The fall foliage season is upon us. Maine just announced its first official week of foliage in the far north and now the colors are creeping southwards across the country. From the reds, golds and oranges of the northeast to the brilliant yellows of the Rocky Mountains and California, here are five mountain resorts from rustic to elegant that are a perfect place to enjoy nature’s annual splendor.
These resorts provide an opportunity to enjoy the colors of autumn on your own timetable, up close and personal. Rather than sitting in a car for a long stop-and-go drive between crowded town centers, mountain resorts allow far more quality time together for couples and families and offer an opportunity to experience an intimate encounter with Mother Nature in her fall fashions.
And traveling to these resorts at this time of year is an opportunity to combine the joys of September and October’s colors and weather with the values that come from staying outside of their prime seasons. Some of the lodging and many local restaurant menus can cost less than half of what vacationers pay when visiting during the height of the winter season.
Mount Washington Resort, Bretton Woods, NH.
This grand New England hotel sits in the midst of some of the world’s most colorful foliage in the heart of Hew Hampshire’s White Mountains. The hotel itself has been lovingly restored to its original decor. The restaurant has been modernized and is considered one of the most elegant dining rooms in New England. The surrounding golf courses, forest trails and mountain biking networks all spreading beneath the hulking shoulders of Mount Washington provide unique ways to enjoy the changing of the seasons with a real touch of timeless class.
The Mount Washington Hotel, long the marquis destination in New England for the rich and famous now it open to everyone who loves the mountains, crisp autumn air and storied history. This was the site of the world’s first monetary conference. The grand piano is rumored to have been tuned initially by Steinway himself and the electric system, the first in an American hotel, was installed by Thomas Edison. Few places on the planet provide this kind of experience.
Stratton Mountain Resort, Vermont
In southern Vermont about a half hour from the white church steeples and craft shops of Manchester, Stratton Mountain Resort provides a perfect location to take in Vermont’s changing colors nestled in the mountain woods away from the bustle of touristy village centers. While many argue whether the colors are better in New Hampshire or Vermont, most agree that the bright reds of sugar maples that are tapped for Vermont’s maple syrup are more vibrant here.
Stratton offers a perfect mountain village center with a collection of excellent restaurants and lodging ranging from rambling hotels to modern condominiums to spacious mountain homes. This is one of the most affordable and best places to bring a family in New England during the fall. While the cute B&Bs and antique-filled hotels are fine for many couples who may want to fill their time shopping and browsing through art galleries, the lodging at Stratton opens directly to rugged nature and the no nonsense hotel rooms, condos and homes are built for young couples dedicated to enjoying the outdoors and those searching for together time with families. Hiking, chairlift rides, biking and golf are literally outside your door.
Taos Ski Valley, New Mexico
In the southern Rocky Mountains, autumn colors come with a golden brilliance, however other colors find their way into the mountainside pallet. The reds of the Indian Paintbrush, the yellow leaves of the umbrella of the cottonwoods and the purples of low-lying shrubs stand beneath the swirling colors of the big western sky. These red highlights, rusts, golds and yellows are dramatically punctuated with the deep forest green of the pines and firs. A drive out of the mountain valley brings one into the colorful world of the southwestern desert.
Taos Ski Valley is another world from the chi-chi artsy life of Taos. Here, the hotels and condominiums are crafted into nature. The small clutch of buildings sits midst a seemingly endless sea of glittering gold and deep green leaves. Horseback riding, mountain biking, fishing and chairlift rides to peaks where hardly a man-made structure can be seen allow families to get away from it all. In the evenings, art classes and workshops, moonlight hikes and excellent dining serve up something for everyone at a fraction of the prices found in nearby Taos and Santa Fe.
Another highlight of this region is the trail of farm stands that are strung between Santa Fe and Taos. Tables filled with every color of chili, both Hatch and Chimayo, orange pumpkins, blue and yellow cornmeal, local squash, purple plums, golden pears and red apples lay spread beneath billowing tents. These are colors that rival those painted on the mountainsides.
Sun Valley, Idaho
This area was developed for skiing. The resort grew here because of snow and the undulating slopes of Baldy. But locals tell me that while they first visited the region for the winter sports, they decided to stay here to live because of the summers and fall. In September and October the cottonwoods and aspens turn their yellows and golds and the grasses shift to a silvery gray that shimmers when the winds blow across the fields. In the distance, the rising mountain colors change from morning green with slopes covered by evergreens to deep purple as the sun sets and the Alpenglow shimmers in the west.
The Sun Valley Lodge stands as the heart of this resort and the surrounding town. This was long one of the favorite playgrounds of the Hollywood elite. It still is the place to stay for the full historic feel and plenty of luxury. Hemingway lived here and reveled in the glory of nature and the outdoors that surrounds the resort and the town of Ketchum. A collection of rustic homes, excellent restaurants, galleries and shops line the town streets that run into the surrounding nature. Hiking trails abound. Golf courses spread into the horizon. Mountain streams beckon fly fishermen. Mountain biking paths cross the undulating fields and zigzag up hills providing precious views.
Mammoth Mountain, California
The region surrounding Mammoth Lakes, Calif., has long been one of the vacation capitals of southern California. In the fall a blaze of luminous yellows, radiant golds and simmering russets alternating with bright green pines spread across the mountainsides and along the lakeshores. Between the reflecting rippled blue of the lakes and the cloud spattered arching sky, the feast of colors and mountains leaves visitors speechless. Only a short drive away, Yosemite National Park, Death Valley and Mono Lake offer some of the most unique natural sights in North America.
While the town of Mammoth Lakes has its collection of motels and hotels, the most interesting and luxurious lodging is associated with Mammoth Mountain Resort. The Tamarack Lodge provides a luxury room in a rustic old world lodge on a mountain lake. The Mammoth Mountain Lodge sits at the top of the mountain access road. The Westin Monache Resort is the only luxury full-service hotel in town.
In the middle of all this color, the resort and town have plenty of mountain biking, hiking, horseback riding, tennis, sailing, boating and golf to keep everyone from honeymooners to families satisfied.
This handful of wonderful mountain resorts exemplifies a unique marriage of autumn colors, the mountains and an opportunity to explore nature during one of natures most beautiful seasons. Here are the foliage numbers for more information about the splendid colors of the autumn in states across the country.
Arkansas 1-800-628-8725
Maine 1-800-533-9595
Massachusetts 1-800-277-6277
Michigan 1-800-644-3255
Minnesota 1-800-657-3700
Montana 1-800-847-4868
New Hampshire 1-800-258-3608
New York 1-800-225-5697
North Carolina 1-800-847-4862
Pennsylvania 1-800-325-5467
Quebec 1-800-363-7777
Tennessee 1-800-697-4200
Vermont 1-800-828-3239
West Virginia 1-800-225-5982
Charlie Leocha is the President of Travelers United. He has been working in Washington, DC, for the past 14 years with Congress, the Department of Transportation, and industry stakeholders on travel issues. He was the first consumer representative to the Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protections appointed by the Secretary of Transportation from 2012 through 2018.
