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10 of the best hotels for seeing gorgeous fall foliage
The hotel: Montage Deer Valley
The Montage Deer Valley in Park City, Utah enjoys a picturesque location in the Wasatch Mountains, a region arguably at its most beautiful in autumn. The resort's guided nature hikes give guests the chance to spot local wildlife amid the colorful oak and red fir trees.
The view: Park City, Utah
The Utah wilderness surrounding the town of Park City might be best known as a winter sports destination, but the riot of fall color combined with warm days, cool nights and sparse off-season crowds make it an excellent choice for an autumn getaway.
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The hotel: Blantyre
Step back into the Gilded Age this fall with a stay at Blantyre, a magnificent English-style country mansion in the heart of the Berkshires in Massachusetts. The resort offers ample leaf-peeping opportunities right on property, including hammocks to sway in and a back porch where you can curl up with a cup of hot cocoa as you take in the array of color. Should you choose to venture further afield, order a picnic basket from the hotel restaurant.
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The view: The Berkshires
In the Berkshires, autumn announces its arrival with a colorful display of leaves beginning in the first week of October. Route 7 and Route 2 both offer excellent leaf-peeping from behind the wheel, but even better are the myriad hiking trails in areas like October Mountain State Forest.
Photo courtesy of Ogden Gigli/Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism
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The hotel: Madeline Hotel
Guests of the Madeline Hotel in Telluride have all the scenic trails and peaks of the San Sophia Mountains – not to mention the restaurants and entertainment options of Mountain Village – just outside their doors. After a day of leaf-peeping, the hotel's spa and pool are ideal for relaxation.
Photo courtesy of Madeline Hotel & Residences, Auberge Resorts Collection
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The view: Telluride, Co.
Telluride, Colorado is home to some of the nation's most spectacular fall foliage. Beginning in mid- to late-September the aspen groves dotting the San Juan Mountain Range burst into brilliant shades of yellow and gold. To really appreciate the foliage, plan to drive the San Juan Skyway before or after your stay in Telluride.
Photo courtesy of E+ / DOUGBERRY
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The hotel: Lake Arrowhead Resort & Spa
After driving the first stretch of the Rim of the World Highway, leaf-peepers arrive at the beautiful Lake Arrowhead Resort & Spa, where fall color envelops the lake. Guests can relax in the resort's Spa of the Pines, enjoying body and face treatments like a delightful sugar scrub – a nice complement to all of the seasonal spice.
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The view: Rim of the World Highway
The Rim of the World Highway, part of the California State Scenic Highway System, takes drivers through the heart of the San Bernardino National Forest. Start in the town of San Bernardino and make the 23-mile drive through the autumn-colored forest to Lake Arrowhead. To extend your leaf-peeping California road trip, continue on toward Big Bear Lake.
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The hotel: Omni Grove Park Inn
Tucked within the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains near Asheville, North Carolina, the Omni Grove Park Inn offers sweeping fall views right from the property. At the resort spa's year-round outdoor pagoda, you can even unwind with a massage and do some leaf-peeping at the same time.
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The view: Blue Ridge Mountains
Asheville and the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains have no shortage of colorful fall scenery. Start your explorations with a visit to the Biltmore Estate to see the Vanderbilt mansion in all its autumn glory. The region is brimming with scenic hikes and drives, including the iconic Blue Ridge Parkway.
Photo courtesy of iStock / Sean Pavone
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The hotel: The Tides Inn
The Tides Inn in Irvington, Virginia sits on the banks of the Chesapeake Bay, making it a great home base for combining some fall foliage excursions with wine tasting in the Chesapeake Bay Wine Country. Golf enthusiasts can do their leaf-peeping from the wooded course at the resort's Golden Eagle Golf Club.
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The view: Chesapeake Bay region
Fall colors combine with the grape harvest to make the Chesapeake Bay region of Virginia particularly appealing in autumn. Grab a jacket, hop on a bicycle and spend the day pedaling from one winery to another, sampling the vintages and taking in the seasonal scenery.
Photo courtesy of iStock / ellobo1
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The hotel: Fairmont Tremblant
Located in the Laurentian Mountains of Quebec, the Fairmont Tremblant makes planning the perfect autumn outing effortless. An on-staff activity concierge will help you book bike rentals, tickets for the panoramic gondola to the top of Mont Tremblant, zip-lining excursions through the foliage, horseback rides or tee times at an area golf course.
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The view: Mont-Tremblant
The fall foliage display of maple, beech and birch in Mont-Tremblant is legendary, especially at its peak near the end of September. Pick your outdoor adventure, and you'll find it in this postcard-worthy, four-seasons resort town.
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The hotel: Mandarin Oriental New York
Snag a Central Park View Room at the luxurious Mandarin Oriental New York, and you'll see why so many visitors have been captivated by autumn in New York. Rooms overlooking the green lung of the city allow guests to do their leaf-peeping through floor-to-ceiling windows.
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The view: Autumn in New York
Fall foliage viewing needn't require heading out into the wilderness. Some of the best leaf-peeping in the Northeast can be found right in the heart of the Big Apple in places like Central Park, Prospect Park, Greenbelt and the New York Botanical Garden.
Photo courtesy of iStock / agustavop
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The hotel: Stowe Mountain Lodge
The alpine-style Stowe Mountain Lodge is fashioned after a Victorian-era great camp – but with the modern amenities of a contemporary resort. Each guestroom features extraordinary views of Mt. Mansfield and Spruce Peak.
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The view: Stowe, Vermont
Think about New England fall foliage, and Stowe likely comes to mind. Some of the world's best autumn colors complement quaint scenery with covered bridges, white steeple churches, sparkling lakes and sprawling woodlands. Typically, Vermont's leaves start turning in mid-September and the show continues through late October.
Photo courtesy of iStock / DonLand
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The hotel: Sun Mountain Lodge
Washington's Sun Mountain Lodge in Methow Valley gives guests access to more than 3,000 acres of pristine wilderness for biking, hiking, boating, horseback riding, golfing or fly fishing surrounded by all the colors of fall.
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The view: Methow Valley & Cascade Loop
The Methow Valley sits at the eastern end of the Cascade Loop, one of the most stunning fall foliage drives in the Pacific Northwest. With the Sun Mountain Lodge as a base, visitors can set out for a day trip along the North Cascades Highway with ample hiking opportunities along the way.
Photo courtesy of iStock / Harry Hu
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