New England · Upstate New York · Sierra Nevada · Northern California
The best U.S. fall color in 2026 is forecast for New England, upstate New York, the Sierra Nevada and Northern California — AccuWeather's seasonal outlook, which expects drought to dull the leaves in the Rockies, the Mid-Atlantic and the Carolinas. Each passport below is a printable checklist for a fall road trip through those regions.
A region note before you plan the route: AccuWeather has flagged drought damage across the Mid-Atlantic, the Carolinas and the Rockies for 2026 — brittle leaves and duller color this year. New England, upstate New York, the Sierra Nevada and Northern California are the strong regions instead. This guide does not route you through the Blue Ridge Parkway, Shenandoah or the Smokies for peak color this fall.
One drive, seven checklists. Each passport below is an instant printable PDF — a curated list of sites, a detail page for each stop, suggested routes and achievement badges to earn as you go.
This guide covers 7 of Triptyka's 50+ printable bucket-list passports — ballparks, national parks, bourbon, lighthouses and more. See the full collection →
A checklist of America's best scenic byways and drives by region, with each route and its length. A printable road-trip bucket list.
A curated checklist of America's best covered bridges, grouped by region, with each one's location and what makes it special.
A curated checklist of 18 of America's best waterfalls, grouped by region, with each one's location and what makes it special.
A curated checklist of 18 of America's great long-distance hiking trails, including the Triple Crown, with each trail's route and length.
A curated checklist of 18 of America's best scenic train rides and heritage railways, with each route's location and what makes it special.
A curated checklist of 27 of America's best botanic gardens and arboretums, grouped by region, with each garden's location and what it's known for.
A curated checklist of 41 of the best U.S. state parks, grouped by region, with each park's location and what it's known for.
The Great Outdoors Collection bundles Scenic Byways, Waterfalls, Long Trails, Botanic Gardens and Best of U.S. State Parks — 9 passports total — for $44.99 instead of buying each separately. Covered Bridges and Scenic Railways aren't part of this bundle and are sold individually above.
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For 2026, New England, upstate New York, the Sierra Nevada and Northern California are the strongest regions. AccuWeather has flagged drought damage across the Mid-Atlantic, the Carolinas and the Rockies this year, so this guide does not route you through the Blue Ridge Parkway, Shenandoah or the Smokies for peak color.
Seven printable passports: Scenic Byways (33 sites), Covered Bridges (15 sites), Waterfalls (18 sites), Long Trails (18 sites), Scenic Railways (18 sites), Botanic Gardens (27 sites) and Best of U.S. State Parks (41 sites).
Five of the seven are in the Great Outdoors Collection bundle for $44.99, a 50% saving versus buying each separately: Scenic Byways, Waterfalls, Long Trails, Botanic Gardens and Best of U.S. State Parks. Covered Bridges and Scenic Railways are sold individually, $9.99 each.
Each is an instant printable PDF you can print at home or fill in on any device. The Scenic Byways Passport also has a free companion phone app.