October is peak season for one specific reason across much of North America, as fall foliage draws travelers from around the world.
New England and eastern Canada see some of their most famous displays of the year, with color spreading steadily as the month goes on and drawing dedicated leaf peeping crowds. Halloween festivities build through the month too, adding pumpkin patches, corn mazes and seasonal events to countryside trips. Hurricane season continues to ease, though it remains a factor for Caribbean and Gulf Coast destinations into the first half of the month. The Caribbean and coastal Mexico stay warm and increasingly popular as travelers look to escape the cooling weather further north. National parks also see a second wave of visitors chasing the season's colors.
The destinations on our list for North America reflect that same range, from peak fall color to warm coastal escapes.
