Key Points

• Gretna, Louisiana, offers family-friendly fun like pumpkin patches, hay rides, and corn and sugar cane festivals this time of year.

• Stargazing enthusiasts should head to Torrey, Utah, located just outside Capitol Reef National Park, an International Dark Sky Park.

• Wine lovers and Sherlock Holmes fans can visit Cape May, New Jersey, for lighthouse views and themed weekend fun.

Experiencing the change of seasons from summer to fall is fun to do in a new place, whether you’re team sweater weather or you’re hoping to extend summer by relocating somewhere warm. Here are seven of the best small towns around the U.S. for a fall getaway.

Cape May, New Jersey

The summer crowds have gone come September, leaving this historic seaside town for the fortunate few who call it home—or those who drop by for an autumn visit. With over 600 well-preserved Victorian buildings, its historic district has been designated a National Historic Landmark. Cape May is not only scenic but a perfect beach town, with a promenade for strolling or biking and a myriad of excellent restaurants serving local seafood. Visitors can tour historic buildings, climb the Cape May Lighthouse, sample wine at the Cape May Winery, or browse the many shops of the Washington Street Mall. For a special twist, plan a visit around Sherlock Holmes Weekends, typically held in late October and early November, and join in the festivities as you try to solve a mystery.

Gretna, Louisiana

On the west bank of the Mississippi, just across the river from New Orleans, Gretna is the seat of Jefferson Parish, among Louisiana’s largest National Historic Register districts. Fall is a great time to visit, when summer’s heat has passed and festivals and special events celebrate the harvest season with music, dancing, food, and local culture. The Louisiana Sugar Cane Festival, hay rides, corn festivals, and pumpkin patches are all family-friendly ways to ring in the season. If you feel New Orleans nightlife calling to you, hop across the Mississippi on the pedestrian ferry, which runs every 30 minutes.

Cashiers, North Carolina

Located in western North Carolina’s Jackson County, high on a plateau in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Cashiers is a quiet village of fewer than 1,000 residents. Town life centers around the Village Green, a 13.2-acre park featuring a big playground, botanical gardens, art displays, and walking paths; it also hosts seasonal events. Visitors who come in the fall can enjoy hiking trails, waterfalls, boating, golf, and outdoor activities, all in mild weather. Leaf peepers here for the vibrant fall colors get a special treat with the nearby “Shadow of the Bear,” when, for just 30 minutes a day, the shadows creep over the mountains and form the shape of a bear.

Manchester, Vermont

Located in the southwestern part of the state, Manchester is a quintessential autumn destination with fall foliage at its best around mid-October, according to the Vermont Foliage Forecaster. Restaurants, shops, boutique hotels and inns, and historic buildings attract visitors to its charming downtown, lit at night by vintage-style streetlights. Set between the Taconic and Green Mountain Ranges, the area is best for hiking along leafy trails to waterfalls and enjoying stunning views. Head just out of town to see covered bridges, farms, antique shops, and apple orchards selling apples and cider doughnuts.

Torrey, Utah

Tiny Torrey, with a population of fewer than 300, sits a cool 6,830 feet above sea level and is best known as the gateway to Capitol Reef National Park. Settled by Mormon pioneers in the 1880s, Torrey is said to have been named after one of Theodore Roosevelt’s Rough Riders, Colonel Torrey. Summers in Capitol Reef can be brutally hot for hiking, but the weather is perfect in autumn for hitting the trails (though bear in mind that its high elevation makes climbing more difficult). This is also a beautiful place for stargazing. Capitol Reef was designated an International Dark Sky Park in 2015, and autumn’s cool, clear nights are a great time to go constellation spotting.

Bardstown, Kentucky

Kentucky’s second-oldest city, Bardstown was first settled in 1780. Cooler temps and far less humidity than in summer make fall the ideal time to visit, and if the evenings get a bit brisk, there’s always a glass of bourbon to take the chill away. Nearly 200 buildings in the historic downtown district are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, including a 1779 stagecoach stop that today is the Old Talbott Tavern, the oldest bourbon bar in the world. Since the 18th century, bourbon has been central to Bardstown, home of the annual Kentucky Bourbon Festival. In fact, along with nearby Covington and Frankfort, Bardstown offers some of the most respected bourbon distilleries in the world as well as restaurants, pubs, diners, boutique hotels, and more.

Cambria, California

This historic coastal town, located halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles, is lovely year-round, but when the air cools a bit in autumn, it’s ideal for strolling through town or biking along many of the nearby picturesque trails. Victorian architecture here dates back to the 1800s, when Cambria was a busy mining town. Today, visitors can explore beach trails, art galleries, boutiques, and antique buildings. Enjoy local wildlife like the elephant seals at the Piedras Blancas Rookery, especially fun in autumn when juvenile seals arrive. For a change of pace, drive 40 minutes inland to the wineries in Paso Robles. Leave time to see the stunning art installation Sensorio, with its famous “Field of Light” exhibit.

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