BLOG: Where to View Fall Foliage in the Pacific Northwest
With its diverse forests and mountain ranges, the Pacific Northwest can offer some truly impressive fall color displays. Deciduous trees like maple and oak offer vibrant displays against deep green conifers like Douglas Fir, Giant Sequoias, and Ponderosa Pine – making for unforgettable displays!
Oregon and Washington State boast numerous scenic drives showcasing colorful fall foliage, such as the West Cascades and Elkhorn Scenic Byways. As fall colors tend to emerge first at higher elevations like Mount Hood or Columbia River Gorge, you might experience change even sooner than usual!
Mount Baker Highway
State Road 542, otherwise known as Mount Baker Highway, follows the Nooksack River before winding through forests, lakes, and meadows of huckleberry meadows to Artist Point on Kulshan Ridge of Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest for breathtaking views of both Mount Shuksan and Baker.
Due to snowfall in this high-alpine region, vehicles beyond Mount Baker Ski Area are closed off from October through July each year; making this road all the more impressive as an autumn experience destination. Along its drive are breathtaking waterfalls, stunning lakeside vistas, and evergreen forests with striking streaks of bronze foliage – it should be on every Washington State driver’s bucket list!
Stevens Pass Scenic Byway
US-2 is one of the best places in the Pacific Northwest for viewing fall foliage. This road traverses through Leavenworth’s internationally acclaimed Bavarian-style village where Oktoberfest and Christmas festivities can be found, along with breathtaking views and trails like Leavenworth Waterfront Park which provides stunning views of red, orange and yellow leaves glistening against Lake Wenatchee’s clear waters.
Oregon forests and mountains come alive with breathtaking fall colors every autumn, and two scenic byways – West Cascades and Elkhorn Scenic Byways – provide great opportunities to appreciate nature without fighting crowds of tourists on more popular scenic highways. Look out for native vine maples and scarlet aspens along these low-volume routes.
Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway
Pacific Northwest trees may not turn as many brilliant hues, but deciduous ones like aspens, birches, oaks and spruces still produce stunning displays as temperatures cool off. Lassen Volcanic National Park boasts one of the finest examples.
As you journey along this unique byway region’s volcanic past from 14,179-foot Mount Shasta to Crater Lake, evidence of its volcanic past can be seen throughout. Explore lava flows, caves and geothermal hot springs while visiting Medicine Lake Recreation Area or Lava Beds National Monument for further insight.
If your schedule allows, spend at least a few days on this 500-mile All-American Road to fully experience the breathtaking scenery and fascinating volcanic history of this Pacific Northwest destination. Along the route are numerous communities eager to host visitors with various amenities available and activities along the way.
Autumn in Oregon – Mount Hood Scenic Byway
Mount Hood Scenic Byway in Oregon offers one of the best places to view fall foliage, traversing US-26 and OR-35 along the Columbia River Gorge and winding its way around Mount Hood National Forest. Notable attractions along this scenic drive are Tamanawas Falls which cascades down a stair-way cliff as well as Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood.
Byways travelers also pass through abundant agricultural lands, with vineyards and orchards offering bottles of wine or freshly picked apples from vineyards or orchards; at lower elevations, the highways feature vibrant wildflowers and magnificent forests.
Urban Delights
Urban leaf peeping opportunities abound too, including Portland and beyond. The Portland Japanese Garden is an especially breathtaking urban destination, featuring twelve gardens showcasing autumn beauty – natural garden, flat garden, tea garden, and pond garden among them. Hoyt Arboretum’s wooded park provides another wonderful chance to see a wide variety of trees such as Oregon ash trees, paper birches and water birches whose olive-green leaves turn yellow with age.
In Portland, Washington Park’s fall colors often get overlooked in favor of more rural drives. Explore Hoyt Arboretum for some intimate hiking trails with breathtaking vistas.
Lithia Park in Ashland offers stunning fall color displays on its 93 acres of canyon land, which feature Oregon white oak, Garry oak, and ornamental European beech among many other deciduous trees like Japanese snowbell and flowering dogwood. Drake Park at Mirror Pond in Bend provides another picturesque autumn destination, especially during peak fall color season September through October.
Seattle’s Japanese Garden at Washington Park is another must-visit leaf-peeping spot, featuring yellow ginkos, golden mountain ash and multi-colored maples that create tranquil streams and koi ponds for you to wander among.
Bainbridge Island, Washington State
On Bainbridge Island, the Bloedel Reserve boasts acres of easily navigable trails that feature trees with vibrant leaves that change hue over time. Or head east, where Manito Park and Nishinomiya Tsutakawa Japanese Gardens in Spokane provide two great environments for nature walks.
So, what are you waiting for? Arrive early in the season and make Bay Point Landing your home base to maximize fall foliage viewing. Fuel up your vehicle, pack plenty of snacks and water, and plan an enjoyable road trip adventure!
