As the weather cools down after Labor Day, colors begin to change from the verdant greens of summer to the golden yellows, browns and russets of autumn. Instead of picking just any old hotel for your fall getaway, stay at one of these five offering exceptional views of foliage at its most colorful.
Mirror Lake Inn Resort & Spa
Whether you seek to enjoy the fall foliage on a romantic weekend getaway or with the kids in tow, it doesn't get much better than the lakeside accommodations at the Mirror Lake Inn Resort & Spa in the Adirondack Mountains. A private dinner on the dock overlooking the lake, hiking one of the 46 high peaks of the Adirondack Mountains and sunset cruising or kayaking around the lake are just a few of the ways to enjoy all the fall colors of this upstate New York hotel.
Lake Placid — Photo courtesy of Mirror Lake Inn Resort & Spa
Rabbit Hill Inn
The Rabbit Hill Inn first set up shop in Northern Vermont in 1795, and the place oozes with New England charm. The inn's 15 acres of gardens, home to a waterfall, gazebo and spring-fed swimming pool, are particularly pleasant in the fall when the leaves of the white-barked paper birch trees dotting the property turn shades of gold and yellow. The young and young at heart can take in the mountain views while puzzling out the 3 miles of path winding through a seasonal corn maze.
Rabbit Hill, Vermont — Photo courtesy of Rare Brick
Omni Mount Washington Resort
The Omni Mount Washington Resort took more than 250 craftsman over two years to complete, and the resulting Spanish Renaissance-style structure (now a National Historic Landmark) was well worth all that work. Located in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, the Omni makes a perfect base for recreation amid the autumn foliage, including fishing, hiking, horseback riding, gliding down one of New England's longest zip lines or playing a round of golf at the resort's own 18-hole course.
Mt Washington — Photo courtesy of Omni Hotels
Old Edwards Inn and Spa
Highlands, North Carolina, sitting at an elevation of 4,118 feet in the Blue Ridge Mountains, is a quiet mountain town surrounded by densely wooded forests dotted with plummeting waterfalls and home to the Old Edwards Inn and Spa, one of the most highly regarded resorts in North America. With average September and October temperatures falling in the 50s and 60s, guests can cozy up in a private storybook cottage or play a round of tennis or golf without even breaking a sweat.
Old Edwards Club — Photo courtesy of Old Edwards Inn and Spa
The Wine Country Inn
Besides the scenery of Napa Valley being lovely in the autumn months, grape harvest time falls right in the middle of September and October, which means you'll have plenty of local festivities to enjoy during a stay at the Wine Country Inn in St. Helena. Spend the cool mornings cycling through the surrounding vineyards or relax with a message on your own private balcony before a mid-day wine tasting.
Saint Helena — Photo courtesy of The Wine Country Inn
