Catch the Color Before Everyone Else Does

There’s a quiet magic to September. The summer crowds have thinned, the air has that first crisp edge in the mornings, and up in the high country the leaves are already beginning to turn. While most travelers wait until October to chase fall color, the savviest ones know a secret: at higher elevations and in the northern reaches of the country, the show starts weeks earlier.

That head start is a gift. Cooler days, smaller crowds, better rates, and hillsides just beginning to glow gold and crimson. All you need is to know where to look, and a comfortable home base to come back to each evening.

4 Foliage Getaways Perfect for September

1. Golden Aspens — Aspen, Colorado: High in the Rockies, the aspens turn a brilliant shimmering gold, and late September is prime time. Drive up to Maroon Bells or wind along Independence Pass to catch entire mountainsides ablaze. A condo in town means you can hike or leaf-peep all day and return to real space to spread out and warm up.
2. Early Peak in the High Country — White Mountains, New Hampshire: New
   England’s higher elevations begin their turn in late September, well before the October rush. The Kancamagus Highway and the peaks around Franconia Notch light up first, and you’ll enjoy them with far fewer cars on the road and lower off-peak rates.
3. The Country’s First Blaze — Upper Peninsula, Michigan: The U.P. is one of the earliest places in the country to reach peak color, often by late September. Around Marquette and Tahquamenon Falls, sugar maples and birches paint the shoreline of Lake Superior in reds and yellows, a stunning backdrop for waterfalls and quiet forest drives.
4. Classic New England, Minus the Crowds — Stowe, Vermont: The Green Mountains around Stowe start showing color at their higher elevations by the end of the month.

Ride the gondola up Mount Mansfield for a first look at the turning canopy, then settle into a mountainside condo before the peak-season rates and traffic arrive in October.

Why Plan Your Foliage Escape with a Travel Club? Chasing the leaves often means stayingsomewhere a little off the beaten path, closer to the mountains and the color. Finding aspacious, affordable place in those areas, especially during a popular season, can turn into a
research marathon. That’s where Condo Travel Club comes in. Our members book roomy condo accommodations at trusted resorts, often for far less than a cramped hotel room, with the kitchens and living space you’ll appreciate after a long day outdoors.

So this year, don’t wait for the calendar to say October. Beat the crowds, catch the first colors,
and give yourself a front-row seat to the season’s opening act.

Ready to plan your early-fall escape? Explore member deals at condotravelclub.com or call
315-298-3355.