As the seasons change, so do the leaves. Fall tourism is a big business, raking in billions each year to the new England economy alone, even more when you factor in the whole country. Depending on the time of year, and where you want to travel, there are many choices for your trip to see the changing colors.
The leaves just start to change in the Colorado Rockies, upstate New York and northern Minnesota in early September. So unless you’re local, you’ll want wait a while for your trip to make the most of what the season has to offer.
The colors really start to pop in these locations by late September to early October. You can see the changing colors from New Mexico up through Montana, especially close to the higher elevations along the Rockies range. The Upper Midwest and New England are also near peak at this time.
Mid-October is the perfect time to see peak colors at the lower elevations of the Rockies range and into coastal areas of New England. If you aim to see them here, don’t wait too long! By late October or November most of the leaves will be gone in these popular locations.
For Weather Nation: Meteorologist Emily Roehler