Fun Fall Road Trips with Kids 
A scenic drive is a great way to take in the fall colors, and there’s nothing more wheelchair accessible than staying in the comfort of your car. Unfortunately, kids have zero interest in a long drive – no matter how pretty it is! Similar to hiking, my kids are only interested in the journey if it’s getting us to a cool destination.
My perfect compromise? Take a pretty drive to somewhere epic for kids. The following are my recommendations for a wheelchair accessible fall road trip that the whole family will love.
When to Go
Columbus Day gives many families a long weekend to catch some fall foliage, but it’s only optimal if you’re hitting the right region. Here’s a fall foliage map of the nation. You can sort it by date to see the best place and/or week for your trip!
Adirondacks
The Adirondacks offers the most inclusive outdoor experience for all abilities that we’ve ever found. There’s a wide variety of trails through forests, over forests, and around marshes and lakes. If you go early enough in the season, you can even spend the night in a fully accessible park. The mountain vibes are strong here. If camping isn’t your thing, stay in the accessible historic hotel, Hotel Saranac for a more luxurious tribute to mountain life. There are fun mountain towns, wildlife centers, water activities, and hand carved carousels everywhere you turn. Check out our full guide to the area, here.
Wheelchair Accessible PA Wilds
The PA Wilds offer miles of rail trails through foliage, but the mountains are also spotted with charming little mountain towns filled with fall fun.
PA Grand Canyon – Leonard Harrison State Park offers an accessible breathtaking vista over the canyon. There is also an accessible rail trail that runs through the gorge. Cherry Springs Park offers dark skies for incredible star gazing. Check out our fully planned accessible weekend itinerary, here.
Wheelchair Accessible Finger Lakes, NY
The only thing that can make the vibrancy of fall even prettier is adding water. Just getting to the lakes is a scenic tour. Standing three stories higher than Niagara Falls, Taughannock Falls has an accessible path right up to the foot of the falls. You can drive up to the base of Buttermilk Falls. Along the drive, you’ll even pass waterfalls flowing right down to and under the road! Enjoy small town fall in Ithaca or Watkins Glen with all of the wineries and creameries your heart could desire. Check out our fully accessible guide, here.
Wheelchair Accessible Green Mountain Byway to Stowe, Vermont
Enjoy the splendor of fall in Vermont and drive through the NY Catskills on your way! Holy foliage! With a wheelchair accessible boardwalk right through the woods, Rails-to-Trails paths, a gondola up the mountain, and loads of accessible trails, you can explore until you’re sick of leaves! (Is that a thing?)
Wheelchair Accessible Smoky Mountains, North Carolina and Tennessee
If you can’t hit the road until later this fall, or the south is more convenient for you, this is your stop. While there’s a bigger mix of Pine trees, they still have over 100 species of trees to create plenty of color mix in their fall foliage. They offer plenty of accessible trails, driving routes, a railroad, and you can find accessible cabins in the area. (Is it just me, or is it always hard to find accessible lodging anywhere other than a chain hotel??)
Wheelchair Accessible Raystown Lake, PA
Raystown offers so many stunning views of endless mountains that I would be remiss to leave it off of my list, even if it’s one more accessible east coast destination. To be fair, the east coast just has the best trees for fall colors!
Raystown is an extra win for the kids thanks to an accessible cave and a wheelchair friendly train ride through the colors. Check out our full guide of accessible trails, views, and family dining favorites, here.
Shenandoah National Park
Shenanandoah National Park does go back to a lot of driving, but there are frequent pull offs that may make it worthwhile. There aren’t a whole lot of accessible trails, but we enjoyed feeling submersed in the forest on the accessible trail we took. If you’re driving past Harper’s Ferry, that could be a fun extension to your trip. Check out our Shenandoah guide, here.
All the Rest
Glacier National Park; Upper Peninsula, Michigan; Boston, Massachusetts; Bar Harbor, Maine… There are plenty of places to see awe-inspiring fall foliage, especially along the northeast coast. The places I listed above are exceptional in both beauty and accessibility, but anything along the way will be worth the drive!
