My Favorite Fall Foliage Locations Outside of Washington DC
in my last blog I listed my favorite Fall Foliage locations in Washington DC. In this post I am going to list my favorite locations outside of Washington. I am still exploring new locations so these are my favorites so far
“An early morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.
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1. Great Falls Parks (Maryland Side): From DC it takes about 30 minutes to reach. But the drive down the Canal Road is very picturesque. It is definitely worth getting a National Park Pass since entry costs $20 per vehicle. Once you arrive you will find lots of parking spaces. My favorite walk is to Olmsted Island. You will go over a few bridges that make perfect foliage locations.
A Bridge Overlook
2. Riverbend State Park: I discovered this State Park last year and I love it. The walking paths are very serene and its not as busy as other parks in the areas. Last year I spotted Eagles.
3. Shenandoah National Park—a quick 2 hour trip from DC. I like to enter at the Thornton Gap Entrance. You can also enter near Front Royal. There are so many overlooks to stop at. There are also hiking paths and waterfalls to discover along with the Autumn leaves. If you spend the night you can also see the Milky especially at Big Meadows Lodge.
4. C&O Canal Old Anglers Inn: there are lots of C&O Canal stops but one of my favorites is across from the Old Anglers Inn. There is plenty of parking and the walk provides a lot of opportunities to see wildlife as well as take reflections photos of leaves over the canal.
5. Sugarloaf Mountain—another great spot about 30 minutes from DC. The trick to going to Sugarloaf is to not take 270 both ways. The route you want to take is to go down River Road all the way to the end. Take a left on Old River Road and then about 1-2 miles down a Right on Montevideo Road. Of course you want to do this on a GPS so you don’t get lost. This road will take you through farms and wineries and its awesome. We love stopping at Lewis Orchards for fruits and Vegetables.
6. Huntley Meadows Park: is a new find for us. It is located just south of Alexandria about 12 miles from Washington DC. The park features a visitor center, a beaver-created wetland with boardwalk, wildlife observation platforms, and an interpretative trail system. The park is home to abundant wildlife and is known for attracting many birds, amphibians, and plants that are considered less common in the region. There is also a Facebook Page for Photographers coming to the Park where people can post their photos with the dates they took the photo.
7. The Virginia Arboretum—my final recommendation is the Virginia Arboretum—The State Arboretum of Virginia occupies the central 172 acres of Blandy Experimental Farm. Started in the 1930s, it now contains over 5000 woody trees and shrubs from around the world. I will visit this weekend.