Where to Find Georgia’s Best Fall Views

A new survey asked travelers where they’ve seen the most stunning autumn colors in America. In Georgia, all three winners sit within an hour of each other in the northeast mountains.

🍂 Why It Matters: Peak fall color only lasts a few weeks. Knowing which overlooks deliver the best views means you won’t waste a Saturday driving to a spot that doesn’t live up to the hype.

🏔️ The Top Three: Black Rock Mountain State Park Overlooks in Clayton took first place. At more than 3,600 feet, roadside pullouts and summit trails show layers of forest that shift from green to amber and crimson through October. The distant Blue Ridge ridgelines fade into softer shades while valleys glow with concentrated bursts of color.

Cohutta Overlook in the Cohutta Wilderness came in second. The ridges of the southern Appalachians roll endlessly from this viewpoint. Hardwoods shift through gold, amber and burnt orange in October. Valleys between the peaks catch pockets of fog in the mornings, softening the view and highlighting the contrast between the bright fall canopy and the dark green pines that cling to the slopes.

Brasstown Bald Observation Deck near Hiawassee took third. From Georgia’s highest point, the 360-degree deck looks across four states. The Blue Ridge valleys roll with waves of gold hickory and orange oak in mid-to-late October. The elevation brings early, vivid color changes that sweep through the mountainsides.

🗺️ What Else Made the List: Travel company Exoticca surveyed people about their personal experiences watching fall colors across the country. The results pinpoint the exact overlooks and observation decks where autumn hits hardest in each state.

Other top spots include Overlook Mountain near Woodstock, New York, where a fire tower and cliffside viewpoints offer expansive vistas of the Catskill Mountains. In October, the hardwood forests shift into vibrant oranges, reds and yellows.

Newfound Gap Overlook in Great Smoky Mountains National Park straddles the border between Tennessee and North Carolina. The valleys below burst with color in autumn. Scarlet dogwoods, bronze oaks and bright yellow birches. The elevation shift is part of the appeal. You can watch the color change across different forest zones, from high-altitude evergreens to broadleaf hardwoods lower down.

Seneca Rocks Observation Platform in West Virginia’s Monongahela National Forest sits at the end of a 1.3-mile hiking trail. In October, the surrounding hardwoods blaze in shades of crimson, gold and orange. From the platform, you can trace the ridgelines as they fold into the distance, punctuated by the jagged rock formation itself.

Glacier Point in Yosemite National Park offers a straight view of Half Dome’s granite face while the valley spreads below. In autumn, maples, oaks and dogwoods add streaks of yellow and red among the rocky slopes. At higher elevations, the Sierra peaks may receive early snow in October, bringing a cool edge to the view.

Mount Mansfield Summit Overlook in Stowe, Vermont sits at 4,395 feet. It’s Vermont’s highest peak. In mid-October, the hardwood forests below ignite in a mix of crimson maples, golden birches and bronze oaks. The summit’s open rock ledges let you see the full breadth of fall color, with valleys, farms and lakes punctuating the forest canopy. By mid-October, the Auto Toll Road is closed, but for hikers, this becomes a rewarding trail ascent.

Stony Man Overlook along Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park crowns a dramatic ridge, reached by a short 1.6-mile round-trip hike from its parking area. In October, the Shenandoah Valley below ripples with autumn color. Oaks, maples and hickories turning red, orange and gold against the dark evergreens.

⚠️ What to Know: The survey relies on personal experiences rather than scientific measurements of color intensity or timing. Peak fall color shifts year to year based on temperature and rainfall patterns.

📚 The Sources: Exoticca.