The arrival of fall doesn’t have to mean the end of your boating season. Across the country, there are many boating spots that offer nature enthusiasts coveted views of the changing colors creating unforgettable experiences and sights for the whole family. There’s something really special about cruising among the rich orange, red, and yellow trees fall is known for. Just add a few extra layers of clothing and you’ll be ready to hit the water! Here are 5 of the best boating spots to enjoy nature’s vibrant fall colors.
Black Hill Regional Park – Boyds, Maryland
With more than 2,000 acres, Black Hill Regional Park offers such a wide variety of outdoor activities that it’s impossible to experience it all in a single visit. Enjoy spectacular views of Little Seneca Lake. The lake can be enjoyed from your private boat, rental boats, a pontoon tour boat, and the fishing pier. For those who love the solitude of the forest, miles of trails can be explored by foot, horseback or mountain bike. Private boats are permitted on the lake March 1– December 15, sunrise to sunset. Learn more here.
Tellico Lake – East Tennessee
A perfect fall boating destination, with more than 300 miles of shoreline with hillsides overflowing in crimson, gold, and scarlet against the backdrop of the Great Smoky Mountains. With more than 15,000 acres of surface area, 373 miles of shoreline, and waterways connecting to Fort Loudon Lake, the Tennessee River, and other waterways, Lake Tellico is the perfect boating destination. It’s an ideal spot to experience an array of fall colors from the pure blue waters that back up into the Great Smoky Mountains, where onlookers get a unique vantage point of hillsides overflowing with crimson, gold, and scarlet leaves. Lake Tellico provides beautiful autumn scenery, but also offers scenic, long-distance cruising options
Devil’s Fork State Park – Salem, South Carolina
Lake Jocassee is tucked deep in South Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains and accessible through Devils Fork State Park. It boasts an undeveloped shoreline with picturesque scenery, such as waterfalls cascading into the lake. In addition to outstanding fall foliage at Lake Jocassee, autumn also brings green marsh grasses to shimmering fall hues of gold and amber.
Acadia National Park – Bar Harbor, Maine
As the entrance to Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor offers spectacular New England autumn scenery along the rugged Maine coast. Boaters can dock locally to explore this charming town and the gorgeous fall foliage. Learn more here.
Lake Tahoe – Tahoe City, California
Located at 6,225 feet above sea level in the Sierra Nevada Mountains on the border of Nevada and California, Lake Tahoe is a boating paradise. Fall colors, food festivals, and wildlife are all on display in Lake Tahoe in October. Fall foliage along the shoreline is filled with varied hues of yellow as the aspen trees change color. Those looking to take in the sights aboard a boat have an abundance of options with numerous marina, rental, and charter options at their fingertips.
