Go RVing uses cookies on gorving.com in accordance with our privacy policy. By using this site, you consent to the use of cookies. We use cookies for the following purposes: To enable certain functions of the service, to provide analytics, to store your preferences, and to enable advertisements delivery, including behavioral advertising.
Ryan Robinson takes you for a ride in the passenger seat of his RV, off the grid, deep among the dramatic rock formations of the Utah Desert. Robinson and friends chill by the fire, tell stories, and of course, rig a one of a kind highline over the Looking Glass Arch in Moab, UT.
New England is world famous for its fall colors, which can start as early as September and last well into October, depending on weather conditions.
But as many RV enthusiasts eventually discover, spectacular displays of fall color aren’t limited to the Northeast.
Consider the 122-mile stretch of M-22, which traces the northwest section of Michigan’s lower peninsula from Manistee to Traverse City, offering everything from dense forests to spectacular views of Lake Michigan from multiple vantage points, including Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
“M-22 is one of the most scenic drives in the United States any time of year, but especially in the fall during peak color,” said John D. Lindley, president and CEO of the Michigan Association of RVs & Campgrounds.
There are, of course, many other areas across the country that have exceptional fall colors. Here’s a sampling of several of them with examples of campgrounds that can be used as base camps along the way:
Maine
While many areas of Maine have outstanding fall colors, many travelers visiting the densely forested areas of western Maine enjoy visiting Grafton Notch State Park and the Mahoosuc Range, which features some of the what state’s most spectacular mountain scenery. Campgrounds in this area include Grafton Notch Campgroundin Newry and Bethel Outdoor Adventure & Campground, which is located next to the Androscoggin River about a half mile from the historic town of Bethel. The campground offers canoe, kayak and standup paddle board river trips.
Fall color routes in Maryland include the Catoctin Mountain National Scenic Byway, near the Camp David presidential retreat. The byway follows US 15 through historic Frederick County, which features numerous Civil War sites in addition to dense stands of oaks, sugar maples, basswoods, hickories, hornbeam, white ash, beech and tulip poplars. Nearby campgrounds include Ole Mink Farm Resortin Thurmont. Other popular fall color routes include the historic National Road, a 170-mile scenic byway that runs from Baltimore to the mountains of western Maryland. This route includes sections of MD 144, MD 27 and U.S. 40.
Popular base camps for fall color trips in western Maryland include Ridge Rider Campgroundin Little Orleans and Double G RV Park in McHenry, which is only about a half mile from Deep Creek Lake, Maryland’s largest lake.
Just beyond the southern end of the Blue Ridge Park is Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee, which offers numerous locations for great fall colors, from Cades Cove at 1,726 feet to Clingman’s Dome at 6,643 feet. Some scenic drives are off limits to RVs, such as the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. However, for RVers with tow vehicles, the narrow, steep, one-way road is paved and winds through rich forests, while offering views of Roaring Fork Creek. Campgrounds outside Great Smoky Mountains National Park includePigeon Forge Landingin Sevierville, Tennessee and Camp Leconte Luxury Outdoor Resortin Gatlinburg.
Colorado’s Kebler Pass
Just outside of the 9,000-foot historic coal mining town of Crested Butte is 10,007-foot Kebler Pass, which many consider to be one of the best places in the country to witness the intense yellow hues of aspen trees in fall. From Crested Butte, take County Road 12 for a spectacular 30-mile drive through aspen trees over 10,007-foot Kebler Pass. County Road 12 is a good quality gravel road, though for day trips, it’s best to leave your trailer in the campground and enjoy the road in the comfort of your tow vehicle. Campgrounds along and near this route include Crested Butte RV Resortin Crested Butte.
Cedar Breaks National Monument in Utah
While Cedar Breaks National Monumentis best known for its XXX, which are similar to the formations at nearby Bryce Canyon National Park, the park is loaded is aspen trees, which turn bright shades of yellow, orange and sometimes red in late September and early October. Much of the park is at very high altitudes of what elevation to what elevation. Nearby campgrounds include list campgrounds. This park could be visited along with a trip to neighboring Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park, although the famous cottonwood trees along Zion’s Virgin River don’t usually turn until late October.
California’s June Lake Loop
State Route 158 is a 15-mile road in California’s Eastern Sierra that features some of the largest aspen groves in California. Aspens along this route typically start turning bright yellow in late September and early October, though the peak varies from year to year, depending on how quickly it gets cold. Several lakes are also located along the route, which add to the scenic drama of this area, which is further accentuated by the jagged Sierra Nevada peaks to the west. The June Lake Loop connects with U.S. Route 395 about 14 miles north of the Mammoth Lakes turnoff. Campgrounds in this area includeJune Lake RV Park and Silver Lake Resort.
Jeff Crider, President and CEO of Crider Public Relations, has been involved in covering the campground industry for over 25 years. Jeff has worked as a freelance writer for publications such as RV Business, Motor Home Magazine, Trailer Life, Highways and other Affinity Group Inc. publications since 1995. He has also successfully pitched many of the nation's top tier media outlets, including CNN, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, USA Today, The Financial Times, Reuters, The Associated Press and National Public Radio. In addition to writing, Jeff is also a talented photographer and humanitarian.
