The Best East Coast Beach Towns to Experience in Fall—Without the Summer Crowds

The perfect recipe for an East Coast getaway in the fall: leaf-peeping, salty sea air, and fresh seafood galore. I don’t know about you, but autumn is my favorite season, especially when the air is fresh and crisp, and the skies are bright blue, beautifully contrasted by colorful foliage.

Even better? A destination that combines beaches for peaceful strolls with the vibrant hues. With friends and family living in multiple locations along the East Coast, I’ve been fortunate to explore many of them, and these spots are particularly ideal. 

Located where mountains meet the country’s longest coastline, Acadia National Park offers the chance to admire colorful leaves right next to the ocean. Covering more than 47,000 acres, it’s spread across Mount Desert Island, the Schoodic Peninsula, and Isle au Haut, as well as being home to Cadillac Mountain, the tallest on the Atlantic Coast. By hiking to the over 1,500-foot-high peak (2.1 miles via the Cadillac North Ridge Trail), you can take in a panoramic view over the town of Bar Harbor, Frenchman Bay, and multiple islands. In autumn, you’ll see an array of yellows, oranges, and reds thanks to the birch, sugar maple, and red oak trees. If you aren’t up for a trek, you can take in the same view by driving 3.5 miles to the summit. 

After that awe-inspiring vista, head to Sand Beach on Mount Desert Island. The only sandy stretch in the park, the sand is mostly made up of shell fragments, resulting in unique pink hues. You’ll also find the beginning of the Ocean Path. It starts from the far end of the upper parking lot, running about 1.5 miles to Otter Cliff and Otter Point. Along the way is the Thunder Hole, where the waves make a thunderous crash into an underwater cave.

New Hampshire isn’t exactly a destination many think about when it comes to beaches, with less than 20 miles of coastline, but Portsmouth is just an hour north of Boston and is surrounded by beautiful sandy beaches. One of the oldest cities in the U.S., it was settled in 1623 and offers picturesque waterfront views and spectacular fall colors that can be enjoyed with a scenic drive along the Coastal Byway. You can also admire them during a stroll through Prescott Park with riverside views framed by autumn’s hues. For more scenic views and fall color, continue walking across the bridge to Pierce Island.

Cape Cod in October means the summer crowds have gone, yet days are often idyllic with plenty of sunshine, and the fall color will be at its peak. Enjoy some of the best foliage by driving Route 6A, which is lined by trees and charming villages. You might take a hike through the Mashpee Woodlands or visit Nickerson State Park in Brewster, where the oak and pine forests are splashed with magnificent color. The more adventurous might join a guided kayak tour, paddling Mashpee’s Popponesset River for more fantastic photo ops.

Cape Cod National Seashore, stretching for nearly 40 miles, is perfect for spending time on the sand. Chatham Lighthouse Beach is known for its coastal grasses with warm hues during the fall, while nearby walking trails offer more fall foliage viewing and outstanding photo ops, particularly when combined with the classic lighthouse.

The “jewel of the Maine coast,” Camden is known for its postcard-perfect looks, something that’s caught the eye of the film industry. It’s been featured in several movies, including 2001’s “In the Bedroom.” There are several beaches in town, including Laite Memorial Beach, a local gem with views of the harbor where you can watch the sailboats glide in and out. With rolling hills meeting the Atlantic, you’ll also find a unique fall color palette. Camden Hills State Park is the top spot for leaf peeping, with more than 10,000 acres of forest and several hiking trails for enjoying the color, including the 1.1-mile Mount Battie Trail, where you’ll find a panoramic vista at the summit. 

Located 30 miles off the Cape Cod coast, Nantucket Island can be accessed by a scenic ferry ride, bringing the chance to enjoy its 82 miles of pristine beaches, like Jetties Beach, Madaket Beach, and Nobadeer Beach. In the fall, they’re much quieter while the yellow grasses of the moors and the bright red huckleberry leaves create a serene backdrop. 

The autumn foliage is spectacular, with the island landscapes transformed into a work of art thanks to Mother Nature, displaying reds, oranges, and golds. Great Point and Sankaty lighthouses are both even more impressive in the fall, providing outstanding photo ops with golden foliage. You’ll find even more simply by wandering the cobbled streets of the Nantucket historic district, with over 800 pre-Civil War homes and colorful trees.

The small town of Charlestown is renowned for its beaches along Rhode Island’s southern coast, including East Beach. One of the least developed in the state, it’s the perfect place for a stroll, spanning three miles as a barrier beach that separates the ocean from Ninigret Pond. 

Once summer has faded, you can enjoy the beach with few others around and then take in brilliant fall foliage, with maple, beech, poplar, and cypress trees displaying hues that range from scarlet to golden yellow. You have many options for enjoying them, including a walk around Watchaug Pond in Burlingame State Park, which reflects the colorful trees and the blue sky. You’ll see the most vibrant shades during the first few weeks of October. With the Applumpkin Fall Festival typically held on a Saturday during the first half of the month, you might even plan a trip around it, with hay rides, a corn hole tournament, food trucks, local handcrafted items, entertainment, activities for the kids, and more.

A Victorian-era seaside resort town, Cape May is a popular summer vacation destination with beaches popular for sunbathing, surfing, combing, and more. But they can also be enjoyed in the autumn, when the historic lighthouses in the area provide breathtaking views of the changing colors, Delaware Bay, and the Atlantic. Cape May Lighthouse in Cape May Point State Park is the most popular—climb to the top and you’ll see a blanket of orange, gold, and red. 

Just a short walk from the lighthouse is Sunset Beach, where you can discover shipwrecks, look for quartz crystals referred to as “Cape May diamonds,” and watch a glorious sunset. Beyond the beaches and foliage, in town, you can take a horse-drawn carriage ride or trolley tour along the cobbled streets. 

There are many places on Long Island to enjoy beaches and landscapes that are transformed into a tapestry of colors in the fall. Located on a picturesque peninsula that extends into Long Island Sound, Caumsett State Park Preserve offers sandy beach and miles of scenic paths for walking, hiking, and biking. With dogwoods, hickory, and maples, the canopy of leaves will be popping with brilliant hues. Orient Beach State Park is another scenic spot with a maritime forest and diverse trees with gorgeous foliage near the shoreline, where the color is enhanced by waterfront views.

In Delaware, Rehoboth Beach is one of the best places to be for enjoying the sand and autumn foliage. Its boardwalk, one of the best in the entire country, is lined with shops and restaurants that are open in the fall and beyond, yet it will be quieter than it is during the busy summer months. Nearby at Cape Henlopen State Park, you’ll find a mix of beach and forested areas for leaf peeping, while the Lewes Historic Byway provides a scenic drive for more. Plus, during the peak foliage time, typically from mid-October through early November, there are some fun seasonal events like the Sea Witch Festival featuring costume contests for humans and pets, live entertainment, parades, vendors, and more. 

Maryland’s eastern shore is home to Elk Neck State Park, where you’ll find sandy beaches perfect for a picnic with scenic views. There are also wooded bluffs that overlook Chesapeake Bay, the Elk River, and the North East River. A tranquil stroll around the park is the perfect way to take in the colors, while the 35-foot-high Turkey Point Lighthouse, built in 1833 at the southern tip of the Delmarva Peninsula, provides more spectacular views of the foliage, the bay, and the rivers. 

The heart of Virginia Beach is its oceanfront, with powdery sands stretching for three miles along the Atlantic coast. With an average high of 71 degrees in October, it may even be warm enough for a refreshing dip in the surf. A boardwalk runs along the beach, ideal for strolling and biking, with food vendors and street performers almost always here on a pleasant day. 

No matter what the weather, you’ll find many seafood eateries, while First Landing State Park near the North End Beaches is a favorite for viewing fall foliage. For a short, rewarding climb, hit the High Dune Trail, which leads to a forested ridge showcasing stunning colors. The Cape Henry Trail offers more scenic views and links to other trails, including the Osmanthus and Bald Cypress trails, for a longer trek.

The Outer Banks are home to some of the best beaches on the East Coast, and Nags Head is the best spot for fall foliage in the region. There are over 40 public access points to the miles and miles of sand, ideal for strolling, kite-flying, and much more. Nearby, Nags Head Wood Preserve is home to a unique maritime forest with towering oaks, beeches, and hickories rising from the high ridge, creating a canopy of trees that are blanketed in color from around mid-October through early November. There are eight trails for exploring, ranging from just 0.2 miles to three miles in length.