Methodology: How this guide was produced
A list of 75 U.S. destinations renowned for their fall foliage scenery and for which internal exclusive HomeToGo vacation rental price and traveler demand data was compiled. In order to rank these destinations, four data points were researched: the median nightly cost per person for vacation accommodation, the search volume for vacation rental stays in the area, each park's scenic appeal, and the number of plant species in each destination. After obtaining the raw data, each data point was assigned a representative numerical value between 5 and 10, with 5 representing the lowest data point and 10 representing the highest data point. The hypothetical "perfect score" would be 40 out of 40. The following equation was used in order to calculate this for every factor:
Score(i) = 5 · (x(i) - xmin ) / (xmax - xmin ) + 5
Affordability Score: Exclusive internal HomeToGo cost data was used to find the median nightly price per person for vacation accommodation in each area with a check-in date between September 22, 2025 - December 21, 2025. The area with the lowest median nightly price per person was awarded a maximum score of 10, and the remaining locations were awarded a score of 5 or higher.
Hidden Gem Score: Exclusive internal HomeToGo demand data was used to find the search volume for vacation rental stays in each area with a check-in date between September 22, 2025 - December 21, 2025. The area with the lowest search volume was awarded a maximum score of 10, and the remaining locations were awarded a score of 5 or higher.
Scenic Score: Flickr was used to find the number of photographs featuring each area's foliage as the subject. The most frequently photographed destination was given a score of 10, and the remaining areas were awarded a score of 5 or higher.
Flora Score: Information from iNaturalist was used to pinpoint the number of observed plant species in each area. The area with the most species was given a score of 10, and the remaining areas were awarded a score of 5 or higher.
Data was collected in August 2025 and is subject to change.