2025's Towns In Pennsylvania That Come Alive In The Fall
Autumn transforms Pennsylvania’s many countryside towns, shifting them from their usual quietness to centers of seasonal activity, although, as you will see, the scenery is still truly relaxing. Beyond organized events, like Halloween Parades and farmers' markets, the surrounding landscapes, with their rolling hills, rivers, and woodlands, reach their most brilliant color in mid to late October.
Historic downtowns, preserved architecture, and cozy commercial districts further provide focal points for visitors of all kinds, while nearby parks, trails, and scenic byways extend the experience into the state's wilderness areas. Today, we will highlight seven towns across Pennsylvania that make perfect escapes during the fall season.
New Hope
Set along the Delaware River in Bucks County, New Hope becomes especially attractive for tourists in the fall. Its tree-lined streets, galleries, and riverside restaurants draw steady crowds as the days begin to get cooler and city folk from cities like Trenton and Philadelphia look for a quick escape before winter kicks in.
The annual New Hope Arts and Crafts Festival is one of many fun draws here, held late each September, and features regional artists and live demonstrations. Moving forward, October brings the Halloween Parade to neighboring Lambertville just across the New Jersey border, while various ghost tours explore the town’s colonial history and some of its past residents who still may roam New Hope's streets in the afterlife! Also across the bridge in Lambertville, more historic landmarks, shops, and other amenities could expand the experience.
Really get outdoors and pay a visit to the New Hope Railroad, which runs fall foliage excursions through the countryside, offering one of the best ways to see the region’s landscape. With its river views, accessible trails, and steady lineup of seasonal events, New Hope keeps its title as one of Pennsylvania’s most reliable small towns for fall travel in 2025.
Lititz
Situated in Lancaster County, Lititz combines rural Pennsylvanian charm with a cozy downtown that draws steady crowds each fall. The town’s streets, centered around Main and Broad, fill with various seasonal farmers' markets through October. Lititz Springs Park is a central attraction in town, where you can also explore historic sites like the 18th-century Moravian Church and General Sutter Inn.
The surrounding farmland adds to the appeal of this destination, with covered bridges, pumpkin patches, and roadside stands selling the year's harvest, often along with cider and baked goods. For a more exciting outing, the nearby Wolf Sanctuary of PA also offers special twilight tours during the cooler months.
Note that fall foliage in this part of Lancaster County typically peaks in mid to late October, when the woodlands here have not quite hit the point of shedding their leaves for the season.
Lewisburg
Sitting on the banks of the Susquehanna River in the center of the state, Lewisburg is a renowned university town with an active downtown core, contrasting its quaint agrarian setting. If you are a student, or even just a college sports fan, Bucknell University’s events calendar adds concerts, lectures, and home football games that draw visitors throughout October. Moreover, the Campus Theatre, a restored 1941 Art Deco cinema, screens classic films throughout the colder months.
The downtown district along Market Street fills with seasonal activities, including the annual Lewisburg Fall Festival, featuring food vendors, crafts, and live music. Shoppers also frequent the Lewisburg Farmers Market for regionally made produce and other goods that are often best during the harvest season.
For an outdoor adventure, the Buffalo Valley Rail Trail boasts a highly accessible route for walking or cycling amongst the changing leaves of the area's fields and forests. And like usual in Pennsylvania, fall foliage usually hits its height from mid to late October, when the hills west of town crawl with sightseers, hikers, campers, and landscape photographers alike.
Jim Thorpe
Located in the heart of the Pocono Mountains, Jim Thorpe is one of Pennsylvania’s most visited towns throughout the year. Its abundance of well-maintained 19th-century architecture and steep, narrow streets gains even more character when the surrounding ridgelines are covered in red and gold leaves.
For what may be the best views of the area, the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway runs sightseeing trips through the nearby gorge, providing a hugely popular way to experience the region’s autumn landscapes. Trails in Lehigh Gorge State Park and Mauch Chunk Lake Park give additional opportunities to explore the area’s natural side on foot or bicycle, with hiking and biking routes that follow the river and a number that cross old rail bridges.
The Fall Foliage Festival, held over multiple weekends in October in Jim Thorpe, brings street vendors, live music, and open tours of notable historic local landmarks like the Asa Packer Mansion. Overall, between Jim Thorpe's preserved Victorian center and the dense woodlands around it, this wonderful community remains a top-tier example of how Pennsylvania's rural towns take on a new energy each fall.
Wellsboro
Wellsboro is widely recognized for its fall scenery and historic core. The town’s gas-lit Main Street, lined with early 20th-century storefronts, serves as a central hub for relaxing afternoon and evening strolls during October. Most visitors, however, arrive to explore nearby Pine Creek Gorge, often called the "Pennsylvania Grand Canyon." Leonard Harrison and Colton Point State Parks provide the best overlooks for viewing the gorge’s fall colors, which typically reach their peak in the first half of October. For hikers and cyclists, the Pine Creek Rail Trail also offers over 62 miles of forested pathways that display some of the most dramatic scenery anywhere to be found in the state, regardless of the time of year.
Local events such as the Wellsboro Fall Festival in September will give you the opportunity to try some local eats or embark on a carriage ride through the downtown district. "The Green," a small parkette found in the middle of town, also makes for a nice little walk, accentuated by the abundance of trees, historic sites, public art pieces, and other landmarks in and around it.
Milford
Resting at the edge of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, Milford draws consistent attention in the fall with its idyllic natural setting and plethora of seasonal activities. Dense forests in the Delaware Highlands reach their peak in mid-October, especially making drives along Route 209 and hikes to Raymondskill Falls popular during this time.
For history buffs, Grey Towers National Historic Site, the former home of Gifford Pinchot, remains open for guided tours and features expansive gardens surrounded by autumn color. Be sure to check out the Columns Museum of the Pike County Historical Society, too, a nice spot to spend some time indoors looking at a variety of collected artifacts and exhibits from the county's past.
The Black Bear Film Festival is another unique draw in town, held each fall at the historic. It showcases regional filmmakers and brings visitors from across the tri-state area to the iconic Milford Theater.
Stroudsburg
Stroudsburg, located just east of the Pocono Mountains near the New Jersey border, serves as a gateway to numerous nearby natural attractions, including Tobyhanna State Park and the Delaware Water Gap, where great leaf-peeping locations are abundant. For something a little more secluded, trails along Brodhead Creek and surrounding woodlands offer easy access for walking or cycling.
Like many towns on this list, weekend farmers' markets allow you to pick up locally grown produce and prepared foods, whether you're stocking up for Thanksgiving or you simply want to support local farms.
Experience Pennsylvania in Its Most Spectacular Time of Year
Pennsylvania is arguably one of the most scenic states in the fall season, regardless of whether you're exploring historic centers or strolling around nearby forests, farms, and rivers. Culturally speaking, each location mentioned above develops its own rhythm during this time of year through various festivals, events, and regional markets tied to the harvest.
Whether focused on culture or scenery, these towns perfectly showcase how autumn remains one of the Keystone State's most defining and participatory times of year.
