—pumpkin carving, Thanksgiving feasts, and scary movies to name a few—one of the most anticipated is the changing color of the leaves. While fall may officially start on the Autumnal Equinox (that's on Saturday, September 23 this year), many people (hello, leaf peepers) feel that the seasons don't change until the leaves do.
If you live somewhere the climate experiences all four seasons, the leaves changing color may just be part of your regular day, but for those who live in other parts of the country (or world), the vibrant hues are truly a phenomenon. Why do the leaves change colors? As the weather gets colder, the days also get shorter, limiting the amount of sunlight plants can access for photosynthesis. This causes the chlorophyll, the substance that makes the leaves green, break down and the leaves, er, die, slowly, resulting in some stunning autumnal tones from burgundy red to traffic light yellow.
Fall is also a great time to travel because you can avoid summer crowds, hot weather, and the rainy season. So why not plan your travel around leaf peeping? The best places to see fall foliage aren't just in the northeastern United States. While Vermont and Maine have stunning views, so do international destinations like Edinburgh and Amsterdam. If you're a wannabe leaf peeper in need of travel inspiration, we've rounded up the 35 best places to see fall foliage this year, both stateside and abroad.
Sienna is a senior editor at Hearst. She lives in California with her husband and two littles.

Hadley Mendelsohn is the co-host and executive producer of the podcast Dark House. When she's not busy writing about interiors, you can find her scouring vintage stores, reading, researching ghost stories, or stumbling about because she probably lost her glasses again. Along with interior design, she writes about everything from travel to entertainment, beauty, social issues, relationships, fashion, food, and on very special occasions, witches, ghosts, and other Halloween haunts. Her work has also been published in MyDomaine, Who What Wear, Man Repeller, Matches Fashion, Byrdie, and more.
Kate McGregor is House Beautiful’s SEO Editor. She has covered everything from curated decor round-ups and shopping guides, to glimpses into the home lives of inspiring creatives, for publications such as ELLE Decor, Domino, and Architectural Digest’s Clever.
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