Drive along Route 5 from North East, PA into Erie. Route 5 runs parallel along Lake Erie and avoids towns en route to Erie. This enables you to see about 15 miles of uninterrupted foliage. You can also stop along the way and get spectacular views of the fall foliage near the beaches (such as Shades Beach in Harborcreek Township).
Take a bike tour along the peninsula, specifically Presque Isle. Everybody in the Erie area knows that Presque Isle is the place to enjoy hot summer days out on the beach and to see some of the most breathtakingly beautiful sunsets in the nation. The area is also covered by miles of trees and wildlife. The paths along Presque Isle offer arguably the best fall foliage views in all of Erie.
Drive along Route 19 from Erie, PA into Meadville. This allows you to see the fall foliage away from the water as it takes you further south. Route 19 also allows drivers to avoid Interstate 90 and from driving into the heart of towns, giving you some excellent views of fall foliage along the way.
Take I-90 east to I-86, drive into New York state and get off at the Findley Lake exit. A short drive from Erie, Findlay Lake is both a pretty small town and a tiny body of water. One can drive around Findlay Lake in less than half an hour and see all kinds of color on the trees. You can also make the drive from Findlay Lake to Peek n' Peak, the ski resort in New York state which offers customers the chance to ride the ski lifts in order to get aerial views of the foliage in the area.
Walk along Sixteen and Twenty Mile Creek. These two areas are specifically known for fishing but there are also numerous walking paths along both creeks. Since they both run in North East, there is plenty of free parking available along the way. This also gives you the opportunity to enjoy the smell of the grapes at the harvest as well as see the fall foliage through quaint downtown North East.
