7 Great Places to Enjoy Fall Foliage in the Tri-State

Fall is here, and with it comes a wonderful array of colors as the leaves turn from their spring and summertime green to their red, orange, and yellow hues. Luckily, we have several places right here in the Tri-State, most of which are a short drive away, where you can take it all in.

According to Almanac.com, the Tri-State should be in for some really vibrant leaf colors this year that will reach their peak viewing time in the latter part of October.

Now, you could sit at one of our wonderful city parks and enjoy the colors of Fall, but I think to truly enjoy the changing of the seasons, you need get away from the hustle and bustle of the city and enjoy the peace and quiet that nature provides, which is exactly what these seven places offer.

Burdette Park

Yes, Burdette technically sits "in town," but it's on the outskirts of the west side, far enough away from heavy traffic that once you're strolling down one of their many walking paths (the Burdette to USI path for example) there's nothing to hear other than the birds chirping, and that one random squirrel running through the trees prepping for the upcoming winter months.

New Harmonie State Park - New Harmonie, Indiana

Sitting a few miles north of Mt. Vernon, New Harmonie State Park is a fantastic place to get away from the noise and surround yourself in the colors of Fall. With several hiking and biking trails available, getting up close and personal with nature is just a short drive away.

Lincoln State Park - Lincoln City, Indiana

Much like New Harmonie, Lincoln State Park, just west of Santa Claus, Indiana is great place to spend the day, walking the trails and taking in the beauty of the foliage. If you don't have a problem with heights, take a trip up the park's fire tower to get a 360-degree over the tree tops.

Scales Lake - Boonville

Sitting on the northeastern edge of Boonville, Scales Lake Park has some of the best hiking and biking paths you're going to find in the area giving you the opportunity to spend the day inhaling the crisp Fall air while enjoying the view around you.

Audubon State Park - Henderson

Like Burdette, Audubon State Park in Henderson sits in town, but also like Burdette, once you get deep enough in, you forget you came in off a highly traveled, major highway giving you the opportunity to tune out the world and take in your surroundings.

Garden of the Gods - Shawnee National Forest - Illinois

A little further away than the aforementioned parks, but totally worth the drive, Garden of the Gods in the Shawnee National Forest offers phenomenal views of the fall colors from atop some pretty impressive rock formations.

Brown County State Park - Nashville, Indiana

Brown County is the farthest location from the Tri-State on this list, but ask anyone who has been there, and it's by far the best on this list as well. Sitting just east of Bloomington, Indiana, people come from far and wide to hike the trails at Brown County and look out over the tree tops from the various elevated areas the park has to offer. A quick watch of the video above shows why.

There you have it, seven great places to check out what is expected to be a good year for fall foliage. Notice the headline says, "great," not "best" places. Chances are, I missed your favorite place. If so, let me know in the comments below.