Being from Southern California, I never really understood how (or why) people would plan vacations around fall foliage. Not that it’s not beautiful—I’ve seen When Harry Met Sally—but just… how? How does one plan a trip with a climax that relies on leaves, which don’t have brains, making decisions about when to wither and die?
Now that I live in New York, and have been to Sleepy Hollow and the little upstate towns, I get it. Fall is next level! It’s when the East Coast knows it’s looking good, and the air is no longer humid with eau-de-summer-gärbagé-rat parfum. I also learned that there are entire teams of nature lovers and science folk figuring out where, and when, the leaves will get their new ‘do across the United States. The 2023 FFPM actually just dropped, baby—that’s the Fall Foliage Prediction Map (try to keep up, Skyler). The interactive map is released by the Great Smoky Mountains National Park every year to coax the Hocus Pocus-loving, pumpkin-spiced-cider babes out of their caves with promises of cooler air and amber leaves, and it’s one-half of the blueprint for planning a fall leaf-peeping escape. The other half is figuring out where to stay.
I’m not saying the East Coast is the only coast for seeing the best fall leaves in the United States (we’ve all seen Twilight; we know Washington slaps), but, damn. Places such as Boston and upstate NY really understood the assignment. But there are also charming Airbnb rentals with autumnal vibes in incredible places including Northern California, the South, across the Midwest, and even the Southwest. Here are our favorites for plopping you amongst the changing tides of fall. Brace yourself for treehouses on treehouses on treehouses…
The best places to see fall leaves on the East Coast
Again, not to say that the East Coast wins at fall foliage… but have you ever seen the Berkshires? Place goes bananas for fall. The following abodes will take you lakefront, mountainside, and in an 18th-century cottage; they’ll position you in a prime Boston locale, perfect for strolling through the city’s parks; as well as a Tudor style hideaway in Bedford, worthy of Snow White and her seven jabronis.
Woodstock, New York
Stunning Historic Church; sleeps up to 5, $289 $246 at Airbnb
Margaretville, New York
Stunning Catskills Cabin; sleeps up to 5, $380/night at Airbnb
Cresco, Pennsylvania
The treehouse chalet; sleeps up to 8, $374/night at Airbnb
Lanesborough, Massachusetts
Berkshires Waterfront Lakehouse; sleeps up to 6, $226/night at Airbnb
Kingston, New York
1735 Stone Colonial; sleeps up to 3, $201/night Airbnb
Brookline, Massachusetts
Queen Anne Brookline Bed and Breakfast; sleeps up to 2, $195/night at Airbnb
Bedford, New York
Tudor Cottage; sleeps up to 3, $395/night at Airbnb
Plainfield, Vermont
Idyllic Vermont Getaway; sleeps up to 2, $320/night at Airbnb
Claryville, New York
Catskills Cabin on 20 acres; sleeps up to 3, $99/on Airbnb.
The best places to see fall leaves in the Midwest
There are so many dreamy, mid-century homes you can rent by famous architects on Airbnb, especially by our favorite Midwesterner, Daddy Frank Lloyd Wright. (The home he designed below was also recently renovated and restored to its former glory, and is stocked with all kinds of era-appropriate furnishings, books, and films.) And if you can’t swing a stay there, don’t sweat it—there are endless woodsy, treehouse-feeling homes to build your nest in.
McDermott, Ohio
The Roundabout Cabin Near Portsmouth; sleeps 4, $190/night at Airbnb
Galesburg, Michigan
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Eppstein House; sleeps 4, $550/night at Airbnb
Roscommon, Michigan
The Modern Moose at Higgins Lake; sleeps up to 5, $209/night at Airbnb
Hubertus, Wisconsin
Hugel Hutte Log Cabin Getaway; sleeps up to 2, $193/night at Airbnb
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Unique Mid-Century Modern in a Great Neighborhood; sleeps 2, $145/night at Airbnb
Fithian, Illinois
Secluded Lakehouse Cabin; sleeps 14, $345 $269/night at Airbnb
The best places to see fall leaves in the South and Northwest
If you’re in the South or on the Northwest this fall, you, too, get to have some leaf action. It’s all about cabins with benefits, man. We’re talking hot tubs, pool tables, and homes stocked with board games; A-frames amongst the trees, and Colorado carriage houses.
Richmond, Virginia
Trailside Treehouse; sleeps up to 8, $277/night at Airbnb
Ellijay, Georgia
Cozy and Rustic Cabin in the Woods; sleeps up to 3, $94/night at Airbnb
Gatlinburg, Tennessee
2 Bdrm Cabin; sleeps up to 6, $159/night at Airbnb
Boulder, Colorado
West Pearl Carriage House; sleeps up to 2, $79/night at Airbnb
Jacksonville, Oregon
Tree Top Studio; sleeps up to 3, $191/night at Airbnb
Oakhurst, California
A-Frame Cabin; sleeps up to 4, $209/night at Airbnb
Bend, Oregon
Dome Home; sleeps up to 3, $155/night at Airbnb
The best places to see fall leaves in the Southwest
Listen, not all of us can make it out to the East Coast to feel our fall oats. Evergreen oak trees may reign supreme in the Southwest, and especially in Southern California, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find pastoral places to feel like you’re in The Craft in the greater Los Angeles County area. Plus, there are plenty of leaf freaks who have compiled lists of their favorite places to leaf gaze in SoCal, Arizona, New Mexico, and other picturesque spots.
Idyllwild-Pine Cove, California
Idyllic Alpine Designer Cabin; sleeps up to 6, $190 $167/night at Airbnb
Munds Park, Arizona
Coco’s Creekside Cabin; sleeps up to 6, $229/night at Airbnb
Crestline, California
Treetop Views; sleeps up to 6, $140/night at Airbnb
Williams, Arizona
Grand Canyon Stargazer with Jacuzzi; sleeps up to 10, $353/night at Airbnb
Running Springs, California
Yamaguchi Den; sleeps up to 5, $297/night at Airbnb
Cloudcroft, New Mexico
Secluded Mystic Mountain Lodge; sleeps up to 8, $215/night at Airbnb
Happy trails.
The Rec Room staff independently selected all of the stuff featured in this story. Want more reviews, recommendations, and red-hot deals? Sign up for our newsletter.
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