9 Least-Crowded Towns In The Pacific Northwest To Catch Fall Foliage
The Pacific Northwest (PNW) is renowned for its masterful artistry in painting the landscape in fall, from mountains to state parks, riverbanks, and around small towns. The views here from late September through October are simply unbeatable, and experiences are boundless to soak it all up! But move over to Ashland and Cannon Beach! These nine PNW towns nestled out of sight in tranquility amid the ranges and valleys offer a crowd-free experience to chase the changing leaves of the region's best. Does hiking through colorful fall foliage and cuddling up in a cozy cabin in the woods sound enticing? How about long walks along the coast or peeking your nose out on a stormy day in Oregon to see the dramatic shoreline? The diverse geography in this upper left portion of the USA, namely in the states of Oregon and Washington, is also most susceptible to changes by Mother Nature's hand in fall.
Bandon, Oregon
Some 25 miles south of Coos Bay, Bandon flies under the radar as a fantastic PNW fall destination. The small town along a stunning coastline with pristine beaches under the rugged cliffs offers views for days without tourists. Average September highs in the mid-60s to low 70s Fahrenheit, dropping only further in October, coincide with the most epic foliage before November. From beachcombing around the tide pools to hiking inland in the crisp fall air, it is more comfortable, less crowded, and free to enjoy the outdoors, like the town's own Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge or Devils Kitchen—Oregon State Parks Vista Point just south.
Don't fret on a stormy day, but capture the breathtaking nature's power while sunsets here are spectacular for everyday strolls. With its Face Rock State Scenic Viewpoint and Coquille River Lighthouse via Bullards Beach State Park, Bandon is perfectly centered to relax and explore around, even on a quick city escape or a brief road stop, four hours from Portland. With many options to snatch a rental, there are also inns, motels, RV sites, and tent campsites to return in the more popular summertime and snatch a piece of tranquil nature for yourself.
Brookings, Oregon
This cool, most underrated PNW town is a real gem along the Southern Oregon Coast, which spans from Coos Bay to Brookings. Hidden away from the popular Cannon Beach, a fall time visit guarantees more solitude than ever along its shoreline, with secluded beaches and incredible hiking trails. From the scenic drive northward along the Oregon Coast Highway, the small town extends up into the wilderness-bounded Lone Ranch Beach, featuring an incredible Cape Ferrelo Viewpoint overlooking the rugged, rock-studded shoreline with squawking seagulls overhead!
Keep driving or take a hike to the equally stunning House Rock Viewpoint and onward to Whaleshead Viewpoint, all backed by the same gorgeous nature. The quirky town, a little harder to reach than others, is part of the region's sunkissed "Banana Belt." Brookings, with more sunny days in the year, meets you with pleasant weather for your fall-worthy ventures! Less visited and more affordable, you can easily explore the whole coastline with abundant vacation rentals, B&Bs, and small motels.
Cusick, Washington
Only nineteen miles north of Newport on State Highway 20, Cusick, home to 164 in a sparsely populated county, is hidden away from the eyes in the Kalispel Valley along the south bank of the Pend Oreille River. The surrounding nature of lush fields, cattle ranges, and pine forest-covered mountains burst in fall colors of mellow yellows and vibrant reddish-oranges for your 360-degree panoramic enjoyment. The best foliage occurs in the first half of October, with pleasant temperatures and clear skies, for birdwatchers to see eagles and osprey compete for nesting sites on the wood pilings in the river.
Overlooking the valley from the foothills, the Colville National Forest, designated for motorized 4-wheel drive, is dotted with lakes and campgrounds. From equipped trailheads just north of Cusick, you can zoom through 38 scenic miles of off-road trail experiences, linking to 45 miles more through the Little Pend Oreille Trail System. In-town, the refreshed park with an interpretive river walk and picnic area has a boat launch and dock for river access and fishing. For after-nature pursuits, Cusick is home to Kalispell Casino with slot machines and sports betting, alongside a family-oriented Wetlands restaurant, a classic for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Dundee, Oregon
Just 30 miles from Portland, Dundee is a must-visit for fall in the heart of Oregon wine country for its unique vineyard foliage. The small town in between the Willamette River and the wine-world-famous Dundee Hills has plenty of adventures to explore fall colors in one of the most beautiful locations in the Willamette Valley. With a slower pace in the fall months, you can enjoy strolling through the vineyards in peace and sample amazing food, world-class wines, and beers in town without waiting in line for impeccable service.
Nestled in tranquility, Dundee offers a crowd-free experience to chase the changing leaves for casual activity levels along regimented rows of grapevines in brilliant shades of orange and red. Local wineries host regular tastings and harvest festivals, including seasonal releases, while the riverside parks in town are perfect to grab a bottle and head for a picnic with water views and reflecting foliage. Visit the Red Hills Market and enjoy biking along the wine trails, with the best foliage displays in early October during harvest season, when Downtown Dundee is filled with food, drinks, and music.
Index Town, Washington
Formerly a mining town, Index is one of the PNW's best towns to enjoy fall foliage in a tranquil atmosphere with rustic, small-town charm. Submerged in the wilderness of the surrounding Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, each fall here transforms the historic downtown, steeped in mountain views of autumnal splendor. From vibrant vine maples and cottonwood to the verdant evergreens reflecting in the lake in a kaleidoscope of colors, it is all yours to enjoy via the Lake Serene hike, a moderate-strenuous 8-mile roundtrip. With a choice of lounge-worthy cafes, you can relax and recharge before more adventures like mountain biking and the renowned Mt. Index overlook.
The North Cascades town, home to under 200 people, delights the few visitors with proximity to Mount Index to experience fall colors without crowds along the colorfully decorated slopes, including Mount Persis. With surrounding landscapes ablaze with red, orange, and yellow shades, you can also take up the challenging trek up the Index Town Wall for excellent views from the top and stark foliage against the gray granite cliff. There is more foliage by the water, like the Index Town Fall and Skykomish River, with fishing and paddling in the views.
Leavenworth, Washington
It is true: good things do come to those who wait. To visit Leavenworth in mid-October for peak fall colors, that is. If you never thought that this popular town's Little Bavaria scene would be empty, the Bavarian-style architecture adorned in fall foliage against a mountain backdrop is now more lovely and less lively than ever for a reprieve at a West Coast destination. The small town is one of Washington's most picturesque, tucked neatly within the Cascade Mountains of gorgeous natural beauty year-round, turning kaleidoscopic through the surrounding Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest in October.
Ride the gondola up to 8,000 feet at Stevens Pass for all the vibrant autumn hues in the palm of your hand and come back downtown to celebrate Oktoberfest, the largest in the Pacific Northwest. Home to Washington's first alpine coaster for thrill seekers to catch real breathtaking views of some of the West Coast's best, there are also fabulous hiking and biking trails like the Icicle Gorge Trail. Even strolls through the market in the crisp air feel festive, as celebrated by the Autumn Leaf Festival in September. The countryside around Leavenworth supplies apples, peaches, and pears with fruit-scented air, u-pick orchards, and cideries.
Naches, Washington
In Natches, home to 1,040, you are in for a real fall-time treat and a retreat away from the crowds. Nestled within Cascade's foothills in central Washington, Naches stays brilliantly hidden along the West Coast amid a cloaked landscape of quaking aspen groves shimmering with golden leaves. After the vibrant summer wildflowers start to fade, it is your cue to start packing for Naches. There are many waterfalls around, as well as the in-town scenic park with a picture-worthy Commons Stone chair and table.
The nearby Naches Peak Loop, a 3.5-mile roundtrip, is an excellent hiking trail to panoramic mountain vistas. You can spot your next destination from here—the stunning views of Mount Rainier National Park with its own kind of fall colors—or take the pristine back roads, which are lined with untouched autumn foliage, peaking in late September through October. With apple picking at local orchards and nearby Tipsoo Lake for great fishing, we told you you were in for a real treat amid foliage-ridden mountains and forests!
Packwood, Washington
Just an hour southeast of Seattle, this small town of 141, 15 minutes away from Mount Rainier National Park, is a real outdoor playground for mountain enthusiasts and falltime view seekers. With nation-favorite hikes like Box Canyon, Grove of the Patriarchs, and Silver Falls, you can enjoy the best scenery along the crisp leaf-laden trails with the lowest crowds in the fall. The town in the forested foothills of Gifford Pinchot National Forest offers affordable and cozy cabins to relax, a hand's reach away from Packwood Lake and 4 miles of quiet trails in Skate Creek Park, with other popular areas like Sunrise and Paradise just an hour away.
Centrally located between Mt. Rainier, Mt. St. Helens, and Mt. Adams, you can take the scenic State Route 12 for stunning views of all the forested foothills. Among the many hiking trails in North Cascades National Park nearby, Lake Packwood Trail is the best for falltime hiking, with panoramic views most vibrant in mid-October to early November. Expand your horizons even further to Goat Rocks Wilderness, Tatoosh Wilderness, Mount St. Helens, or Mount Adams for endless hiking and exploring when you set base in Packwood under majestic Mount Rainier views.
Trout Lake, Washington
This tiny town at the gateway to the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, a world of natural wonders, bursts with a fiery display along fantastic hiking trails, ice caves, soaring peaks, and waterfalls. With lush valleys and scenic drives, you don't have to exude yourself to experience the vibrancy, but tackle the rapids on a whitewater raft over Husum Falls and unwind after glamping-style or even a Buddhist temple. Fifteen miles south of Packwood, with jaw-dropping views of Mt. Adams, Trout Lake is ideal for casual hikers with quirky accommodations to seek the best foliage in late September or early October. Chase the Langfield Falls from the trailhead, some 25 minutes northwest of Trout Lake, and relax at the 75-foot-wide pool by the 60-foot-high fall with boulders and fallen logs around to explore.
The Guler Ice Caves in the forest feature frozen stalactites and stalagmites around the twists and turns, while the two-thousand-foot lava tube in the Cascade Range is a 650-foot-long cavern sectioned by three collapsed sinks, with Ezoic Head 20 feet below, which you can see with a flashlight. Cheese caves, used by the Guler Cheese Company to age products, are a wide, cavernous space with ledges and lavacicles in the walls. Past the Guler Ice Caves, the trail from the parking lot leads you to the Natural Bridges, formed by a partially collapsed lava tube with a mile-long canyon in a serene forest and two big rock archways topped with vegetation you can walk over.
While the PNW is not a secret destination for some of the nation's best autumnal displays, these towns are! Offering a reprieve from the crowds and a refresh from the city sights, these nine towns will get you hyped up on kaleidoscopic colors! Great for casual activity, you don't have to exude yourself on a short getaway from work to get the brilliant shades of orange and red that you seek. From vineyard strolls in Dundee to pleasurable bike rides and riverside parks, the town's local sights and produce markets celebrate vibrant harvest times and local festivals like the nation's largest Oktoberfest in Leavenworth!
