You'll Want To Take This Gorgeous Fall Foliage Road Trip Around Washington DC This Year

Washington DC does not have the full allure of fall like the northeastern states do but we the colors of fall are still an amazing sight to see every year. If you drive just under 250 miles around the Washington DC area, you will be able to enjoy this gorgeous fall foliage road trip around Washington DC this year. If you want to map out the route, you can do so here!

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Flickr/Emily

Harpers Ferry is a charming town where West Virginia, Virginia and Maryland meet. There is also a national park there. Harper’s Ferry is one of the only towns through which the Appalachian Trail passes and nestled between the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers, it provides spectacular fall views.

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Flickr/Nicolas Raymond

Wrapped around 90 acres of lake is this Maryland State Park in Gaithersburg. There are miles of trees that provide a beautiful array of colors during the fall season.

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Flickr/Nicolas Raymond

The National Arboretum is one of DC’s best kept secrets. Peaceful, quiet and beautiful, this place is the perfect way to soak up the fall foliage. This living museum has 446 acres of trees, plants, flowers and vegetation that remains breathtaking all year round!

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Flickr/Dion Hinchcliffe

The gem of the district, Rock Creek lights up during the fall. Miles and miles of golden, oranges and reds make it an enchanting place to stroll during the fall season.

Flickr/ Ronel Reyes

National Arlington Cemetery is breathtaking and awe-inspiring any point of the year. However, when you step onto the peaceful grounds and are met with rows of graves, honoring the heroes of this country among the scattered red and orange leaves, with golden light peaking through the tops of the trees, it’s almost impossible not to feel the tears in your eyes at the beauty and richness of the grounds.

Flickr/Derek A Young

Then we move onto George Washington’s Mount Vernon. The former President’s home sits just outside of DC in Alexandria on 500 acres of rolling hills, along the shore of the Potomac River. The natural scenery and well kept grounds are a beautiful background during the fall season.

Flickr/John McTarnaghan

The rushing falls of Great Falls Park in Virginia are typically the main attraction during these hikes but not during the fall. As you climb one of the most popular hiking trails in the state, you will be rewarded with views of orange, golds, reds and yellows trees all along the falls.

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Flickr/Vijah Kalakoti

A few hours south of Washington DC, Shenandoah Valley is one of the prettiest places in the area during the fall season and it is worth the drive! There are 75 scenic overlooks in Shenandoah so there are plenty of opportunities to see nature in all of its glory. The National Park website has a fall color report so you can track to see when the colors are at their richest.

The colors have not started to change over yet so you still have time to plan your fall foliage adventure. Keep track of the fall colors with the handy fall foliage reports so you know you are going at peaks season!

For more fall fun, be sure to visit these amazing corn mazes in the area!