5 Best Fall Foliage Destinations You Can Fly to This Autumn

Here's how the five stack up if you're comparing airports, timing, and vibe before you book anything.

Destination — Fly Into — Peak Color Window — Best For

• Great Smoky Mountains, TN/NC — McGhee Tyson (TYS), Knoxville — Early Oct (high elevation) to early Nov (valleys) — Hiking, national park scenery

• Stowe & the Green Mountains, VT — Burlington (BTV) — Late Sept to mid-Oct — Classic New England towns

• Hudson Valley, NY — Albany (ALB) or Westchester (HPN) — Mid- to late Oct — Orchards, vineyards, easy weekend trip

• Aspen & Roaring Fork Valley, CO — Aspen/Pitkin County (ASE) or Denver (DEN) — Late Sept to early Oct — Golden aspens, mountain views

• Door County, WI — Green Bay (GRB) or Appleton (ATW) — Early to mid-Oct — Quiet lakeside foliage, small towns

Fly into: McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS), near Knoxville

The Smokies are America's busiest national park, and fall is a big part of that. Color begins at Kuwohi (formerly known as Clingmans Dome) and Newfound Gap at the beginning of October, then moves slowly downhill valley by valley, with Cades Cove lighting up in late October or early November.

What sets the Smokies apart from the more famous fall colors of New England is the sheer diversity of trees. More than one hundred tree species grow in the Smokies, which means the spectacle lasts longer than just about anywhere else in the country. Instead of a two-week window, you get something closer to six weeks.

• Fly into Knoxville and you're about an hour from Gatlinburg. Once you're there:

• Drive the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, a simple loop through thick forest

• Hike part of the Alum Cave Trail if height and views are what you want

• Take Newfound Gap Road across the park to Cherokee, where the Blue Ridge Parkway begins

It is crowded. October in Gatlinburg is well known. Go on a weekday if you can, and start early.

Fly into: Burlington (BTV)

And here is the postcard.

Stowe feels like a town designed with autumn photos in mind, and in some ways, it was.

Color comes to Vermont from late September to mid-October, and it moves quickly, especially at higher elevations. Mount Mansfield, the highest point in Vermont, turns earlier than the valleys below. Nearby is Smugglers' Notch, a road through a narrow mountain pass named after the goods smuggled through it during a trade embargo.

• Stowe is about 40 minutes from Burlington. Once you're there:

• Drive the Smugglers' Notch road (weather permitting, since the road closes in winter)

• Walk through the covered bridges around Stowe and Waterbury

• Stop for cider at one of the farm stands. There are plenty of them, so pick any one.

Here's our honest opinion about Vermont in October: it's crowded and fairly expensive. But it's worth it. Sometimes a good reputation is deserved.

Fly into: Albany (ALB) or Westchester County (HPN)

The Hudson Valley doesn't get as much love as Vermont, and we can't really understand why. You get rivers, wineries, orchards, and charming small towns, all within a ninety-minute drive of Manhattan, without having to endure New England traffic to get there.

Colors usually peak around mid-October, a little later than Vermont, thanks to the valley's lower elevation and proximity to the coast. That works in your favor if you're planning a longer Northeast trip, since you can catch both places at their best.

• Fly into Albany, or into Westchester if you'd rather be closer to the city:

• Drive Route 9W along the Hudson for that iconic view

• Visit one of the valley's many orchards. Don't forget a bag – you'll definitely need it.

• Explore a charming town center such as Rhinebeck or Cold Spring, where autumn decorations are taken as seriously as a competition

It's less packed than New England, with a great food and wine culture.

Fly into: Aspen/Pitkin County (ASE) or Denver (DEN)

Fall in Colorado doesn't look like fall in the Northeast, and that's the point. Rather than a palette of reds and oranges, you get aspen trees blazing gold against dark green pine forests and gray mountain rock. It's a completely different color story, and if you've never seen an entire mountainside of aspens turn, it's worth the trip on its own.

The catch: the season is short. Aspens usually peak between late September and early October, and once the wind picks up, many of the leaves are gone quickly. This isn't a trip where you show up and hope for the best. If Colorado is your destination, check a foliage forecast a week before your flight and try to keep your plans somewhat flexible.

You can fly into the small airport serving Aspen itself, just a few miles from town. But if prices favor flights to Denver, allow for a roughly four-hour drive from there instead.

• Drive Kebler Pass, home to one of the largest aspen groves in the country (plan it as a full-day trip from Aspen)

• Take a lift up one of the ski mountains for a view most people only see in winter

• Hike Maroon Bells early in the morning, before the crowds and before the light flattens out (reservations are required during peak season)

This is the priciest pick on this list. It's also the one that looks least like every other fall foliage photo you've already scrolled past.

Fly into: Green Bay (GRB) or Appleton (ATW)

Door County may be the most low-key pick here, but that's exactly why it's worth the trip. It's a Wisconsin peninsula between Green Bay and Lake Michigan, with charming villages, orchards, and plenty of water views. It turns at around the same time as the rest of the Great Lakes region – generally early to mid-October.

It doesn't see anywhere near the number of visitors that the Smokies or Vermont do, so it's far less crowded. It also costs a lot less than a trip to Colorado, which makes it an easier option on the budget.

• Fly into Green Bay, or Appleton if that gets you a better deal, and head north from there:

• Drive the scenic shoreline route through bayside villages such as Fish Creek and Ephraim

• Visit Peninsula State Park for views over the water

• Try a traditional fish boil, a county specialty, at one of the local restaurants

It won't give you as much content to post as Vermont, but it's still a beautiful experience to enjoy for yourself.

• Autumn is high season in all of these destinations. If your dates are fixed, book your flight and hotel six to eight weeks in advance.

• Foliage timing shifts a little each year depending on the weather. Check a foliage forecast map a week before you arrive, especially for a window as short as Colorado's.

• Compare a regional airport close to your destination against the nearest major hub. A short drive from a smaller airport often beats several hours on the road, but a bigger airport can sometimes save you enough on the fare to be worth it.

• If your schedule allows, add an extra flexible day. Perfect foliage never follows anyone's itinerary.

Whichever destination on this list you choose, the flight should be the easy part. And you don't have to lock yourself into one particular weekend to make it work. That's why Triwize was designed to compare different airlines, so you don't end up paying peak prices simply because you didn't compare nearby airports.