The Best Small Towns for a Fall Getaway
These seven U.S. towns are ideal places to celebrate the season.
Experiencing the change of seasons from summer to fall is fun to do in a new place, whether you're team sweater weather or you're hoping to extend summer by decamping to someplace warm. Small towns make for great weekend getaways because their compact size means you can see plenty without having to run all over the place.
Here are a few "off the beaten trail" small towns to explore this autumn. Several can be combined with nearby attractions while others are destinations in their own right. All of them, though, are perfect places to celebrate the season.
Best tourist destination: Cape May, New Jersey
Underrated hidden gem: Gretna, Louisiana
Best for families: Cashiers, North Carolina
Best for fall foliage: Manchester, Vermont
Best for stargazing: Torrey, Utah
Read on to discover our seven recommendations for fall getaways.
Cape May, New Jersey
The summer crowds have gone come September, leaving this historic seaside town for the fortunate few who call it home—or those drop by for an autumn visit. With nearly 600 well-preserved Victorian buildings, its historic district has been designated a National Historic Landmark. Cape May is not only scenic but a perfect beach town, with a promenade for strolling or biking and a myriad of excellent restaurants serving local seafood. Visitors can tour historic buildings, climb the Cape May lighthouse, taste wine at the Cape May Winery, or browse the Washington Street Mall. For a special twist, plan a visit around Sherlock Holmes Weekends, usually held in mid- to late-November, and join the festivities while you try to solve a mystery.
Gretna, Louisiana
On the west bank of the Mississippi, just across the river from New Orleans, Gretna is the seat of Jefferson Parish, among Louisiana's largest National Historic Register districts. Fall is a great time to visit, when summer's heat has passed and festivals and special events celebrate the harvest season with music, dancing, food, and local culture. The Louisiana Sugar Cane Festival, hay rides, corn festivals, and pumpkin patches are all family-friendly ways to ring in the season. If you feel New Orleans nightlife calling to you, hop across the Mississippi on the pedestrian ferry, which runs every 30 minutes.
Cashiers, North Carolina
Located in western North Carolina's Jackson County high on a plateau in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Cashiers is a quiet village of less than 2,000 residents. Town life centers around the Village Green, a 13.2-acre park offering a big playground, botanical gardens, art displays, walking paths, and seasonal events. Visitors who come in the fall can enjoy hiking trails, waterfalls, boating, golf, and outdoor activities, all in mild weather. Leaf peepers here for the vibrant fall colors get a special treat with the nearby "Shadow of the Bear," when, for just 30 minutes a day, the shadows creep over the mountains and form the shape of a bear.
Related: 16 of the Best Small Towns in America
Manchester, Vermont
Located in the southwestern part of the state, Manchester is a quintessential autumn destination with fall foliage at its best around mid-October, according to the Vermont Foliage Forecaster. Restaurants, shops, boutique hotels and inns, and historic buildings attract visitors to its charming downtown, lit at night by vintage-style streetlights. Set between the Taconic and Green Mountain Ranges, the area is perfect for hiking along leafy trails to look for waterfalls and enjoy stunning views. Head just out of town to see covered bridges, farms, antique shops, and apple orchards selling apples and cider doughnuts. Events like the annual Southern Vermont Art and Craft Festival add to the appeal of an autumn visit.
Torrey, Utah
Tiny Torrey, with a population of around 200, sits a cool 6,800 feet above sea level and is best known as the gateway to Capitol Reef National Park. Settled in the 1880s by Mormon pioneers, Torrey is said to have been named after one of Theodore Roosevelt's Rough Riders, Colonel Torrey. Summers in Capitol Reef can be brutally hot for hiking, but the weather is perfect in autumn for hitting the trails (though bear in mind that its high elevation makes climbing more difficult). This is also a beautiful place to stargaze; Capitol Reef was designated International Dark Sky Park in 2015, and autumn's cool, clear nights are a great time to go constellation spotting.
Bardstown, Kentucky
Kentucky's second-oldest city, Bardstown was first settled in 1780. Cooler temps and far less humidity than in summer make fall the ideal time to visit, and if the evenings get a bit brisk, there's always a glass of bourbon to take the chill away. Nearly 200 buildings in the historic downtown district are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, including a 1779 stagecoach stop that today is the Old Talbott Tavern, the oldest bourbon bar in the world. Since the 18th century, bourbon has been central to Bardstown, home of the annual Kentucky Bourbon Festival. In fact, along with Covington and Frankfort, Bardstown is part of a collaboration called Come Find Bourbon. These quaint towns offer some of the most respected bourbon distilleries in the world as well as restaurants, pubs, diners, boutique hotels, and of course, distillery tours and tastings.
Cambria, California
This historic coastal town located halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles is lovely year-round, but when the air cools a bit in autumn, it's ideal for strolling through town or biking along many of the nearby picturesque trails. Victorian architecture here dates back to the 1800s, when Cambria was a busy mining town. Today, visitors can explore beach trails, art galleries, boutiques, and antique buildings. Enjoy local wildlife like the elephant seals at the Piedras Blancas Rookery, especially fun in autumn when juvenile seals arrive. For a change of pace, venture less than 30 miles inland to wineries in Paso Robles and the stunning art installation Sensorio with its famous "Field of Light" exhibit.
Related: 16 Best Fall Vacations for Foliage Views, Fewer Crowds, and Stunning Scenery
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