Five trips to consider before the colorful leaves fall
1. Luxury and leaves, Park City, Utah. Check in to a spacious suite at the Montage Deer Valley Resort and you’ll be handed the keys to a Mercedes-Benz to drive during your stay. When not enjoying elegant digs, which include estate-quality furnishings, commissioned artwork and spectacular mountain views, you and your family can hop into your luxury car to enjoy the regional fall foliage. Head out to Guardsman Pass, where you will enjoy the shimmering aspens en route to Midway Crater, a geothermal spring. Or consider a drive to Mirror Lake, a popular outing for nature lovers and a destination sure to wow your family with rich fall color.
Contact: (866) 601-9044; montagedeervalley.com
2. Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield, Littleton, Colo. Celebrate fall by finding your way through Colorado’s coolest corn maze. This year, the popular 8-acre attraction will have a fruits-and-vegetables theme, a nod to the Denver Botanic Garden’s Community Supporting Agriculture program. Check out the maze from two 15-foot illuminated bridges; a mini maze is available for the junior set. Hayrides plus horse and pony rides add to the fun. Later enjoy fresh lemonade, funnel cakes, hot dogs and kettle corn. The maze is open weekends from through Oct. 28.
Contact: (720) 865-4338; botanicgardens.org/corn-maze
3. The Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs, W.V. This classic American resort is tucked within 6,750 wooded acres in the foothills of West Virginia’s Allegheny Mountains. This season, the historic getaway offers several packages to encourage families to come play in the leaves. Offers include discounts on rooms, spa services, golf, horseback riding, carriage rides and off-road driving. Call the resort to determine the package that appeals to your clan.
Contact: (855) 396-6114; greenbrier.com
4. Nantahala Outdoor Center, Bryson City, N.C. This outdoor recreation company offers leaf-peeping enthusiasts the opportunity to enjoy nature’s colorful bounty from a whitewater raft, kayak, train or via zip line. With multiple campuses in the Southeastern United States, the company showcases fall colors along seven rivers in the region, hosts hikes along the Appalachian Trail and offers trips that include autumn color-themed rides on the Smoky Mountain Railroad. For a really close view of the changing leaves, consider zipping above the foliage at their Zip Line Adventure Park.
Contact: (888) 905-7238; noc.com
5. Southwest Idaho. Enjoy this region of the West that offers color-splashed mountain peaks, desert valleys, rushing rivers and bustling cities. Fall-foliage enthusiasts will enjoy traveling the state’s Snake River Canyon Scenic Byway. Appreciate the bounty offered by orchards and vineyards along the way. Rich in wildlife reserves and birding islands, picnickers and hikers can observe spectacular migratory flyways in the sky. Hop aboard Thunder Mountain Line’s Pumpkin Liner trains for a special family treat. You’ll arrive at the pumpkin patches at Montour, where kids will love choosing their own pumpkins, exploring the hay maze, and enjoying games and the bounce house.
Contact: visitsouthwestidaho.org; thundermountainline.com