Photo: Airbnb
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.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 YorkStunning Historic Church; sleeps up to 5, $289 $246 at AirbnbMargaretville, New YorkStunning Catskills Cabin; sleeps up to 5, $380/night at AirbnbCresco, PennsylvaniaThe treehouse chalet; sleeps up to 8, $374/night at AirbnbLanesborough, MassachusettsBerkshires Waterfront Lakehouse; sleeps up to 6, $226/night at AirbnbKingston, New York1735 Stone Colonial; sleeps up to 3, $201/night AirbnbBrookline, MassachusettsQueen Anne Brookline Bed and Breakfast; sleeps up to 2, $195/night at AirbnbBedford, New YorkTudor Cottage; sleeps up to 3, $395/night at AirbnbPlainfield, VermontIdyllic Vermont Getaway; sleeps up to 2, $320/night at AirbnbClaryville, New YorkCatskills Cabin on 20 acres; sleeps up to 3, $99/on Airbnb.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, OhioThe Roundabout Cabin Near Portsmouth; sleeps 4, $190/night at AirbnbGalesburg, MichiganFrank Lloyd Wright’s Eppstein House; sleeps 4, $550/night at AirbnbRoscommon, MichiganThe Modern Moose at Higgins Lake; sleeps up to 5, $209/night at AirbnbHubertus, WisconsinHugel Hutte Log Cabin Getaway; sleeps up to 2, $193/night at AirbnbSaint Paul, MinnesotaUnique Mid-Century Modern in a Great Neighborhood; sleeps 2, $145/night at AirbnbFithian, IllinoisSecluded Lakehouse Cabin; sleeps 14, $345 $269/night at AirbnbIf 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, VirginiaTrailside Treehouse; sleeps up to 8, $277/night at Airbnb Ellijay, GeorgiaCozy and Rustic Cabin in the Woods; sleeps up to 3, $94/night at AirbnbGatlinburg, Tennessee2 Bdrm Cabin; sleeps up to 6, $159/night at AirbnbBoulder, ColoradoWest Pearl Carriage House; sleeps up to 2, $79/night at AirbnbJacksonville, OregonTree Top Studio; sleeps up to 3, $191/night at Airbnb Oakhurst, CaliforniaA-Frame Cabin; sleeps up to 4, $209/night at Airbnb Bend, OregonDome Home; sleeps up to 3, $155/night at Airbnb 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, CaliforniaIdyllic Alpine Designer Cabin; sleeps up to 6, $190 $167/night at AirbnbMunds Park, ArizonaCoco’s Creekside Cabin; sleeps up to 6, $229/night at AirbnbCrestline, CaliforniaTreetop Views; sleeps up to 6, $140/night at Airbnb Williams, ArizonaGrand Canyon Stargazer with Jacuzzi; sleeps up to 10, $353/night at AirbnbRunning Springs, CaliforniaYamaguchi Den; sleeps up to 5, $297/night at AirbnbCloudcroft, New MexicoSecluded Mystic Mountain Lodge; sleeps up to 8, $215/night at AirbnbHappy trails.
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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
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The best places to see fall leaves in the Midwest
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The best places to see fall leaves in the South and Northwest
The best places to see fall leaves in the Southwest
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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.