10 MOST BEAUTIFUL FALL DESTINATIONS

Want to max out your autumn color experience? Check out our curated list of 10 most beautiful places to visit this fall for spectacular color and scenery and more. Some are places you may know -- like the gorgeous landscapes of New England, while others are more exotic, like the mountains of Japan. All are absolutely gorgeous.

Whether you take a long drive on an interstate highway, or meander down a country road, or hop on a plane, or float overhead in a hot air balloon, maximize your joy this season and head somewhere where you can drink in all the beautiful transitions, as summer becomes a sweet memory and winter lurks in the distance.

As the leaves change from green to red, orange, yellow, and gold, they’re calling you! Answer them! From farms to forests, from mountains to beach, everything everywhere puts on a show before it all gets too cold to flaunt it. Check out the beautiful fall destinations we found for you below. And don’t just put them on your bucket list to languish and yearn… go!

1. GREEN MOUNTAINS -- VERMONT

Perhaps the most intense autumn color you can see is found in Vermont's Green Mountains. Reds, golds, oranges, and yellows all pop more. That’s because there tends to be a longer period of warm, sunny days and colder nights this time of year.

Plus, Vermont is a maple syrup capital, thanks to its plethora of sugar maple trees, which rock the most beautiful scarlet each autumn.

2. NEW HAMPSHIRE LAKES REGION

Autumn beauty in New Hampshire’s Lakes Region last longer than most other places. That’s because it’s sheltered from the winds that blow leaves away from the coast and higher elevations.

Revel in the magnificent landscapes that includes more than 270 lakes, which reflect all that glorious color.

Drive, take a boat trip, or the fall foliage train. The Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad.

Check out “The Colors of Fall Road Trip Guide” for more info.

3. ADIRONDACK MOUNTAINS -- NEW YORK STATE

If you want to see the widest spectrum of fall foliage color, head to New York's Adirondack Mountains.

The diversity of the landscapes, elevations, and microclimates here mean a diversity of trees and shrubs, each species with its own color palette, from brilliant red sugar maples, to intense yellow aspens, and lots in between.

4. GRAFTON NOTCH STATE PARK -- MAINE

If you want a solitary experience as you take in autumn’s beauty, try Grafton Notch State Park, in a remote area of Maine, bordering New Hampshire. Go soon, though, because the season is extra short. Get real time reports on leaf status here.

Extra beautiful bonus: See the drama of Screw Auger Falls, carved out by a glacier.

5. GLACIER NATIONAL PARK -- MONTANA

Glacier National Park, Montana, is a beautiful place to go for high autumn drama. With its rugged terrain, gorgeous mountain peaks and big blue sky, stunning yellow larch and aspen, and awesome red maples offer a mind-boggling contrast.

6. COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE -- WASHINGTON & OREGON

If you are getting a late start, or just want to see more, you’ll want to visit Columbia River Gorge, which spans both Washington State and Oregon. As it sits at a low elevation, big-leaf maple and cottonwood trees get their color last.

Check out the thrilling view from Multnomah Falls, just east of Portland. And be sure to visit the local vineyards, which turn out some very beautiful wines.

7. TUSCANY -- ITALY

Autumn in Tuscany is a beautiful thing, thanks to the dazzling hilly Tuscan landscapes. What makes this trip exceptional, however is that it is harvest time for some of the world’s best vineyards.

Extra beautiful bonus: Enjoy the bounty of truffles, porcini mushrooms, chestnuts, and pumpkins, accompanied by soul-warming polenta. It’s heaven!

8. ALGONQUIN PROVINCIAL PARK & BRUCE PENINSULA NATIONAL PARK -- ONTARIO, CANADA

Algonquin Provincial Park offers you 4,800 square miles of dense forest for seemingly endless fall color. Hike or take a canoe through its winding rivers and placid lakes for the best views, as the fiery leaves reflect in the cool water.

Or take a drive along the Niagara Parkway. Winston Churchill once called it “the prettiest Sunday afternoon drive in the world.”

You can also see mind-blowing 1000-year old trees strut their autumn color at the edge the giant cliff at the Bruce Peninsula National Park.

9. MT. FUJI -- JAPAN

If you are into a more exotic autumn experience, Mount Fuji, in Japan, is just the ticket. Striking red maple trees and bronze cherry tree leaves frame a riveting view of this iconic mountain. It is all reflected in the surrounding waters of Lake Kawaguchiko.

Check out the annual Fuji Kawaguchiko Autumn Leaves Festival.

10. PARK STAROMIEJSKI -- LODZ, POLAND

Bright orange surrounds you in autumn at Park Staromiejski, in Lodz, Poland. The cityscape offers a beautiful contrasting urban backdrop as well as loads of culture, with its fabulous street art and Art Nouveau façades.

If we’ve whet your appetite, get out there and experience the beauty of fall -- someplace new or someplace cozy and familiar.  And share your photos with us right here!

Read more about Beautiful Fall all this week on BeautifulNow.

And check out more beautiful things happening now in BN Mind/Body, Soul/Impact, Nature/Science, Food/Drink, Arts/Design, and Place/Time, Daily Fix posts.

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IMAGE CREDITS:

1. Image: by Howard Ignatius. “Sunrise at Jenne Farm.” Reading, VT.
2. Image: by Chris Ford. “Fall Time.” Vermont, Danville Area, Barnet Center Road, Countryside, Farm. Green Mountains, VT.
3. Image: by Chris Ford. “New Hampshire's Treasure.” White Mountains, VT.
4. Image: Courtesy of  Lake Placid Region. “Adirondack Foliage!” Adirondack Mountains State Park, NY.
5. Image: by The B's. “Screw Auger Falls.” Grafton Notch, ME.
6. Image: by JD Hascup. “Fall Colors in Big Prairie.” Glacier National Park, MT.
7. Image: by Peter Roome. “Multnomah Falls Red.” Columbia River Gorge, OR.
8. Image: by Francesco Sgroi. “La Nebbia di Settembre.” Tuscany, Italy.
9. Image: Courtesy of Hamilton Conservation Authority. “Webster's Falls.” Spencer Gorge. Ontario, Canada.
10. Image: by skyseeker. “Mt. Fuji.” Kawaguchi-ko, Yamanashi, Japan.
11. Image: by Bartek Papierski. “A Walk in a Park.” Lodz, Poland.
12. Image: by Vaibhav Bhosale. “Clear Pond.” Adirondack Mountains State Park, NY.
13. Image: by The B's. “Mother Walker Falls Parking Area.” Grafton Notch State Park, ME.
14. Image: by BN App - Download now!
15. Image: by Teddy Llovet. “Autumn Mosaic.” Keene Valley. Adirondack Mountains State Park, NY.