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Top Five Freshest Ways to See Fall Foliage

From the balloon-filled skies of the Adirondacks to the coast of Maine, here are five fresh ways to take in the fiery foliage of fall this season.

Adirondack Balloon Festival [Queensbury, NY]

Whether you are on the ground or in the sky, the Adirondacks will take your breath away from the end of September to early October with its array of fall foliage colors. Hosted each year in September, the Adirondack Balloon Festival adds even more color to the scene when more than a hundred hot air balloons fill the New York sky above the mountains. Since the ’70s, aeronauts have gathered from around America and Canada to partake in this magnificent spectacle. Take a look at the colorful balloons that will be participating in this year’s festival, and book a ride into the clouds.

The Sagamore Resort

Fall Foliage Train [Lake Placid, NY]

Grab your cameras, and climb aboard for a leaf-peeping experience with the Adirondack Scenic Railroad. With classically restored rail equipment that dates from the 1920s, the Adirondack Railway Preservation Society has created a piece of working history for its passengers to enjoy. Whether you choose to ride in an enclosed coach car or to take advantage of the photo opportunities available in the open-air car, the Fall Foliage Train will take you on a breathtaking journey through the Adirondack Mountains from Lake Placid Station to see the striking fall colors, twisting rivers, and varied New York wildlife.

Lake Placid Lodge

Foliage Photo Tour [Lake George, NY]

Pictures are worth novels full of words, and the photos to be captured with Carl Heilman II will astound you. During his One Day Fall Nature Photography Tour, you can capture the many colors of autumn in the Lake George Region for yourself. With cascading waterfalls, woodland trails, and an assortment of easily accessible photography locations, you’ll join tours with five other eager photographers, setting out to create lasting proof of an awe-inspiring shift in the colors of nature.

The Sagamore Resort

Acadia Air Tours [Bar Harbor, ME]

It would be difficult to find a more stunning land-meets-seascape in the fall than at Acadia National Park. Here, you can drink in the fiery hues of New England foliage from the open cockpit of a biplane. Have your camera ready to capture unrivaled views of the leaves changing below you. With flights that range from 12 to 65 minutes, Acadia Air Tours offers an option to fit your leaf-peeping appetite.

Harborside Hotel, Spa & Marina | West Street Hotel

A Scenic Fall Foliage Drive [Camden, ME]

If taking in the crimson-dappled canopy of autumn leaves at a more leisurely pace is more your style, a scenic drive from Rockport to Pemaquid Point Lighthouse is a slower but no less spectacular way to enjoy Maine’s fall foliage. On the hour-long drive to Pemaquid Point, you’ll travel along some of the area’s prettiest stretches of coastal road before arriving at the lighthouse, which has been guiding sailors since 1827. On your way to and from Pemaquid Point, you’ll pass through Damariscotta, a quaint fishing village with an eclectic variety of shops, pubs, galleries, and more – the perfect place to stop for a bite to eat.

Samoset Resort

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