[{"slug":"vermont","name":"Vermont","country":"United States","countryCode":"US","continent":"north-america","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[44.07,-72.7],"mapZoom":7,"blurb":"Vermont's sugar maples turn the Green Mountains red and gold, peaking in early-to-mid October along Route 100.","bestKnownFor":["Sugar maple hillsides","Route 100 drives","Stowe and the Mad River Valley"],"related":["new-hampshire","massachusetts","new-york"]},{"slug":"new-hampshire","name":"New Hampshire","country":"United States","countryCode":"US","continent":"north-america","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[43.68,-71.57],"mapZoom":7,"blurb":"New Hampshire's White Mountains produce some of New England's most vivid color, with the Kancamagus Highway as the signature drive.","bestKnownFor":["White Mountains","Kancamagus Highway","Lake Winnipesaukee shoreline"],"related":["vermont","maine","massachusetts"]},{"slug":"maine","name":"Maine","country":"United States","countryCode":"US","continent":"north-america","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[45.25,-69.24],"mapZoom":6.3,"blurb":"Maine's mix of maple, birch and coastal spruce gives Acadia National Park and the western mountains an early, crisp foliage season.","bestKnownFor":["Acadia National Park","Western Maine mountains","Coastal lighthouse drives"],"related":["new-hampshire","vermont","new-brunswick"]},{"slug":"massachusetts","name":"Massachusetts","country":"United States","countryCode":"US","continent":"north-america","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[42.3,-71.8],"mapZoom":6.9,"blurb":"The Berkshires in western Massachusetts turn early with sugar maples and birches, while the Mohawk Trail remains a classic fall drive.","bestKnownFor":["The Berkshires","Mohawk Trail","Cape Cod cranberry bogs"],"related":["vermont","connecticut","new-hampshire"]},{"slug":"connecticut","name":"Connecticut","country":"United States","countryCode":"US","continent":"north-america","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[41.6,-72.7],"mapZoom":7.3,"blurb":"Sugar maples and oaks blaze across the rolling hills of the Litchfield Hills and the Quiet Corner, with Route 169 and Kent Falls State Park drawing leaf-peepers as color peaks in mid-to-late October.","bestKnownFor":["Litchfield Hills","Route 169 scenic byway","Kent Falls State Park"],"related":["rhode-island","massachusetts","new-york"]},{"slug":"rhode-island","name":"Rhode Island","country":"United States","countryCode":"US","continent":"north-america","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[41.6,-71.6],"mapZoom":7.5,"blurb":"New England's smallest state still delivers, with sugar maples and oaks coloring the Blackstone River Valley and Arcadia Management Area while stone-walled back roads peak in mid-to-late October.","bestKnownFor":["Arcadia Management Area","Blackstone River Valley","Newport's coastal drives"],"related":["connecticut","massachusetts"]},{"slug":"new-york","name":"New York","country":"United States","countryCode":"US","continent":"north-america","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[42.92,-75.53],"mapZoom":6,"blurb":"New York's Adirondacks and Catskills offer some of the East Coast's most dramatic peak views, with High Peaks scenic byways and Hudson Valley orchards.","bestKnownFor":["Adirondack High Peaks","Catskills scenic byways","Hudson Valley orchards"],"related":["vermont","pennsylvania","quebec"]},{"slug":"new-jersey","name":"New Jersey","country":"United States","countryCode":"US","continent":"north-america","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[40.1,-74.7],"mapZoom":6.9,"blurb":"Oaks, maples, and sassafras color the Kittatinny Ridge and Delaware Water Gap by early-to-mid October, while the sandy Pine Barrens hold pitch pine and blueberry-bush red into November farther south.","bestKnownFor":["Delaware Water Gap","High Point State Park","Pine Barrens"],"related":["new-york","pennsylvania","delaware"]},{"slug":"pennsylvania","name":"Pennsylvania","country":"United States","countryCode":"US","continent":"north-america","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[40.9,-77.47],"mapZoom":6,"blurb":"Pennsylvania's ridge-and-valley forests color early in the Poconos and again in the Laurel Highlands, with dense oak-hickory stands statewide.","bestKnownFor":["Poconos ridgelines","Laurel Highlands","Allegheny National Forest"],"related":["new-york","virginia","ohio"]},{"slug":"delaware","name":"Delaware","country":"United States","countryCode":"US","continent":"north-america","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[39,-75.5],"mapZoom":7.4,"blurb":"Delaware's low, flat terrain turns gradually, with oaks and sweetgums coloring the Brandywine Valley by mid-October and bald cypress swamps at Trap Pond State Park holding russet tones into November.","bestKnownFor":["Brandywine Valley","Trap Pond State Park","White Clay Creek State Park"],"related":["maryland","new-jersey","pennsylvania"]},{"slug":"maryland","name":"Maryland","country":"United States","countryCode":"US","continent":"north-america","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[39.25,-76.85],"mapZoom":6.8,"blurb":"From Garrett County's sugar maple ridges peaking in early October to the oak-hickory woods around Catoctin Mountain Park and the Eastern Shore's cypress sloughs coloring into November, Maryland spans the season.","bestKnownFor":["Deep Creek Lake / Garrett County","Catoctin Mountain Park","Antietam battlefield grounds"],"related":["virginia","west-virginia","delaware","pennsylvania"]},{"slug":"virginia","name":"Virginia","country":"United States","countryCode":"US","continent":"north-america","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[37.5,-78.9],"mapZoom":6.1,"blurb":"Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway carry travelers through oak-hickory ridges and scattered sugar maples in Shenandoah National Park, with color typically peaking in mid-October at higher elevations.","bestKnownFor":["Skyline Drive","Blue Ridge Parkway","Shenandoah National Park"],"related":["west-virginia","north-carolina","maryland","kentucky"]},{"slug":"west-virginia","name":"West Virginia","country":"United States","countryCode":"US","continent":"north-america","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[38.7,-80.7],"mapZoom":6.4,"blurb":"Almost entirely mountainous, West Virginia's sugar and red maples turn early, with the Highland Scenic Highway and Blackwater Falls State Park in the Allegheny highlands often peaking by late September into early October.","bestKnownFor":["Highland Scenic Highway","Blackwater Falls State Park","Canaan Valley"],"related":["virginia","maryland","kentucky","ohio"]},{"slug":"north-carolina","name":"North Carolina","country":"United States","countryCode":"US","continent":"north-america","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[35.5,-79.2],"mapZoom":6,"blurb":"The Blue Ridge Parkway and Great Smoky Mountains National Park turn sourwood, maple, and hickory to scarlet by mid-October, while Piedmont oaks and the coastal plain hold color into November.","bestKnownFor":["Blue Ridge Parkway","Great Smoky Mountains National Park","Grandfather Mountain"],"related":["virginia","tennessee","south-carolina","georgia"]},{"slug":"south-carolina","name":"South Carolina","country":"United States","countryCode":"US","continent":"north-america","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[33.9,-80.9],"mapZoom":6.3,"blurb":"Upstate maples and oaks around Table Rock and Caesars Head State Parks turn by late October, while blackwater cypress-tupelo swamps at Congaree National Park hold muted color into November across the Lowcountry.","bestKnownFor":["Table Rock State Park","Caesars Head State Park","Congaree National Park"],"related":["north-carolina","georgia"]},{"slug":"georgia","name":"Georgia","country":"United States","countryCode":"US","continent":"north-america","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[32.7,-83.4],"mapZoom":5.7,"blurb":"North Georgia's Blue Ridge foothills turn hickory, sourwood, and maple gold along the Richard Russell Scenic Highway and around Vogel State Park, with peak color typically arriving in late October to early November.","bestKnownFor":["Richard Russell Scenic Highway","Vogel State Park","Amicalola Falls State Park"],"related":["north-carolina","south-carolina","tennessee","alabama"]},{"slug":"florida","name":"Florida","country":"United States","countryCode":"US","continent":"north-america","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[28.6,-81.8],"mapZoom":5.6,"blurb":"Florida offers only muted color, but bald cypress, sweetgum, and red maple along the Panhandle's river bluffs at Torreya State Park and Blackwater River turn rust and gold in late November into December.","bestKnownFor":["Torreya State Park","Blackwater River State Park","Apalachicola River bluffs"],"related":["georgia","alabama"]},{"slug":"kentucky","name":"Kentucky","country":"United States","countryCode":"US","continent":"north-america","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[37.5,-85.3],"mapZoom":6.2,"blurb":"Sandstone cliffs and arches at Red River Gorge and Cumberland Falls frame sugar maple, sassafras, and oak-hickory color across the Daniel Boone National Forest, typically peaking in mid-to-late October.","bestKnownFor":["Red River Gorge","Cumberland Falls State Resort Park","Daniel Boone National Forest"],"related":["tennessee","virginia","west-virginia","ohio"]},{"slug":"tennessee","name":"Tennessee","country":"United States","countryCode":"US","continent":"north-america","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[35.8,-86.3],"mapZoom":6,"blurb":"Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Cades Cove turn sugar maple, tulip poplar, and sourwood in a slow cascade from ridge to valley, with the higher Smokies peaking in mid-October.","bestKnownFor":["Great Smoky Mountains National Park","Cades Cove","Roan Mountain"],"related":["north-carolina","kentucky","virginia","georgia"]},{"slug":"alabama","name":"Alabama","country":"United States","countryCode":"US","continent":"north-america","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[32.8,-86.6],"mapZoom":6.2,"blurb":"Cheaha State Park and Little River Canyon on Alabama's southern Appalachian foothills turn oak, hickory, and sweetgum by late October, with milder color continuing into November across the rest of the state.","bestKnownFor":["Cheaha State Park","Little River Canyon","Bankhead National Forest"],"related":["georgia","tennessee","mississippi","florida"]},{"slug":"mississippi","name":"Mississippi","country":"United States","countryCode":"US","continent":"north-america","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[32.7,-89.6],"mapZoom":6.2,"blurb":"Foliage is subtle here: sweetgum, hickory, and bald cypress along the Natchez Trace Parkway and Delta bottomlands turn bronze and rust rather than blazing red, with color lingering into late November.","bestKnownFor":["Natchez Trace Parkway","Tishomingo State Park","Mississippi Delta bottomlands"],"related":["alabama","tennessee","louisiana","arkansas"]},{"slug":"ohio","name":"Ohio","country":"United States","countryCode":"US","continent":"north-america","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[40.3,-82.8],"mapZoom":6.3,"blurb":"Sugar maple, oak, beech, and sassafras color the sandstone gorges of Hocking Hills State Park and Mohican State Forest, with much of the state reaching peak color in mid-October.","bestKnownFor":["Hocking Hills State Park","Mohican State Forest","Cuyahoga Valley National Park"],"related":["west-virginia","kentucky","indiana","pennsylvania"]},{"slug":"indiana","name":"Indiana","country":"United States","countryCode":"US","continent":"north-america","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[40,-86.1],"mapZoom":6.3,"blurb":"Brown County State Park and the Hoosier National Forest turn sugar maple, oak-hickory, and sweetgum into a patchwork of red and gold across Indiana's forested hill country by mid-to-late October.","bestKnownFor":["Brown County State Park","Hoosier National Forest","Turkey Run State Park"],"related":["ohio","illinois","kentucky"]},{"slug":"illinois","name":"Illinois","country":"United States","countryCode":"US","continent":"north-america","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[40,-89.2],"mapZoom":5.8,"blurb":"Shawnee National Forest's Garden of the Gods and the bluffs of Starved Rock State Park turn oak-hickory and sugar maple gold, with peak color reaching most of Illinois by mid-to-late October.","bestKnownFor":["Garden of the Gods (Shawnee National Forest)","Starved Rock State Park","Mississippi River bluffs"],"related":["indiana","missouri","iowa","kentucky"]},{"slug":"michigan","name":"Michigan","country":"United States","countryCode":"US","continent":"north-america","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[44.91,-85.52],"mapZoom":5.5,"blurb":"Sugar maples and birches ring the Great Lakes shoreline, with the Tunnel of Trees along M-119 and Upper Peninsula waterfalls framed in color by late September.","bestKnownFor":["Tunnel of Trees (M-119)","Upper Peninsula waterfalls","Sleeping Bear Dunes"],"related":["wisconsin","minnesota","ohio"]},{"slug":"wisconsin","name":"Wisconsin","country":"United States","countryCode":"US","continent":"north-america","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[44.63,-89.99],"mapZoom":6,"blurb":"Northwoods maple and birch forests surround thousands of glacial lakes, with Door County's shoreline bluffs adding a second wave of color along Lake Michigan.","bestKnownFor":["Northwoods lake country","Door County bluffs","Wisconsin River valley"],"related":["michigan","minnesota","ohio"]},{"slug":"minnesota","name":"Minnesota","country":"United States","countryCode":"US","continent":"north-america","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[46.28,-94.55],"mapZoom":5.8,"blurb":"The North Shore's birch and maple hillsides drop straight into Lake Superior, while the Superior Hiking Trail traces some of the Midwest's boldest fall overlooks.","bestKnownFor":["North Shore of Lake Superior","Superior Hiking Trail","Boundary Waters"],"related":["wisconsin","michigan","ontario"]},{"slug":"iowa","name":"Iowa","country":"United States","countryCode":"US","continent":"north-america","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[42,-93.5],"mapZoom":6.2,"blurb":"Bluff-top oak-hickory and sugar maple forests along the Mississippi River at Effigy Mounds National Monument and Yellow River State Forest give northeast Iowa its best color, typically peaking in mid-October.","bestKnownFor":["Effigy Mounds National Monument","Yellow River State Forest","Ledges State Park"],"related":["illinois","missouri","wisconsin","minnesota"]},{"slug":"missouri","name":"Missouri","country":"United States","countryCode":"US","continent":"north-america","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[38.3,-92.5],"mapZoom":5.9,"blurb":"Oak-hickory ridges and sugar maple hollows along the Ozark National Scenic Riverways and Ha Ha Tonka State Park turn color through the Ozark Plateau, generally peaking in mid-to-late October.","bestKnownFor":["Ozark National Scenic Riverways","Ha Ha Tonka State Park","Mark Twain National Forest"],"related":["illinois","iowa","kentucky","arkansas"]},{"slug":"arkansas","name":"Arkansas","country":"United States","countryCode":"US","continent":"north-america","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[34.9,-92.4],"mapZoom":5.7,"blurb":"The Ozark and Ouachita Mountains fill with oak, hickory, and sweetgum color each fall, with sourwood adding early crimson. The Talimena Scenic Drive and Mount Magazine offer sweeping overlooks, typically peaking in late October.","bestKnownFor":["Talimena Scenic Drive","Ozark National Forest","Mount Magazine"],"related":["missouri","tennessee","louisiana","texas"]},{"slug":"louisiana","name":"Louisiana","country":"United States","countryCode":"US","continent":"north-america","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[31.05,-92.02],"mapZoom":5.6,"blurb":"Foliage here is subtle and subtropical: bald cypress in the Atchafalaya Basin turns rust and copper while sweetgum and hickory color the northern hill country. Color lingers later than most states, often into late November.","bestKnownFor":["Atchafalaya Basin cypress swamps","Kisatchie National Forest","Northern hill country hardwoods"],"related":["texas","arkansas","mississippi"]},{"slug":"texas","name":"Texas","country":"United States","countryCode":"US","continent":"north-america","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[31.5,-99.3],"mapZoom":5,"blurb":"Texas foliage varies wildly by region: bigtooth maples blaze red at Lost Maples State Natural Area in the Hill Country, East Texas Piney Woods hardwoods turn gold, and Davis Mountains aspens color the far west, mostly in November.","bestKnownFor":["Lost Maples State Natural Area","East Texas Piney Woods","Davis Mountains"],"related":["new-mexico","oklahoma","louisiana","arkansas"]},{"slug":"oklahoma","name":"Oklahoma","country":"United States","countryCode":"US","continent":"north-america","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[35.5,-98.5],"mapZoom":5.5,"blurb":"Oak-hickory forests in the eastern hills flare red and orange along the Talimena Scenic Drive through the Winding Stair Mountains, with Beavers Bend State Park a favorite base. Peak color typically arrives in late October.","bestKnownFor":["Talimena Scenic Drive","Beavers Bend State Park","Ouachita National Forest"],"related":["kansas","texas","arkansas","missouri"]},{"slug":"kansas","name":"Kansas","country":"United States","countryCode":"US","continent":"north-america","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[38.5,-98.4],"mapZoom":5.4,"blurb":"Mostly prairie, but eastern Kansas oak-hickory woodlands and cottonwoods along the Kansas and Missouri rivers turn gold and bronze, while the Flint Hills bluestem grasslands add a coppery glow across the horizon in mid-to-late October.","bestKnownFor":["Flint Hills prairie color","Cottonwoods along the Kansas River","Eastern Kansas oak-hickory woods"],"related":["nebraska","colorado","oklahoma","missouri"]},{"slug":"nebraska","name":"Nebraska","country":"United States","countryCode":"US","continent":"north-america","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[41.5,-99.9],"mapZoom":5.3,"blurb":"Cottonwoods trace gold ribbons along the Platte and Niobrara rivers, and ponderosa pine mixes with turning aspen and birch in the Pine Ridge near Chadron. Peak color arrives early-to-mid October across the plains and panhandle.","bestKnownFor":["Niobrara River valley","Platte River cottonwoods","Pine Ridge near Chadron"],"related":["south-dakota","wyoming","kansas"]},{"slug":"south-dakota","name":"South Dakota","country":"United States","countryCode":"US","continent":"north-america","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[44.5,-100.3],"mapZoom":5.4,"blurb":"Spearfish Canyon's birch and aspen turn brilliant gold against Black Hills ponderosa pine, while Custer State Park's hardwood draws add color to granite backdrops. Peak typically falls in late September to early October.","bestKnownFor":["Spearfish Canyon","Custer State Park","Black Hills National Forest"],"related":["north-dakota","wyoming","nebraska"]},{"slug":"north-dakota","name":"North Dakota","country":"United States","countryCode":"US","continent":"north-america","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[47.5,-100.3],"mapZoom":5.4,"blurb":"Cottonwoods along the Missouri and Red rivers turn gold, and the Turtle Mountains' aspen and birch color the state's northern hills. Theodore Roosevelt National Park's badlands draws add rust tones by late September.","bestKnownFor":["Theodore Roosevelt National Park","Turtle Mountains","Missouri River bottomlands"],"related":["montana","south-dakota","minnesota"]},{"slug":"montana","name":"Montana","country":"United States","countryCode":"US","continent":"north-america","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[47,-109.5],"mapZoom":5.2,"blurb":"Western larch, a needle-dropping conifer, turns gold across the Rockies each October alongside aspen groves, especially along Glacier National Park's Going-to-the-Sun Road and the Bitterroot Valley. Peak usually falls late September into early October.","bestKnownFor":["Going-to-the-Sun Road","Bitterroot Valley larch","Flathead National Forest"],"related":["idaho","wyoming","north-dakota","south-dakota"]},{"slug":"wyoming","name":"Wyoming","country":"United States","countryCode":"US","continent":"north-america","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[43,-107.5],"mapZoom":5.5,"blurb":"Aspen groves turn gold beneath the jagged Tetons and along the Bighorn and Snowy Range highways, framed by early snow on the peaks. Grand Teton National Park sees peak color in late September to early October.","bestKnownFor":["Grand Teton National Park","Bighorn Mountains","Snowy Range Scenic Byway"],"related":["montana","colorado","idaho","utah"]},{"slug":"idaho","name":"Idaho","country":"United States","countryCode":"US","continent":"north-america","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[44.4,-114.6],"mapZoom":5.3,"blurb":"Western larch and aspen turn gold across the Sawtooth and Panhandle National Forests, with the Ponderosa Pine Scenic Byway and Coeur d'Alene's lake shoreline drawing color-seekers in late September and early October.","bestKnownFor":["Sawtooth National Recreation Area","Ponderosa Pine Scenic Byway","Coeur d'Alene"],"related":["montana","wyoming","washington","oregon"]},{"slug":"colorado","name":"Colorado","country":"United States","countryCode":"US","continent":"north-america","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[39,-105.5],"mapZoom":5.5,"blurb":"Colorado's aspen groves turn the Rockies gold each fall, with Kebler Pass holding the state's largest grove and Maroon Bells and the Million Dollar Highway drawing crowds. Peak color usually arrives late September to early October.","bestKnownFor":["Kebler Pass","Maroon Bells","Million Dollar Highway"],"related":["utah","new-mexico","wyoming"]},{"slug":"utah","name":"Utah","country":"United States","countryCode":"US","continent":"north-america","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[39.3,-111.6],"mapZoom":5.5,"blurb":"Quaking aspen turns the Wasatch and high plateaus gold along the Alpine Loop Scenic Byway, while Fishlake National Forest hosts Pando, the massive aspen clone. Peak color typically falls in late September to early October.","bestKnownFor":["Alpine Loop Scenic Byway","Pando aspen clone","Wasatch Mountains"],"related":["idaho","colorado","arizona","nevada"]},{"slug":"new-mexico","name":"New Mexico","country":"United States","countryCode":"US","continent":"north-america","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[34.4,-106.1],"mapZoom":5.3,"blurb":"Aspen gold blankets the Sangre de Cristo range along the Enchanted Circle near Taos and the Santa Fe Ski Basin, while Rio Grande cottonwoods turn later, lighting up the Bosque into late October and November.","bestKnownFor":["Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway","Santa Fe Ski Basin aspens","Rio Grande Bosque cottonwoods"],"related":["arizona","colorado","texas"]},{"slug":"arizona","name":"Arizona","country":"United States","countryCode":"US","continent":"north-america","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[34.3,-111.7],"mapZoom":5.3,"blurb":"Aspens gild the San Francisco Peaks and White Mountains by late September, while bigtooth maples set Oak Creek Canyon near Sedona ablaze in red and orange through mid-to-late October at lower elevation.","bestKnownFor":["Oak Creek Canyon","San Francisco Peaks","White Mountains (Greer, Sunrise)"],"related":["new-mexico","utah","nevada","california"]},{"slug":"nevada","name":"Nevada","country":"United States","countryCode":"US","continent":"north-america","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[39.3,-117],"mapZoom":5.3,"blurb":"Aspen groves turn gold across the Great Basin's mountain ranges, most famously Lamoille Canyon in the Ruby Mountains and Wheeler Peak in Great Basin National Park. Peak color typically runs late September into mid-October.","bestKnownFor":["Lamoille Canyon","Great Basin National Park","Ruby Mountains"],"related":["california","oregon","idaho","utah"]},{"slug":"california","name":"California","country":"United States","countryCode":"US","continent":"north-america","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[37.2,-119.5],"mapZoom":5,"blurb":"Eastern Sierra aspens turn gold along the June Lake Loop, Bishop Creek Canyon, and Lundy Canyon, often paired with turning black oak in the foothills. Peak color generally arrives in early-to-mid October at elevation.","bestKnownFor":["June Lake Loop","Bishop Creek Canyon","Lundy Canyon"],"related":["oregon","nevada","arizona"]},{"slug":"oregon","name":"Oregon","country":"United States","countryCode":"US","continent":"north-america","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[44,-120.5],"mapZoom":5.4,"blurb":"Bigleaf and vine maple flare red and gold through the Columbia River Gorge by mid-October, while aspen colors eastern Oregon's Wallowas and Steens Mountain a few weeks earlier. Both regions draw dedicated leaf-peeping drives.","bestKnownFor":["Columbia River Gorge","Wallowa Mountains","Steens Mountain"],"related":["washington","idaho","california"]},{"slug":"washington","name":"Washington","country":"United States","countryCode":"US","continent":"north-america","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[47.4,-120.5],"mapZoom":5.5,"blurb":"Western larch turns whole North Cascades slopes gold along Washington Pass and the Methow Valley, while vine maple flares scarlet in lower Cascade foothills. Peak color typically arrives mid-to-late October across the mountains.","bestKnownFor":["Washington Pass (North Cascades Highway)","Methow Valley larch","Vine maple in the Cascade foothills"],"related":["oregon","idaho","british-columbia"]},{"slug":"alaska","name":"Alaska","country":"United States","countryCode":"US","continent":"north-america","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[64,-152],"mapZoom":4,"blurb":"Birch and aspen turn the Interior gold around Denali and Fairbanks with striking speed, often peaking in the first week of September, the earliest color of any US region tracked here.","bestKnownFor":["Denali National Park","Fairbanks birch groves","Chena River valley"],"related":["yukon-interior","british-columbia","washington"]},{"slug":"british-columbia","name":"British Columbia","country":"Canada","countryCode":"CA","continent":"north-america","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[54.77,-125.65],"mapZoom":4.8,"blurb":"Larch turn gold in the alpine bowls of the BC Rockies while big-leaf maple and cottonwood color the coastal valleys, giving the province two distinct fall seasons.","bestKnownFor":["Kootenay Rockies larch basins","Okanagan Valley vineyards","Coastal rainforest maples"],"related":["alberta","washington","yukon-interior"]},{"slug":"alberta","name":"Alberta — Canadian Rockies","country":"Canada","countryCode":"CA","continent":"north-america","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[55,-115],"mapZoom":5,"blurb":"Golden aspen parkland gives way to larch-lit alpine basins in the Canadian Rockies, with Banff and Jasper drawing crowds for peak color each September.","bestKnownFor":["Banff and Lake Louise","Jasper National Park","Larch Valley"],"related":["british-columbia","montana","saskatchewan-manitoba"]},{"slug":"saskatchewan-manitoba","name":"Saskatchewan & Manitoba","country":"Canada","countryCode":"CA","continent":"north-america","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[54.75,-101.75],"mapZoom":4.7,"blurb":"Aspen parkland and boreal forest turn the prairie provinces gold, with Riding Mountain and Prince Albert National Parks anchoring the season's color.","bestKnownFor":["Riding Mountain National Park","Prince Albert National Park","Aspen parkland"],"related":["alberta","ontario","minnesota"]},{"slug":"ontario","name":"Ontario — Algonquin & Muskoka","country":"Canada","countryCode":"CA","continent":"north-america","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[50,-85],"mapZoom":4.5,"blurb":"Algonquin Park's maple-covered ridges are Canada's classic fall postcard, with Muskoka's lake country close behind for canoe-side color.","bestKnownFor":["Algonquin Provincial Park","Muskoka lake country","Niagara Escarpment"],"related":["quebec","new-york","minnesota"]},{"slug":"quebec","name":"Québec — Laurentians & Eastern Townships","country":"Canada","countryCode":"CA","continent":"north-america","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[52,-72],"mapZoom":4.5,"blurb":"The Laurentians and Eastern Townships turn a deep, saturated red thanks to dense sugar maple stands, with Mont-Tremblant a hub for leaf-peeping drives and gondola rides.","bestKnownFor":["Laurentians (Mont-Tremblant)","Eastern Townships wine country","Charlevoix coastal drives"],"related":["ontario","new-brunswick","vermont"]},{"slug":"new-brunswick","name":"New Brunswick","country":"Canada","countryCode":"CA","continent":"north-america","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[46.5,-66.4],"mapZoom":6.8,"blurb":"Sugar maple ridges along the Saint John River and the Bay of Fundy coastline make New Brunswick one of Atlantic Canada's earliest and most reliable color shows.","bestKnownFor":["Saint John River Valley","Fundy National Park","Mount Carleton"],"related":["nova-scotia","quebec","maine"]},{"slug":"nova-scotia","name":"Nova Scotia — Cape Breton","country":"Canada","countryCode":"CA","continent":"north-america","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[45.1,-63.1],"mapZoom":6.8,"blurb":"The Cabot Trail winds through Cape Breton Highlands' maple and birch forests above the Atlantic, one of Canada's most scenic fall drives.","bestKnownFor":["Cabot Trail","Cape Breton Highlands","Annapolis Valley"],"related":["new-brunswick","newfoundland","quebec"]},{"slug":"newfoundland","name":"Newfoundland","country":"Canada","countryCode":"CA","continent":"north-america","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[48.71,-56.3],"mapZoom":6,"blurb":"Newfoundland's boreal forest turns gold against fjord walls and sea cliffs, with Gros Morne's tablelands offering some of Atlantic Canada's starkest fall scenery.","bestKnownFor":["Gros Morne National Park","Western fjords","Terra Nova and central boreal forest"],"related":["nova-scotia","new-brunswick","quebec"]},{"slug":"yukon-interior","name":"Yukon — Kluane & Interior","country":"Canada","countryCode":"CA","continent":"north-america","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[61,-136.5],"mapZoom":5.3,"blurb":"Willow and aspen along the Alaska Highway turn gold beneath Kluane's icefields, with color arriving in the Yukon's short, sharp subarctic autumn by early September.","bestKnownFor":["Kluane National Park","Alaska Highway corridor","Whitehorse and the Yukon River valley"],"related":["alaska","british-columbia","montana"]},{"slug":"united-kingdom","name":"United Kingdom","country":"United Kingdom","countryCode":"GB","continent":"europe","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[52.3,-1.5],"mapZoom":5.2,"blurb":"Britain's beech and oak woodlands turn gold-bronze from mid-October, with the Lake District's fells, the Scottish Highlands' birch and rowan, and the New Forest's ancient oaks each offering a distinct autumn character.","bestKnownFor":["Lake District fells","Scottish Highlands birch woods","New Forest ancient oaks"],"related":["ireland","france","netherlands","belgium"]},{"slug":"ireland","name":"Ireland","country":"Ireland","countryCode":"IE","continent":"europe","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[53.3,-8],"mapZoom":6.2,"blurb":"Ireland's oak and ash woodlands color gently rather than blaze, with Killarney National Park's ancient oakwoods and the Wicklow Mountains' forests turning bronze through October under the island's mild, damp climate.","bestKnownFor":["Killarney National Park oakwoods","Wicklow Mountains forests","Glenveagh National Park"],"related":["united-kingdom","france"]},{"slug":"iceland","name":"Iceland","country":"Iceland","countryCode":"IS","continent":"europe","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[64.9,-19],"mapZoom":6,"blurb":"Iceland has little native forest, but its downy birch scrub and planted rowan turn gold in Þórsmörk and Skaftafell by mid-September, a short, crisp prelude to the country's long winter.","bestKnownFor":["Þórsmörk birch valley","Skaftafell, Vatnajökull National Park","Hallormsstaður forest"],"related":["norway","united-kingdom","ireland"]},{"slug":"norway","name":"Norway","country":"Norway","countryCode":"NO","continent":"europe","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[60.5,8.5],"mapZoom":4.8,"blurb":"Norway's birch and aspen forests blaze yellow across fjord valleys and mountainsides during September's 'løvfall,' with Jotunheimen and Rondane national parks and the Telemark valleys drawing leaf-peepers before the first snow.","bestKnownFor":["Jotunheimen National Park birch slopes","Rondane National Park","Telemark valley drives"],"related":["sweden","finland","denmark"]},{"slug":"sweden","name":"Sweden","country":"Sweden","countryCode":"SE","continent":"europe","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[59.5,15],"mapZoom":4.9,"blurb":"Sweden's birch, aspen and rowan forests turn gold across Dalarna and the Sörmland lake country each September, while mountain birch above the Arctic Circle in Lapland offers an even earlier, fiery display.","bestKnownFor":["Dalarna birch forests","Sarek National Park","Tiveden National Park"],"related":["norway","finland","denmark"]},{"slug":"finland","name":"Finland","country":"Finland","countryCode":"FI","continent":"europe","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[62.5,26],"mapZoom":5.1,"blurb":"Finland's 'ruska' turns birch, aspen and rowan gold and crimson across the Lakeland region and Lapland, starting in the north in early September and sweeping south through the month, with Koli National Park a classic viewpoint.","bestKnownFor":["Koli National Park","Lapland ruska in Urho Kekkonen park","Finnish Lakeland forests"],"related":["sweden","norway","estonia"]},{"slug":"denmark","name":"Denmark","country":"Denmark","countryCode":"DK","continent":"europe","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[56,9.5],"mapZoom":6.5,"blurb":"Denmark's beech forests, the country's national tree, turn a deep copper-gold each October, with Rold Skov in Jutland and Gribskov near Copenhagen ranking among the best-known beechwoods for a walk under turning leaves.","bestKnownFor":["Rold Skov beech forest","Gribskov near Copenhagen","Mols Bjerge National Park"],"related":["germany","sweden","norway"]},{"slug":"estonia","name":"Estonia","country":"Estonia","countryCode":"EE","continent":"europe","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[58.7,25.5],"mapZoom":6.5,"blurb":"Estonia's birch, aspen and pine forests turn gold across Lahemaa National Park and the bogs of Soomaa in late September, a quiet, marshland-flavored version of the Baltic ruska with peak color into early October.","bestKnownFor":["Lahemaa National Park","Soomaa National Park bogs","Otepää Nature Park"],"related":["latvia","lithuania","finland"]},{"slug":"latvia","name":"Latvia","country":"Latvia","countryCode":"LV","continent":"europe","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[56.8,25.5],"mapZoom":6.5,"blurb":"Latvia's birch, aspen and oak forests color gradually through the Gauja National Park river valley and the Vidzeme highlands, with peak color arriving in early-to-mid October across the country's gentle, forested terrain.","bestKnownFor":["Gauja National Park","Vidzeme Upland forests","Ķemeri National Park bogs"],"related":["estonia","lithuania"]},{"slug":"lithuania","name":"Lithuania","country":"Lithuania","countryCode":"LT","continent":"europe","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[55.3,23.9],"mapZoom":6.5,"blurb":"Lithuania's pine and birch forests around the Aukštaitija lake district and the Curonian Spit's dunes turn gold in early-to-mid October, pairing the Baltic's classic autumn woodland with striking coastal pine scenery.","bestKnownFor":["Aukštaitija National Park lakes","Curonian Spit dunes and pines","Dzūkija National Park pine forest"],"related":["latvia","poland"]},{"slug":"poland","name":"Poland","country":"Poland","countryCode":"PL","continent":"europe","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[52,19.5],"mapZoom":5.3,"blurb":"Poland's beech and oak forests turn russet through the ancient Białowieża Forest and the Bieszczady and Tatra mountains in the south, with peak color arriving mid-to-late October across most of the country.","bestKnownFor":["Białowieża Forest","Tatra Mountains","Bieszczady National Park"],"related":["germany","czechia","slovakia","lithuania"]},{"slug":"germany","name":"Germany","country":"Germany","countryCode":"DE","continent":"europe","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[50.8,9.5],"mapZoom":5.3,"blurb":"Germany's beech woods turn from gold to copper across the Black Forest, Bavarian Alps and Harz Mountains, with peak color in mid-to-late October along classic drives through the Baden-Württemberg and Bavarian foothills.","bestKnownFor":["Black Forest","Bavarian Alps","Harz Mountains"],"related":["france","switzerland","austria","czechia"]},{"slug":"netherlands","name":"Netherlands","country":"Netherlands","countryCode":"NL","continent":"europe","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[52.1,5.6],"mapZoom":6.6,"blurb":"The Netherlands' beech and oak woodlands, concentrated on the Veluwe's sandy ridges and Amsterdamse Bos, turn gold through late October, a modest but reliable show of color in a mostly flat, low-lying country.","bestKnownFor":["Veluwe forest and heath","Amsterdamse Bos","Kroondomein Het Loo"],"related":["belgium","germany","luxembourg"]},{"slug":"belgium","name":"Belgium","country":"Belgium","countryCode":"BE","continent":"europe","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[50.6,5],"mapZoom":6.7,"blurb":"Belgium's Ardennes beech and oak forests turn deep bronze by mid-October, with the Hautes Fagnes plateau and the wooded Semois Valley around Bouillon and La Roche among the country's best autumn drives.","bestKnownFor":["Ardennes forest","Hautes Fagnes plateau","Semois Valley near Bouillon"],"related":["netherlands","luxembourg","france","germany"]},{"slug":"luxembourg","name":"Luxembourg","country":"Luxembourg","countryCode":"LU","continent":"europe","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[49.75,6.1],"mapZoom":7.2,"blurb":"Luxembourg's Ardennes and Müllerthal beech and oak forests color through mid-October, with the Sûre and Our river valleys' wooded gorges near Vianden among the Grand Duchy's classic small-scale foliage drives.","bestKnownFor":["Müllerthal Trail forests","Sûre River valley","Ardennes woodlands near Vianden"],"related":["belgium","germany","france"]},{"slug":"france","name":"France","country":"France","countryCode":"FR","continent":"europe","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[46.5,2.5],"mapZoom":5,"blurb":"France's beech and chestnut forests turn gold through the Vosges, the Alsace wine road and the Dordogne's oak valleys, while larches glow amber above the treeline in the Alps and Pyrenees, peaking mid-to-late October.","bestKnownFor":["Vosges Mountains beech forests","Alsace Wine Route","Dordogne Valley oak woods"],"related":["germany","switzerland","spain","belgium"]},{"slug":"switzerland","name":"Switzerland","country":"Switzerland","countryCode":"CH","continent":"europe","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[46.8,8.2],"mapZoom":6.4,"blurb":"Switzerland's beech forests turn gold across the Jura and Emmental hills while larches above the treeline glow amber through October, with the Engadine valley's larch stands near St. Moritz a signature late-season display.","bestKnownFor":["Engadine Valley larches","Jura Mountains beech forest","Lauterbrunnen Valley"],"related":["france","germany","austria","italy"]},{"slug":"austria","name":"Austria","country":"Austria","countryCode":"AT","continent":"europe","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[47.5,14],"mapZoom":6,"blurb":"Austria's beech forests color the Vienna Woods and Salzkammergut lake country gold-bronze, while larch stands blaze amber in the Tyrolean Alps around Innsbruck, with peak color running mid-October into November at altitude.","bestKnownFor":["Vienna Woods","Salzkammergut lake district","Tyrolean Alps larch forests"],"related":["germany","switzerland","italy","slovenia"]},{"slug":"czechia","name":"Czechia","country":"Czechia","countryCode":"CZ","continent":"europe","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[49.8,15.5],"mapZoom":6.1,"blurb":"Czechia's beech forests turn copper through the Bohemian Forest and Šumava National Park, with the sandstone gorges of Bohemian Switzerland offering a dramatic backdrop for peak color in mid-to-late October.","bestKnownFor":["Šumava National Park","Bohemian Switzerland sandstone forests","Krkonoše Mountains"],"related":["germany","austria","poland","slovakia"]},{"slug":"slovakia","name":"Slovakia","country":"Slovakia","countryCode":"SK","continent":"europe","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[48.8,19.5],"mapZoom":6.2,"blurb":"Slovakia's beech forests, among Europe's largest remaining old-growth stands, turn gold across the Tatra foothills and the sandstone canyons of Slovak Paradise National Park, with peak color arriving mid-to-late October.","bestKnownFor":["Slovak Paradise National Park","Tatra Mountains beech forests","Vihorlat Protected Landscape Area"],"related":["czechia","poland","hungary","austria"]},{"slug":"hungary","name":"Hungary","country":"Hungary","countryCode":"HU","continent":"europe","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[47,19.5],"mapZoom":6,"blurb":"Hungary's oak and beech forests turn gold-bronze across the Bükk and Mátra hills north of Budapest, with the wooded slopes of the Danube Bend a classic autumn drive peaking in mid-to-late October.","bestKnownFor":["Bükk National Park","Mátra Hills","Danube Bend forests"],"related":["austria","slovakia","romania","croatia"]},{"slug":"slovenia","name":"Slovenia","country":"Slovenia","countryCode":"SI","continent":"europe","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[46.1,14.8],"mapZoom":6.8,"blurb":"Slovenia's beech forests, among Europe's most pristine, turn deep bronze across the Julian Alps and the Pohorje hills, with Lake Bled's mixed larch and beechwoods offering a signature mid-October scene.","bestKnownFor":["Lake Bled and the Julian Alps","Pohorje Hills beech forest","Triglav National Park"],"related":["austria","italy","croatia","hungary"]},{"slug":"croatia","name":"Croatia","country":"Croatia","countryCode":"HR","continent":"europe","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[45.3,16],"mapZoom":6,"blurb":"Croatia's beech and oak forests turn gold through the karst hills of Gorski Kotar and Plitvice Lakes National Park, where turning canopy reflects in the park's terraced waterfalls by mid-October.","bestKnownFor":["Plitvice Lakes National Park","Gorski Kotar beech forests","Medvednica near Zagreb"],"related":["slovenia","bosnia-herzegovina","serbia","hungary"]},{"slug":"bosnia-herzegovina","name":"Bosnia & Herzegovina","country":"Bosnia & Herzegovina","countryCode":"BA","continent":"europe","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[44.2,17.8],"mapZoom":6.2,"blurb":"Bosnia and Herzegovina's beech and pine forests color the Dinaric Alps, with Sutjeska National Park's old-growth Perućica forest, one of Europe's last primeval woodlands, turning gold by mid-October.","bestKnownFor":["Sutjeska National Park and Perućica old-growth forest","Bjelašnica and Igman mountains","Una National Park"],"related":["croatia","serbia","montenegro"]},{"slug":"serbia","name":"Serbia","country":"Serbia","countryCode":"RS","continent":"europe","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[44,20.9],"mapZoom":6.1,"blurb":"Serbia's beech and oak forests turn bronze across the Tara and Zlatibor mountains in the west, with Tara National Park's canyon overlooks above the Drina River a favorite mid-October viewpoint.","bestKnownFor":["Tara National Park","Zlatibor highlands","Fruška Gora hills"],"related":["hungary","croatia","bosnia-herzegovina","bulgaria"]},{"slug":"montenegro","name":"Montenegro","country":"Montenegro","countryCode":"ME","continent":"europe","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[42.8,19.3],"mapZoom":6.9,"blurb":"Montenegro's beech forests climb steeply from the Bay of Kotor into the Dinaric Alps, with Biogradska Gora's old-growth reserve and Durmitor National Park's glacial canyons turning gold by mid-October.","bestKnownFor":["Biogradska Gora old-growth forest","Durmitor National Park","Tara River Canyon"],"related":["bosnia-herzegovina","serbia","albania","croatia"]},{"slug":"north-macedonia","name":"North Macedonia","country":"North Macedonia","countryCode":"MK","continent":"europe","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[41.6,21.7],"mapZoom":6.8,"blurb":"North Macedonia's beech and oak forests turn gold across the mountains ringing Lake Ohrid and Mavrovo National Park, with peak color arriving mid-to-late October at the country's higher elevations.","bestKnownFor":["Mavrovo National Park","Lake Ohrid mountain slopes","Galičica National Park"],"related":["albania","serbia","bulgaria","greece"]},{"slug":"albania","name":"Albania","country":"Albania","countryCode":"AL","continent":"europe","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[41,20],"mapZoom":6.7,"blurb":"Albania's beech forests color the Accursed Mountains and the Valbona and Theth valleys in the north, with peak color in mid-October drawing hikers to the increasingly popular Peaks of the Balkans trail.","bestKnownFor":["Valbona Valley National Park","Theth National Park","Accursed Mountains"],"related":["montenegro","north-macedonia","greece"]},{"slug":"greece","name":"Greece","country":"Greece","countryCode":"GR","continent":"europe","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[39.6,21.6],"mapZoom":5.9,"blurb":"Greece's foliage is easy to overlook beside its coastline, but beech and black pine forests turn gold through the Pindus Mountains, with the Vikos Gorge and Zagori villages of Epirus offering the country's best mountain color in late October.","bestKnownFor":["Vikos Gorge and Zagori villages","Pindus Mountains","Mount Olympus foothills"],"related":["albania","north-macedonia","bulgaria"]},{"slug":"bulgaria","name":"Bulgaria","country":"Bulgaria","countryCode":"BG","continent":"europe","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[42.7,25.3],"mapZoom":5.9,"blurb":"Bulgaria's beech forests turn copper across the Rila and Rhodope mountains, with the forested valley around Rila Monastery and the Balkan range's Central Balkan National Park offering the best mid-to-late October viewing.","bestKnownFor":["Rila Monastery forests","Rhodope Mountains","Central Balkan National Park"],"related":["romania","serbia","greece","north-macedonia"]},{"slug":"romania","name":"Romania","country":"Romania","countryCode":"RO","continent":"europe","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[46,25],"mapZoom":5.4,"blurb":"Romania's vast beech forests, among the largest old-growth stands left in Europe, blaze gold through the Carpathians, with the Transfăgărășan highway and Retezat National Park offering the country's classic autumn drives in October.","bestKnownFor":["Transfăgărășan highway","Retezat National Park old-growth beech","Bucegi Mountains"],"related":["hungary","bulgaria"]},{"slug":"spain","name":"Spain","country":"Spain","countryCode":"ES","continent":"europe","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[40.4,-3.7],"mapZoom":5,"blurb":"Spain's foliage concentrates in its northern mountains, where beech forests blaze copper through the Pyrenees' Ordesa valley and the Basque Country's Selva de Irati, one of Europe's largest beech-fir forests, peaking in late October.","bestKnownFor":["Selva de Irati beech-fir forest","Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park","Sierra de Gredos chestnut groves"],"related":["portugal","france"]},{"slug":"portugal","name":"Portugal","country":"Portugal","countryCode":"PT","continent":"europe","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[39.6,-8],"mapZoom":6,"blurb":"Portugal's foliage is subtle outside its chestnut groves and vineyard country, with the Serra da Estrela's beech and oak slopes and the Douro Valley's terraced vines turning gold-red through late October and into November.","bestKnownFor":["Douro Valley vineyard terraces","Serra da Estrela","Peneda-Gerês National Park chestnut groves"],"related":["spain","france"]},{"slug":"italy","name":"Italy","country":"Italy","countryCode":"IT","continent":"europe","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[43,12.5],"mapZoom":5,"blurb":"Italy's beech and chestnut forests turn gold through the Apennines' Casentino Forest while larches in the Dolomites blaze amber each October, with Tuscany's chestnut woods and vineyard hillsides adding a warmer southern show.","bestKnownFor":["Casentino Forest National Park","Dolomites larch forests","Tuscan chestnut woods and vineyards"],"related":["switzerland","austria","slovenia","france"]},{"slug":"pontic-mountains","name":"Pontic Mountains — Northern Turkey","country":"Turkey","countryCode":"TR","continent":"asia","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[40.9,37],"mapZoom":6,"blurb":"Turkey's Black Sea range turns beech, oak and chestnut forests from the Kaçkar peaks down to the coast, one of the last major stands of Colchic mixed forest.","bestKnownFor":["Kaçkar Mountains beech forests","Yedigöller (Seven Lakes) park","Black Sea coastal chestnut groves"],"related":["georgia-caucasus"]},{"slug":"georgia-caucasus","name":"Georgia — Greater Caucasus","country":"Georgia","countryCode":"GE","continent":"asia","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[42.1,43.5],"mapZoom":6.7,"blurb":"The Greater Caucasus rises straight from Georgia's valleys, turning Svaneti's birch and beech forests gold beneath still-snowy peaks while Kakheti's vineyards color the lowlands.","bestKnownFor":["Svaneti highland forests","Kazbegi valley color","Kakheti vineyard harvest"],"related":["armenia","pontic-mountains"]},{"slug":"armenia","name":"Armenia — Dilijan & Lesser Caucasus","country":"Armenia","countryCode":"AM","continent":"asia","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[40.3,45],"mapZoom":7.2,"blurb":"Armenia's Lesser Caucasus forests peak around Dilijan and Lake Sevan, where oak, maple and hornbeam woodland turns against a backdrop of volcanic highland grassland.","bestKnownFor":["Dilijan forest reserves","Lake Sevan shoreline color","Tatev monastery gorge woodlands"],"related":["georgia-caucasus","pontic-mountains"]},{"slug":"beijing-hills","name":"Beijing Hills — Fragrant Hills","country":"China","countryCode":"CN","continent":"asia","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[40.2,116.5],"mapZoom":7.8,"blurb":"The hills ringing Beijing turn crimson each autumn, from Fragrant Hills' smoke trees inside the city to the maple-lined ramparts of the Great Wall at Mutianyu.","bestKnownFor":["Fragrant Hills (Xiangshan) smoke trees","Mutianyu Great Wall maples","Wuling Mountains color"],"related":["south-korea"]},{"slug":"jiuzhaigou-sichuan","name":"Jiuzhaigou & Western Sichuan","country":"China","countryCode":"CN","continent":"asia","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[30.8,102],"mapZoom":6.3,"blurb":"Turquoise lakes and larch-covered peaks across western Sichuan turn gold each October, from Jiuzhaigou's terraced pools to Daocheng Yading's sacred snow mountains.","bestKnownFor":["Jiuzhaigou lake terraces","Daocheng Yading larch slopes","Siguniang Mountain valleys"],"related":["shangri-la-yunnan"]},{"slug":"shangri-la-yunnan","name":"Shangri-La — Northwest Yunnan","country":"China","countryCode":"CN","continent":"asia","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[28,99.2],"mapZoom":7.3,"blurb":"High-altitude Tibetan forests and the deep Mekong gorges around Shangri-La turn color beneath Meili Snow Mountain, blending alpine larch with subtropical valley woodland.","bestKnownFor":["Meili Snow Mountain gorge color","Shangri-La highland forests","Upper Mekong valley woodland"],"related":["jiuzhaigou-sichuan","nepal-himalaya"]},{"slug":"south-korea","name":"South Korea","country":"South Korea","countryCode":"KR","continent":"asia","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[36.3,127.8],"mapZoom":6.8,"blurb":"Maple and ginkgo set Korea's granite mountains ablaze each October, with Seoraksan traditionally first to turn before color sweeps south to Naejangsan and Jeju.","bestKnownFor":["Seoraksan National Park","Naejangsan maple valleys","Seoul ginkgo-lined streets"],"related":["kyushu-west-japan","beijing-hills"]},{"slug":"hokkaido","name":"Hokkaidō","country":"Japan","countryCode":"JP","continent":"asia","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[43.3,142.8],"mapZoom":6.5,"blurb":"Japan's northernmost island turns first each year, with Daisetsuzan's high peaks catching color in early September and koyo sweeping south through Niseko and Shiretoko by October.","bestKnownFor":["Daisetsuzan first-in-Japan color","Niseko mountain forests","Shiretoko Peninsula"],"related":["tohoku","japanese-alps"]},{"slug":"tohoku","name":"Tōhoku — Northern Honshū","country":"Japan","countryCode":"JP","continent":"asia","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[39.2,140.5],"mapZoom":6.3,"blurb":"Northern Honshu's gorges and volcanic highlands turn deep red through October, led by Oirase Gorge's mossy streams and Lake Towada before color reaches Zao's frost-dusted peaks.","bestKnownFor":["Oirase Gorge stream maples","Lake Towada shoreline","Naruko Gorge canyon color"],"related":["hokkaido","japanese-alps","kansai"]},{"slug":"japanese-alps","name":"Japanese Alps — Chūbu","country":"Japan","countryCode":"JP","continent":"asia","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[36.2,138.2],"mapZoom":6.7,"blurb":"Central Honshu's high peaks lead Japan's main-island color, from Kamikochi's valley larch and the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route down to Nikko's shrines and the Fuji Five Lakes.","bestKnownFor":["Kamikochi valley color","Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route","Nikko shrine maples","Fuji Five Lakes"],"related":["tohoku","kansai","hokkaido"]},{"slug":"kansai","name":"Kansai — Kyōto & Nara","country":"Japan","countryCode":"JP","continent":"asia","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[34.8,135.6],"mapZoom":7,"blurb":"Kyoto's temple gardens turn in a famously precise sequence each November, while Koyasan's cedar-maple mix and the Lake Biwa shoreline extend the region's color for weeks.","bestKnownFor":["Kyoto temple maples","Koyo front forecasts","Koyasan cedar-maple forests","Nara Park color"],"related":["japanese-alps","kyushu-west-japan","tohoku"]},{"slug":"kyushu-west-japan","name":"Kyūshū & Western Japan","country":"Japan","countryCode":"JP","continent":"asia","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[32.5,132],"mapZoom":6.2,"blurb":"Western Japan's volcanic peaks and river valleys turn color latest in the archipelago, from Kirishima and Aso's crater slopes to Miyajima's Momijidani valley and Shikoku's Iya Gorge.","bestKnownFor":["Momijidani maple valley (Miyajima)","Aso and Kirishima volcanic slopes","Iya Valley vine bridges"],"related":["kansai","south-korea","japanese-alps"]},{"slug":"himachal-uttarakhand","name":"Himachal & Uttarakhand","country":"India","countryCode":"IN","continent":"asia","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[31,78.5],"mapZoom":6.8,"blurb":"Deodar forests and alpine meadows across Himachal and Uttarakhand turn color as apple orchards ripen, from Manali and Shimla's hill-station forests to the Valley of Flowers.","bestKnownFor":["Manali deodar forests","Valley of Flowers","Shimla and Nainital hill stations"],"related":["nepal-himalaya","jiuzhaigou-sichuan"]},{"slug":"nepal-himalaya","name":"Nepal Himalaya","country":"Nepal","countryCode":"NP","continent":"asia","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[28.3,84],"mapZoom":6.5,"blurb":"Rhododendron and oak forests color Nepal's middle hills each autumn beneath the world's highest peaks, with clear post-monsoon skies making October prime season for trekking and color.","bestKnownFor":["Annapurna Circuit forests","Langtang Valley color","Everest region rhododendron-oak belt"],"related":["himachal-uttarakhand","bhutan"]},{"slug":"bhutan","name":"Bhutan","country":"Bhutan","countryCode":"BT","continent":"asia","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[27.5,90.4],"mapZoom":7.5,"blurb":"Blue pine and rhododendron forests turn across Bhutan's steep valleys each autumn, with clear skies revealing Himalayan peaks above dzongs and maple-lined river gorges.","bestKnownFor":["Paro Valley forests","Punakha maple and rice-terrace color","Blue pine highland forest"],"related":["nepal-himalaya","himachal-uttarakhand"]},{"slug":"central-otago","name":"Central Otago & Queenstown","country":"New Zealand","countryCode":"NZ","continent":"oceania","hemisphere":"south","centroid":[-44.92,168.99],"mapZoom":7.3,"blurb":"Golden poplars and willows planted by 19th-century gold miners line the Arrow and Shotover rivers, turning Arrowtown and Queenstown gold through April into May.","bestKnownFor":["Arrowtown cottonwood and poplar gold","Gibbston Valley vineyard color","Lake Wanaka willow reflections"],"related":["canterbury-mackenzie","bariloche-lakes"]},{"slug":"canterbury-mackenzie","name":"Canterbury & Mackenzie Country","country":"New Zealand","countryCode":"NZ","continent":"oceania","hemisphere":"south","centroid":[-43.89,171.36],"mapZoom":5.8,"blurb":"Poplar and willow shelterbelts across the Canterbury Plains and Mackenzie Basin turn gold in April, framing braided rivers under Aoraki/Mount Cook's crisp high-country light.","bestKnownFor":["Poplar shelterbelts on the Plains","Lake Tekapo autumn light","Aoraki/Mount Cook backdrop"],"related":["central-otago","chilean-lakes"]},{"slug":"tasmania-highlands","name":"Tasmania — Central Highlands","country":"Australia","countryCode":"AU","continent":"oceania","hemisphere":"south","centroid":[-42,146.4],"mapZoom":7,"blurb":"Australia's only winter-deciduous native tree, the fagus (Nothofagus gunnii), turns fiery orange across the Central Plateau's alpine tarns in late April, a brief and closely watched event.","bestKnownFor":["Fagus 'turning of the fagus'","Cradle Mountain alpine tarns","Lake St Clair reflections"],"related":["tasmania-south","victoria-high-country","el-chalten-santa-cruz"]},{"slug":"tasmania-south","name":"Southern Tasmania","country":"Australia","countryCode":"AU","continent":"oceania","hemisphere":"south","centroid":[-42.95,147.14],"mapZoom":7.2,"blurb":"Nineteenth-century oaks, elms and chestnuts planted around Hobart and the Huon Valley color through April and May, colonial gardens turning alongside the apple orchards.","bestKnownFor":["Hobart's heritage street trees","Huon Valley apple orchards","Derwent Valley oaks"],"related":["tasmania-highlands","victoria-high-country","adelaide-hills"]},{"slug":"victoria-high-country","name":"Victoria High Country","country":"Australia","countryCode":"AU","continent":"oceania","hemisphere":"south","centroid":[-36.95,145.7],"mapZoom":5.7,"blurb":"Poplars and elms along the Ovens Valley around Bright turn gold and crimson through April, while the Dandenongs and Macedon Ranges give Melbourne a cooler-climate autumn close to home.","bestKnownFor":["Bright's Ovens Valley poplars","Mount Buffalo alpine color","Dandenong Ranges cool-climate gardens"],"related":["tasmania-highlands","canberra-act","blue-mountains-nsw"]},{"slug":"blue-mountains-nsw","name":"Blue Mountains — NSW","country":"Australia","countryCode":"AU","continent":"oceania","hemisphere":"south","centroid":[-33.76,150.06],"mapZoom":5.8,"blurb":"Cool-climate exotics planted around Mount Wilson, Blackheath and the Southern Highlands blaze through April and May, a deliberate echo of European autumn west of Sydney.","bestKnownFor":["Mount Wilson's cool-climate gardens","Blackheath deciduous streets","Southern Highlands (Bowral) color"],"related":["canberra-act","victoria-high-country","adelaide-hills"]},{"slug":"canberra-act","name":"Canberra & the ACT","country":"Australia","countryCode":"AU","continent":"oceania","hemisphere":"south","centroid":[-35.59,149.1],"mapZoom":6.8,"blurb":"Canberra's planned avenues of oak, ash and elm, planted for the display, turn through April into May, with the Brindabella foothills coloring toward the Snowy Mountains.","bestKnownFor":["Canberra's planted avenue trees","Lake Burley Griffin reflections","Brindabella foothill color"],"related":["blue-mountains-nsw","victoria-high-country"]},{"slug":"adelaide-hills","name":"Adelaide Hills","country":"Australia","countryCode":"AU","continent":"oceania","hemisphere":"south","centroid":[-34.57,138.67],"mapZoom":6.3,"blurb":"Vineyards and orchards through the Adelaide Hills and Clare Valley turn amber in April and May, cool-climate color set among stone wineries and gum-covered ridgelines.","bestKnownFor":["Mount Lofty Botanic Garden color","Hahndorf's heritage trees","Clare Valley vineyard gold"],"related":["victoria-high-country","tasmania-south"]},{"slug":"chilean-lakes","name":"Chilean Lake District","country":"Chile","countryCode":"CL","continent":"south-america","hemisphere":"south","centroid":[-40.05,-72.49],"mapZoom":6.2,"blurb":"Southern beech forests around Villarrica, Osorno and the lake district volcanoes turn copper and gold from April, autumn light settling over Puerto Varas's lakeside gardens.","bestKnownFor":["Villarrica volcano and lenga forest","Puerto Varas lakeside color","Osorno's German-settler orchards"],"related":["aysen-patagonia","bariloche-lakes","torres-del-paine"]},{"slug":"aysen-patagonia","name":"Aysén — Northern Patagonia","country":"Chile","countryCode":"CL","continent":"south-america","hemisphere":"south","centroid":[-45.29,-72.41],"mapZoom":5.8,"blurb":"Lenga and ñirre forests along the Carretera Austral flare red and orange through April and May, autumn color threading between glacier-fed rivers and the peaks near Cerro Castillo.","bestKnownFor":["Carretera Austral lenga corridor","Cerro Castillo red forests","Lake General Carrera backdrop"],"related":["chilean-lakes","torres-del-paine","el-chalten-santa-cruz"]},{"slug":"torres-del-paine","name":"Torres del Paine & Magallanes","country":"Chile","countryCode":"CL","continent":"south-america","hemisphere":"south","centroid":[-52.01,-72.11],"mapZoom":5.9,"blurb":"Lenga forests below the Paine massif and around Puerto Natales turn deep red through April, the peaks holding fresh snow above burning valley floors.","bestKnownFor":["Paine massif lenga valleys","Puerto Natales autumn light","Magallanes steppe-forest edge"],"related":["aysen-patagonia","tierra-del-fuego","el-chalten-santa-cruz"]},{"slug":"bariloche-lakes","name":"Bariloche & the Argentine Lakes","country":"Argentina","countryCode":"AR","continent":"south-america","hemisphere":"south","centroid":[-40.92,-71.37],"mapZoom":6.5,"blurb":"Lenga and coihue forests ring Nahuel Huapi and the Seven Lakes Route in red and gold from April, with Bariloche's chocolate shops and lake steamers marking the shoulder season.","bestKnownFor":["Seven Lakes Route color","Nahuel Huapi coihue forests","Villa La Angostura arrayán groves"],"related":["chilean-lakes","el-chalten-santa-cruz","mendoza"]},{"slug":"mendoza","name":"Mendoza — Vineyards & Andes","country":"Argentina","countryCode":"AR","continent":"south-america","hemisphere":"south","centroid":[-33.17,-68.65],"mapZoom":6.7,"blurb":"Vineyard rows in Maipú and the Uco Valley turn gold and rust in April and May as harvest ends, poplar windbreaks along the Andes foothills coloring in step with the malbec leaves.","bestKnownFor":["Uco Valley vineyard gold","Maipú poplar windbreaks","Andes foothill harvest color"],"related":["bariloche-lakes","chilean-lakes"]},{"slug":"el-chalten-santa-cruz","name":"El Chaltén & Santa Cruz","country":"Argentina","countryCode":"AR","continent":"south-america","hemisphere":"south","centroid":[-49.47,-72.15],"mapZoom":6,"blurb":"Lenga forests below Fitz Roy and around Los Glaciares turn deep red through April, a brief window of color between summer trekking crowds and Patagonian winter.","bestKnownFor":["Fitz Roy lenga forests","Los Glaciares red valleys","El Calafate steppe-to-forest transition"],"related":["torres-del-paine","bariloche-lakes","tierra-del-fuego"]},{"slug":"tierra-del-fuego","name":"Tierra del Fuego","country":"Argentina & Chile","countryCode":"AR","continent":"south-america","hemisphere":"south","centroid":[-54.13,-69.11],"mapZoom":6.5,"blurb":"The world's southernmost autumn forests, lenga and ñirre around Ushuaia, blaze red and gold through April, often against fresh snow on the Fuegian Andes.","bestKnownFor":["Tierra del Fuego National Park lenga","Ushuaia's southernmost autumn","Lago Fagnano forest color"],"related":["torres-del-paine","el-chalten-santa-cruz"]},{"slug":"azerbaijan-hyrcanian","name":"Talysh — Azerbaijan Hyrcanian","country":"Azerbaijan","countryCode":"AZ","continent":"asia","hemisphere":"north","centroid":[38.7,48.5],"mapZoom":7.3,"blurb":"Relict Hyrcanian broadleaf forest hugging the Caspian shore — chestnut-leaved oak, Persian ironwood, and hornbeam — smolders amber and rust through November across Hirkan National Park and the Talysh Mountains near Lankaran.","bestKnownFor":["Hirkan National Park","Persian ironwood (Parrotia)","Talysh Mountains relict forest"],"related":["georgia-caucasus","armenia"]}]