Travel
Fall Color Drives
We reveal our favorite places in the West to view the turning leaves, from the Cascade Mountains to Utah's Dixie National Forest.

Washington
A fall drive through the wild forests of the central Cascades practically guarantees great color. The red maples and yellow larches of the Tumwater Canyon are especially lovely in late September. Follow U.S. 2 from Skykomish to Wenatchee. allgetaways.com

Oregon
Look for maple, cottonwood and alder, as well as the bright orange vine maple all along the serpentine McKenzie River from Eugene to the Cascade Mountains. Follow the two-lane McKenzie Highway through pastoral farming landscapes to the foothills of the Cascades where the firs, hemlock and cedar loom large. Colors are best in late September. and early October. Oregon.com/trips

Colorado
Take Guanella Pass Scenic and Historic Byway, a rambling route out of Georgetown, to see stands of golden aspen punctuated by dark green pines. After you top the 11,699-foot-high Guanella Pass, keep on going until you reach the town of Grant. Look for US 285 and take it to the top of Kenosha Pass for great views and more pockets of bright yellow aspen. The best time to visit is mid-September. parks.state.co.us/fall

Utah
Highway 12 winds through Bryce Canyon National Park, the Grand-Staircase Escalante National Monument and thousands of acres of Dixie National Forest. Although the route passes through dense mixed-conifer forests, the fall foliage consists mainly of brilliant scarlet and russet scrub oak. Orange-tinted cliffs and spectacular spires, as well as curiously sculpted sandstone formations, add to the drama. nationalgeographic.com

Wyoming
Between Baggs and Encampment on highway 70 (the Battle Highway), look for stately aspen more than 50 feet tall. Their colors will vary from yellow to deep gold to red/orange and are especially impressive when reflected in Battle Lake. wyomingtourism.org

Idaho
Take the back roads from Palisades Reservoir to the Montana border west of Yellowstone to see every color from pale yellow to fiery red. Make time for a stop at Upper Mesa Falls. Mid-September is best time for the most intense colors. visitid.com