Tips for Planning the Perfect Fall Road Trip

HOW TO PLAN THE PERFECT LEEF PEEPING TRIP

One of the best ways to experience fall is to get out in nature and enjoy the changing colors. Take it to the next level by hopping in the car and taking a fall road trip to a scenic spot in your state.

Whether you’re a fan of impromptu local road trips or pre-planned jaunts to see the most grandiose autumn vistas in the country, a fall drive will help make the season more memorable.

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CHOOSING A FALL ROAD TRIP DESTINATION

There are so many options for fall road trips in the United States, but choosing the right one for you completely depends on your preferences.

If you’re looking for quiet back roads with splendid colors, forests with waterfalls, and lakeside cabins, the Midwest is for you.

(Read about my Waterfall Driving Tour in Wisconsin and the scenic Great River Road near La Crosse)

If you want jaw-dropping scenery, brilliant colors, and you don’t mind crowds, the Northeast may be for you.

For brilliant golds and oranges, try Colorado, Idaho, Utah, or California.

(Read about our fall trip to Idaho)

And lastly, if you aren’t as concerned with colorful leaves and prefer warm weather and beaches in the fall, try Florida’s panhandle!

(Read about our family’s fall road trip on 30A!)

Below I’ve included some road trip ideas to help you plan your fall road trip itinerary whether you’re searching for a local getaway or heading across the country.

SCENIC HIGHWAYS

For a fall road trip, it’s all about the views. America’s Scenic Byways is an excellent website for finding those long winding roads with the best views in the country. I love planning around a scenic drive because it gives me ideas for destinations that I never would have considered before.

STATE PARKS

State Parks can be overlooked in favor of National Parks, but there is so much beauty (and fewer crowds!) to be found in your local parks.

Do some research to see where you can find the best fall colors, hiking paths, and views in your state’s park system. This will help give you some stops along your road trip to get out and stretch, wander, and take photographs.

The photo below is from one of the many state parks in Marinette County, Wisconsin that I discovered while researching fall destinations in Wisconsin!

LOOK UP YOUR STATE TOURISM BOARD FOR TRIP IDEAS

Start by checking your state tourism board website (or bordering states) for scenic spots near you. They will often provide itineraries or trip ideas for fall, so do a bit of digging and searching to see what there is to do in your state.

FIGURING OUT WHEN TO GO: FINDING PEAK FALL FOLIAGE

Choosing dates might be the trickiest part about planning a fall road trip. If you plan far in advance you might miss the peak foliage, but if you wait too long, you may have trouble booking places to stay.

The best way to do it is to research when the fall colors in your destination typically peak according to data. Most states with fall colors will keep a map that estimates when the best time to go is.

At the end of the day, you may realize that you can’t control nature, and you can just enjoy the leaves in whatever state they’re in.

FINDING A PLACE TO STAY

FIGURE OUT YOUR VIBE

Oh my goodness, there are so many different options for a perfect fall road trip - it simply depends upon what “vibe” you’re going for on your trip or what type of accommodations you prefer.

I’m a huge fan of the cozy cabin in the woods, and there are plenty of options these days with Airbnb (use my link for $40 off your first stay!), VRBO, or Booking.com. You can also check tourism board websites, as they sometimes curate unique cabins or rental properties on their website.

You could also go for a fun resort stay to enjoy the crisp fall weather. Some of these family-friendly resorts have games, bonfires, activities, heated pools, waterparks, and incredible restaurants on-property. This is for the family that likes community and action. (I like Blue Harbor Resort and The Four Seasons Resort if you’re in Wisconsin).

You might choose to stay in a traditional hotel with a continental breakfast. After all, it’s just a place to rest your head after a long day of adventuring. This is for the family that likes convenience and budget-friendly stays. We always enjoy Hampton Inn & Suites for no-fuss hotel stays.

Finally, you might like a hotel but are looking for something more unique and luxe. Check to see if your area has any boutique hotels that have character, history, and luxury. These are not always the most kid-friendly options, so it’s a better choice for families with older kids.

SEARCHING AND COMPARING

Decide what your most important quality in a hotel is, then add that to your Google search. For example, we have 4 little kids, so I always search “kid-friendly hotels in (destination).” That way I know the hotels I’m researching are open to families, and will more likely have amenities I’ll need with babies and toddlers.

Use aggregate sites like Travelocity or Kayak to research, look up reviews on Trip Advisor, but then when you’re ready to book, head over to the actual website.

PLANNING ACTIVITIES FOR A FALL ROAD TRIP

Once you’ve chosen your destination and booked your accommodations, it’s time to plan your itinerary. Fall is such a short and unique time of year, and I love to add quintessential autumn activities to our trip.

EASY FALL HIKES

No matter how young your children are, you can easily find some short and simple hikes to complete with the whole family to find amazing views.

We loved hiking in Marinette County, WI to find tons of waterfalls, and there were also lots of great spots to hike with kids in Sun Valley, Idaho!

Use resources like the free AllTrails app to find the perfect hikes for your family.

FALL FESTIVALS

There’s nothing like a good old-fashioned fall festival to celebrate the season. Some cities highlight their German heritage with Oktoberfest while other cities make the most of harvest time with parties, good food, and music.

FARMS AND ORCHARDS

Pick your own apples, pumpkins, or berries! Taste an apple cider donut! Sip some local wine! You can’t go wrong with exploring the local farms and orchards.

WINERIES OR BREWERIES

Even if you’re traveling with kids, some wineries and breweries have excellent family-friendly tours with samples or soda for the kids while the adults get to taste the good stuff.

WHAT TO PACK FOR A FALL ROAD TRIP

FALL TRAVEL OUTFIT IDEAS

Personally, I think you can’t go wrong with a pair of warm leggings, an oversized sweater, thick socks, and low boots. You can modify this outfit to make it more comfortable if you plan to hike, or dressier if you plan to go out to nicer restaurants and hotels.

High-waisted jeans and cropped sweaters with ankle boots are a nice on-trend look, too!

For the kids, I like to pair neutral-colored joggers with sweaters and Thinsulate jackets for when you head outside.

Related: Elevate Your Travel Style

HIKING GEAR

If you plan to hit the trails, make sure to bring comfortable hiking shoes with ankle support and good grip on the sole for adults, and tennis shoes for the kids. Wear layers because it may get colder if you’re hiking in the mountains, or you may warm up as you work up a sweat.

Our family hasn’t done any super intense hiking out in the wilderness yet, so I can’t give GREAT tips on exactly what to bring if you’re doing longer and more difficult trails, so be sure to do your research!

PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR

I never leave home without at least one of my cameras. It’s almost like they’re part of my outfit now! I prefer a camera backpack with side access to my DSLR camera so I don’t even have to take the pack off if I want to catch a quick photo.

I also carry a smaller lighter camera for video or quick snaps, so a waist pack would work perfectly for that!

FALL ROAD TRIP WITH KIDS TIPS

CHOOSE YOUR AUDIO

What you choose to play in the car as you drive can make a big difference in how you feel about the road trip. We all know that during a summer road trip you need upbeat songs and maybe a little bit of country music.

During autumn, you’ll probably opt for a more low-key playlist with folk music or acoustic songs.

If you’re like me and you love podcasts and audiobooks, might I recommend playing the Harry Potter audiobooks? For some reason, those books just give me all the fall vibes, and I never get sick of them no matter how many times I listen.

CHOOSE YOUR SNACKS

Road trip snacks are VERY important. I spend way too much time carefully selecting them in the snack aisle of the grocery store before we leave. You might say I’m a snack aficionado.

For this year’s fall road trips I chose a sweet and salty mixture that felt right on a crisp fall day: sea salt popcorn and candy corn or M&Ms. I always bring apple slices as well, so I feel at least somewhat healthy when I need a break from the junk food.

And is there anything better than a nice mug of coffee as you hit the open road, full of hope and optimism about the journey to come? No, there’s not. (However, you will end up making more restroom stops than planned).

ROAD TRIP ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS

I could write an entire blog post about how to keep young children occupied on long road trips. Oh wait…I did!

You can read those posts when you’re preparing for a road trip (toddler & preschooler activities // ages 4-8 activities), but to sum it all, we love sticker books, Crayola Color Wonder (no mess), Melissa and Doug Water Wow books, wiki stix, comic books and graphic novels for readers, Kindle Fire Tablets (make sure you have a Freetime Unlimited subscription), and audiobooks!

You can also find all of my favorite road trip items from Amazon curated in one easy list!

>>Check out my road trip activity book for kids!<<

TIPS FOR GETTING THE BEST FALL FOLIAGE PHOTOS

BEST LIGHTING

Naturally, the best time to get photos of fall foliage is during the golden hour, which means right after sunrise and right before sunset.

If you’re traveling with little kids like me, those times can be pretty tricky since they coincide with bedtime. In that case, indirect light is best. In a forest, on a cloudy day, or in the shade works great!

SEARCH FOR OVERLOOKS

As a general rule, we ALWAYS stop for a scenic overlook. I love that it gives you a bird’s eye perspective of your destination because you can capture the spectrum of leaf colors. This is where a road atlas comes in handy, so you can plan for scenic overlook stops ahead of time!

TAKE A MIX OF CLOSE-UPS AND LANDSCAPES

The scenic overlooks are wonderful for distant landscape shots. I like mixing those shots with detailed close-up shots like individual leaves, a particularly colorful tree, or a reflection of the fall colors in the water.

DON’T FORGET TO GET IN THE PHOTO!

I’m always the one behind the camera, capturing candids of my kids, the scenery, my husband with the kids, and b-roll type shots.

However, I hate the feeling of returning from a trip with NO photographic evidence that I was even there!

Make sure you get at least one or two shots of yourself on your road trip. Ask your spouse, a stranger, or even one of your kids to snap a photo. Line up the shot for them and give them clear instructions (horizontal or vertical, close up or including the scenery, etc).

FALL ROAD TRIPS WITH KIDS ARE THE BEST!

Everything about fall with kids seems idyllic: the apple cider and hot chocolate, the brightly colored leaves, the apple picking and pumpkin patches, and the time spent together exploring nature will make some of the best memories for years to come.

I hope these tips help you plan the perfect fall road trip to enjoy with your kids!