Despite its deserts and canyons, Arizona is one of the best places in the Southwest for changing leaves—if you know where to look. Start at 7,000 feet in the town of Pinetop-Lakeside, where giant maples offer pops of color between the world’s largest contiguous stretch of ponderosa pines. From here, travel through the White Mountain Apache Reservation on State Route 260, where the aspen leaves turn amber, crimson, and gold hues between late October and mid-November.
It’s leaf-peeping season: Avoid the crowds on these scenic drives
Explore these lesser known U.S. byways for maximum autumn splendor—from Wisconsin to West Virginia.
The sun rises over Bear Rocks, which is among the picturesque stops on West Virginia’s 300-mile Seneca Skyway. It’s one of multiple scenic drives on United States public lands where travelers can see fall foliage outside of crowded national parks
Photograph by EJ-J, iStock/Getty Images
By Cassandra Brooklyn
Published September 15, 2023
• 7 min read
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Come fall, there are many leaf-peeping opportunities in America’s national parks. But the great outdoors extends far beyond official park boundaries.
Here are six scenic autumnal drives winding through some of the United States’ wildest and most iconic landscapes, from state parks and national forests to scenic byways and charming mountain roads.
Wisconsin’s Lake Superior Scenic Byway
Wisconsin’s 70-mile Lake Superior Scenic Byway traces the coastline of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, one of only three national lakeshores in the U.S. From late September through early October, the route is awash with turning leaves (red maples, yellow birches) mixed with evergreens. See the best of them in Port Wing Boreal Forest and Houghton Falls State Natural Area, which feature several plunging waterfalls and gorges.
About a third of the way through the route, seven miles from Bayfield, you’ll arrive at Frog Bay National Tribal Park, the nation’s first tribal national park. Here, on the sovereign lands of the local Red Cliff Indigenous people, visitors can hike along several short trails through old-growth forests and relax on the beachy shores of Gichigami (the Red Cliff people’s word for Lake Superior).
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West Virginia’s Seneca Skyway
The autumn colors peak in mid-to-late October on West Virginia’s Seneca Skyway, a 300-mile loop through the Potomac Highlands. Highlights include the expansive Monongahela National Forest, which covers over 919,000 acres in 10 counties. In 2021, Watoga State Park became a designated Dark Sky Park.
Seneca Rocks, a stunning formation with dozens of surrounding hiking trails, was once used by the U.S. Army for wilderness assault training. Stay in the wild without a tent by overnighting at the top of a 65-foot-tall fire tower in Seneca State Forest.
Busy Holiday Season Planned in the Daytona Beach Area
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. , Nov. 7, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — From holiday spectaculars and concerts to the golden anniversary of one of the largest car shows and swap meets in the United States¸ winter travelers spending their holidays in the Daytona Beach area and locals alike will discover plenty of festive happenings to enjoy. Here’s a look at some of the events taking place in the destination.
Daytona International Speedway – Magic of Lights and Daytona Turkey Run
Daytona International Speedway will be the location of two holiday traditions in the Daytona Beach area – the Magic of Lights and the Turkey Run .
From Nov. 17 through Dec. 31 , Magic of Lights will transform the storied race track into a drive-through holiday-theme light spectacular featuring dozens of displays, festive favorites, and digital animation, all constructed with millions of individual LED lights to create a memorable holiday experience for the whole family.
Inside the comfort of their own vehicles, guests will enjoy Magic of Lights’ classic holiday favorites including Winter Wonderland, the 12 Days of Christmas, Toyland, festive Elves and Reindeer Road. In addition to the 200-foot long Enchanting Tunnel of Lights, there will also be other illuminated displays including the 32-foot-tall, animated Mattel’s Waving Christmas Barbie®, Prehistoric Christmas featuring life sized dinosaurs celebrating the season, and the legendary BIGFOOT® Monster Truck. Created with over two million sparkling lights, Magic of Lights is a nostalgic and festive event everyone will enjoy.
Another popular event at the Speedway, the 50 th Annual Daytona Turkey Run on Nov. 23-26 will feature thousands of unique automobiles and swap meet vendors in the infield of the “World Center of Racing.” Considered to be largest combined car show and swap meet in the United States , this family-friendly four-day event attracts close to 200,000 attendees every Thanksgiving holiday week to the Daytona Beach area.
Peabody Auditorium
Daytona Beach’s storied Peabody Auditorium will host several Christmas-themed shows during the holiday season.
- Mannheim Steamroller, the longest running concert tour in the entertainment industry at 35 years, is bringing its Christmas tour to Peabody Auditorium on Wednesday, Nov. 15 at 7:30 p.m. This year’s Mannheim Steamroller Christmas tour is set to feature classic Christmas songs from the Mannheim Steamroller holiday albums along with multimedia effects in an intimate setting.
- The Volusia Civic Ballet will perform The Nutcracker on Dec. 2-3 . In addition to the full-length production, the group will offer a condensed narrated Family Series show.
- With 12 consecutive Billboard No. 1 hits, Celtic Woman, the most successful all-female group in Irish history, will perform A Christmas Symphony on Tuesday, Dec. 19 at 7:30 p.m. This is a rare opportunity to hear Celtic Woman’s angelic harmonies with the thrilling live sound of a full symphony orchestra.
Stetson Mansion Christmas Spectacular Holiday Home Tour
The Stetson Mansion Christmas Spectacular Holiday Home Tour takes place at ” Florida’s first luxury estate,” the famed Victorian Gilded Age residence built in 1886. Its original, rich architectural details make the perfect backdrop for elaborate holiday decorations, which are different each year. This year’s theme is “Christmas . . . The Season For Believing.” Designer decorations from around the world will adorn the mansion and each of the 10 rooms. Self-guided and guided tours are offered Nov. 1 through January 20 , with exceptional opportunities for family photo opportunities. Reservations are required.
Rose Villa Southern Table & Bar
Located in Ormond Beach , Rose Villa Southern Table and Bar will transform into a Gingerbread Fantasy decorative light display that evokes classic storybook memories. From Nov. 17 through Jan. 5, 2024, visitors can stop to take a family photo or a selfie outside this historic Victorian jewel. During Gingerbread Fantasy, the restaurant will be decorated with larger-than-life Gingerbread men, towering lollipops, unique topiary snowmen, the “dogs of Rose Villa ,” stained glass windows reflecting gingerbread men, gold bells, candy canes and candied fruit – along with hundreds of colorful lights reaching from the ground to the top of the two-and-a-half-story rooftop. For an extra special holiday activity (at an additional cost, reservations required,) Rose Villa also offers a hands-on experience of building your own gingerbread house.
Riverfront Esplanade
The recently completed mile-long Riverfront Esplanade, a thriving gathering space and botanical garden located along the scenic Halifax River, will have holiday activities planned throughout the entire month of December. Headlining events is a holiday lights display located throughout the Riverfront Esplanade each night beginning Saturday, Nov. 25 and running through Jan. 1 . Other activities include photos with Santa Claus, a holiday pet parade, and holiday markets with vendors.
To view these and other events happening in the Daytona Beach area during the holiday season, including holiday parades and New Year’s Eve celebrations, visit www.DaytonaBeach.com
About the Daytona Beach Area | #LoveDaytonaBeach
Experience endless adventures in this eclectic destination that offers the perfect, beach base camp from which to explore the greater Daytona Beach area and all Central Florida . Choose thrilling activities or embrace the tranquility of days spent on 23 miles of world-famous white-sand beaches. With more than 12,000 rooms, and a variety of meeting hotels and unique spaces, the destination has accommodations for meetings and groups of all sizes and budgets. Learn more at www.DaytonaBeach.com. #LoveDaytonaBeach
Andrew Booth , Daytona Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau
[email protected] | (386) 255-0415, ext. 125
SOURCE Daytona Beach Area Convention & Visitors Bureau
