This unique portion of the Guadalupe Mountains National Park in northwestern Texas is included not only for its beautiful autumn display, but also for the most unusual botanical circumstances under which this event occurs. Here in the heart of West Texas occurs a strange oddity in the natural world, a forest in the desert that turns bright red, much like fall foliage that would be found in northern New England. To view these fall colors, it is necessary to find the isolated park and then hike for several hours up into the high canyon. Early November is peak time for this wild and isolated place, where you can enjoy the colorful show put on by the bigtooth maples, chinkapin oaks, desert sumac and western walnut.
Throughout the Rockies the fall colors are dominated by the brilliant yellow and gold of the aspen forest that occurs at the higher elevations. Choosing just one place to view this golden display is difficult, but the hike into Williams Lake at the east end of the Taos Mountain Ski Resort is an easy walk that provides a classic view of a mountain filled with golden aspen. For an extra treat, head to the lower elevations where the chamisa, a common shrub found along the canyons and highways, lights up the high desert with its deep yellow fall foliage.
Northern New England is the classic place to view the spectacular fall colors. There are so many places across the northeast tier of states, where the forest turns a brilliant scarlet and ocher, that it would be impossible to list them all. However, for a very enjoyable view and a spectacular drive, the fall tourist (leafpeeper) only has to find Webb Lake near the town of Weld in northern Maine. It is worth the journey. Early October is the best time to go.
The larch or tamarack as it is sometimes called is a deciduous conifer tree native to the northern tier of states and Canada. The stately conifer sheds its needles every fall only after they have turned a beautiful, earthy yellow. One good place to look for the larch is along New York State Highway 3, which runs between Cranberry Lake and Saranac Lake.
Just take your lawn chair and park it in the back yard of your house and observe the small changes that occur every year during the autumn months. This is an especially nice idea if you live in a rural area, but fall colors can occur in the smallest urban mini-environment also. Even if the choice is not as spectacular as a drive through the Vermont countryside, you might be surprised at what happens in your own backyard.
Spectacular outbursts of fall color can occur all across the highlands of the South, as well as in the Northeast. The mixture of forest in this part of the country moves away from the beeches, birches and maples and toward the oaks, poplars and ashes. There are many places in the southern Appalachians to view magnificent fall foliage, but of special interest is the Great Smoky National Park because this is where you will find the most diverse mixture of flora. Try the very popular drive through Cades Cove or search out other less-traveled sections of the park for a beautiful glimpse of the autumn colors.
