Take a front-row seat for fall
Sweater season, incoming… Embrace the beauty of fall with a break at one of these perfectly placed cabins for leaf peeping
As fall rolls in and the leaves start to turn from green to burnt amber and blazing reds, what could be better than holing up in a beautiful cabin surrounded by nature, to watch it all unfold? Throw in hot tubs, firepits, or even a hidden treehouse, and these idyllic forest Vrbos will have your soul soothed and your s’mores molten before you can say “golden hour.” Pass the pumpkin spice latte…
A back-to-nature barn conversion
Near Stowe, VT
Sleeps 10
The pretty Vermont village of Stowe is known as the capital of fall color, and from September, the surrounding hillsides begin to turn ruby, crimson, fiery orange, and golden yellow. Less than 15 minutes from downtown, this incredible converted barn and silo set on 300 private acres is a magical base. At one end of the barn, a huge window looks out over the countryside. Children will love the treehouse hidden in the woods, while the indoor and outdoor fireplaces are the perfect places to gather around at the end of the day. Head up Mount Mansfield—either via one of the many hiking trails or on the Gondola SkyRide—to get the best views of Mother Nature’s show.
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A cozy cabin in the woods
Shenandoah Valley, VA
Sleeps 5
Hunkered beneath tall oak trees between the Massanutten Range and Shenandoah National Park, this three-bedroom cabin is a dreamy weekend hideaway. It’s all too easy to hunker down here: Read in the hammock strung between mature trees, make s’mores around the firepit, relax in the hot tub, or watch a movie on the outdoor projector. But there’s plenty to get stuck into beyond the cabin’s own 1.3 acres, especially in the fall when the surrounding hardwood forest blazes with color. Take it all in from one of the many hiking trails, or cruise Skyline Drive, a National Scenic Byway along the ridge of the mountains.
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A Great Smoky showstopper
Gatlinburg, TN
Sleeps 12
With 100 species of native trees, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park turns on a dazzling display of fall color. Leaves start to change in the highest peaks in early October, and by later in the month, lower elevations are awash with vibrant hues, from vivid scarlet red maples through to bright yellow birches. Leaf peep in style at this incredible three-bedroom cabin on the outskirts of Gatlinburg. Inside, there’s a pool, arcade games, and a brilliant custom bunk room for kids, but the real draw are the widescreen views from the huge decks, where you can sit in wicker rocking chairs or relax in the steaming hot tub and watch for the bears that appear from the woods to play with their cubs.
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The Smoky Mountains’ coziest cabins
An architect-designed escape
Hudson Valley, NY
Sleeps 6
The bubbling Mombaccus Creek is the constant, soothing soundtrack at this sleek upstate New York cabin. Built into seven acres of dense woodland, 100 feet above the rushing water, this architect-designed, three-bedroom house is as slickly contemporary as it is wildly cocooning. Floor-to-ceiling windows mean that the trees—which turn russet and golden in fall—wrap around the open-plan living space. Sliding doors open out onto a secluded deck with a wood-fired hot tub. There’s even a Peloton and a professional work-from-home setup if you really never want to leave, hiking the nearby Mohonk Preserve between calls and taking in the beautiful foliage from the Sky Top tower.
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A wheelchair-accessible hideout
Hocking Hills, OH
Sleeps 8
This wood-clad eco-home in the Hocking Hills has been built with guests with limited mobility in mind, with a stepless ramp from the driveway to the main entrance, flat floor plan, wide hallways, and zero-entry covered deck. Five minutes away, Conkle’s Hollow has the wheelchair-accessible Lower Trail through the hollowed gorge, while the Skyline Drive lets you take in the vivid fall foliage from the comfort of your car. Surrounded by 19 acres of private woodland and with a kids’ play area next door, the three-bedroom Main House is ideal for families, and one of five cabins at Idyll Reserve. Smaller cabin The South also has zero-entry access, while pet-friendly The North has its own barrel sauna outside.
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A mountain-high retreat
Black Mountain, NC
Sleeps 8
The road from the small town of Black Mountain twists steeply up to High Lake Lodge, but, boy, are you rewarded for the climb as breathtaking views stretch out over the Burnett Reservoir to the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains. You’ll quickly forget that you’re just half an hour from downtown Asheville here, with only the sound of rustling fall leaves as you gather around the fire table on the deck. The best shows of color come through in October, and one of the first places to see the trees turn red, orange, and gold is Graveyard Fields on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The well-marked Lookout Trail at Montreat, just north of Black Mountain, also delivers on its name with knockout views of the forested slopes.
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A modern marvel in the wilderness
Columbia Falls, MT
Sleeps 10
Montana’s Glacier National Park might not be the first place that springs to mind for fall color, but the jaw-dropping drama of the landscape is a stunning backdrop for leaf peeping. Surrounded by larch trees, whose needles turn golden yellow then bright orange, this contemporary mountain home is all about big picture windows and cozy decor. It’s less than a 30-minute drive to the West Glacier entrance to the park to explore some of the almost one million acres of pristine wilderness, whether hiking, biking, or driving the famous Going-to-the-Sun Road. Fall is also a great time to spot wildlife, from bears to migrating hawks and golden eagles. Plus, on cold, crisp, clear nights, there’s even a chance you’ll see the northern lights.
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An away-from-it-all A frame
Broken Bow, OK
Sleeps 10
The A-frame cabin is an American icon, popularized in the 1950s as the idea of owning a second home became a reality for some, and conjuring up memories of simple, back-to-nature getaways. Here, near Oklahoma’s Broken Bow Lake, the Okie-A vacation rental supersizes that classic design with three bedrooms, a designer kitchen, and sprawling living area—the light pouring through the window-filled, A-shaped walls. Outside, there’s a fire pit, hot tub, swings and cornhole, all beneath twinkling string lights. Fall comes later farther south, and from late October to early November, head to the nearby Kiamichi Mountains and the Beavers Bend State Park for eye-popping color. Or drive a little further to the 54-mile Talimena National Scenic Byway to wind through the trees of the Ouachita National Forest.
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Fiona Kerr is a food-loving travel journalist and former features director at Condé Nast Traveller. Her writing has appeared in The Guardian, The Telegraph, Elle Decoration and The New York Times. When she gets to a new country, her first stop is usually the local supermarket.
