Fall Foliage Trips Reimagined: Try These Top Activities While Peeping Leaves

Yes, you can zipline and experience autumn’s palette

an empty road winding through trees with vibrant yellow, orange and green leaves

You can experience fall’s colors in various ways, such as hiking, ziplining or by riding a horse. Brown County State Park was once ranked the third-best state park in the country for fall foliage.

Danita Delimont/Alamy Stock Photo

Robin L. Flanigan,

AARP

Published August 28, 2025

Let the leaf-peeping begin.

While the time to take in the colorful brilliance of the season is primarily October, in some places it starts as early as mid-September and ends as late as early November, depending on location and elevation.

“There’s just something undeniably magical about the fall,” says Jennifer Tombaugh, CEO of guided travel company Tauck. “Traveling through places wrapped in autumn’s splendor slows us down just enough to notice the details.… Nature puts on one last dazzling show before winter.”

Recent research in Geriatric Nursing shows that the importance of nature-based experiences may increase with age. Another study, published in a 2025 issue of The Journals of Gerontology, found that older adults who connect with nature feel resilient and have an enhanced sense of well-being, purpose, meaning and belonging.

Bonus: Autumn’s shoulder season tends to come with thinner crowds and lower lodging rates.

Here are five ways to soak up some sensational scenery.

a small boat on a body of water with a shoreline in the distance

A boat ride provides a panoramic view of fall foliage. Consider a trip along Casco Bay in Maine.

Dylan Suhr

On the water

Spectacular views aren’t only of the leaves during a narrated tour up the Hudson River on a state-of-the-art Seastreak catamaran. After passing New York City’s George Washington Bridge and the Cloisters, enjoy a four-hour stop to eat, shop and stroll in the 1800s village of Cold Spring.

Relish the sights along the Mississippi River on the appropriately named Mark Twain Riverboat, which departs from Hannibal, Missouri, the hometown of the author of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Sightseeing and dinner cruises are available.

Want a more private tour? Casco Bay Custom Charters in Maine offers two-hour excursions on historic wooden boats that offer more than colorful coastal views. “We can tailor the experience from the get-go,” says Dylan Suhr, the general manager, adding that passenger requests – such as seeing lighthouses or searching for wildlife, for example – are granted “as long as it’s safe and works within the time.”

Snag an up-close view of fall foliage from a zipline tour high above the forest floor.

Courtesy Bonsai Ventures Asheville

On a zipline

Thrill-seekers can appreciate showy hardwood forests from new heights – and on side-by-side racing-style ziplines – at Navitat Canopy Adventures in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains. The longest line stretches 3,600 feet and is 350 feet above the forest floor – higher than the Statue of Liberty.

Soar on ArborTrek Canopy Adventures’ ziplines in Vermont, world-famous for its maple trees with radiant red and orange leaves. The award-winning tour, including crossing sky bridges and rappelling from trees, is nestled in Smugglers’ Notch and also offers commentary on local ecology, natural history and lore.

Zipline through yellow, orange and red maples and yellow birches at Omni Mount Washington Resort & Spa’s canopy tour in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire. The excitement comes with extensive views of the White Mountains and the Presidential Range.

an observation deck towers above autumn trees

In the mountains, a trip to an observation deck at Copper Peak in Michigan puts you above the trees.

Courtesy Copper Peak

On a mountain

In Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, ride a chairlift, take an elevator 18 stories to the top of Copper Peak’s ski jump, then walk a bit to an observation deck. The deck overlooks the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Lake Superior and Porcupine Mountain Wilderness State Park.

In Colorado, gondolas provide a comfortable journey to the top of two of the four mountains comprising the Aspen Snowmass ski resort. The area is defined by the golden glow of aspen trees. Oaks, cottonwoods and evergreens provide contrasting colors in a landscape that shifts dramatically with elevation. At the top are sweeping views of the Elk Mountain range, including renowned Pyramid Peak and Capitol Peak.

Massanutten Resort’s chairlift rides to the top of Massanutten Peak to allow panoramic views of the mountains in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. You can also see Lairds Knob, Kaylor Knob and Hartman Knob, which are the highest points on three ridges in the Massanutten Mountain range.

a bridge over a creek surronded by trees

During a hike, you can encounter fall leaves and waterfalls at Fillmore Glen State Park in New York.

James Schwabel/Alamy Stock Photo

On a hike

At Fillmore Glen State Park in New York, admire contrasting colors in a deep gorge with waterfalls, stone-walled paths, stone staircases and other infrastructure blended beautifully into the landscape by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s.

A moderate 1.5-mile round-trip Empire Bluff Trail in Michigan hugs a coastal bluff along Lake Michigan’s Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The lakeshore is an iconic subject of paintings, posters and postcards, with views of a vibrant beech-maple forest.

Porters Creek Trail is a peaceful, moderate and lesser-known trail inside Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains National Park – home to some 100 species of native trees. Discover the 1930s-era Great Smoky Mountain Hiking Club Cabin about one mile along the route and the 40-foot Fern Branch Falls after that (where many hikers turn around).

Share time with a horse and nature while taking in autumn’s color show.

Tami Ruble/Alamy Stock Photo

On horseback

Take in lustrous reds and oranges while riding on horses that have been rescued, rehabilitated and trained. At Hocking Hill Horse Rides in Ohio, tours vary by length and destination, with options including box canyons and waterfalls. “Autumn brings the colors of the Hocking Hills [region] to life along with cool air, an unforgettable connection with a horse, and a sense of peace,” says owner Adam McCauley.

Brown County Saddle Barn in Indiana promises a rustic 2.2-mile experience to “unleash your inner cowboy.” New York Travel Guides once ranked Brown County State Park, the home of the stables, as the third-best state park in the country for fall foliage.

Looking for a leisurely paced trail tour? Mountain Creek Riding Stable’s guided trail rides in the scenic Poconos Mountains are ideal for beginner riders.

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