4 Scenic Fall Foliage Drives In and Around Southeast and Eastern Idaho

It’s FALL, Y’ALL! What better way to celebrate the new season than to go leaf peeping?! Idaho and the Intermountain West in general is no New England with its swaths of deciduous trees as far as the eye can see, but we do have our own beautiful fall foliage—you just might have to drive a ways to find it. The changing colors of the aspen trees here are a must-see!

At the end of September, Korri and I took off for a long weekend away in southeast Idaho, northern Utah, and western Wyoming and saw miles of beautiful fall colors. I was absolutely ecstatic, as a portion of our route was one we hadn’t done before so I didn’t know what to expect. I was really hoping the leaves would be popping—and they were! 😍 It was UNREAL.

Our trip took us through Logan, Utah, and Yellowstone and Grand Teton in Wyoming. Here are 4 scenic driving routes where the foliage was near peak at the end of September (plus two bonus routes!), and even though most of the drives are not in Idaho itself, all of the drives are a short distance from southeast and eastern Idaho! I’m sure there are even more drives in the area with radiant fall color that we didn’t get to. I can’t wait to go back to the area and explore even more!

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4 Scenic Fall Foliage Drives Near Idaho

1. Logan Canyon, Utah

Logan Canyon is the section of US Highway 89 between Logan, Utah, and Garden City, Utah (a town on the western side of Bear Lake). This drive is incredible at any time of year but WOW was it beautiful in late September! Logan Canyon was really showing off with its vibrant shades of green, yellow, and orange. I had a hard time not taking pictures and videos the whole 50-minute drive, haha. (Don’t worry, I wasn’t driving. 😉 Pullouts are plentiful if you are driving and want photos!)

This canyon is easily accessible from southeast Idaho, making it a fun fall foliage day trip! From Pocatello, head south on I-15, then take US Highway 91 south through Preston and the Cache Valley down to Logan. In Logan, turn east on Highway 89 and enjoy!

2. Highway 89, Utah/Idaho/Wyoming

Logan Canyon is not the only beautiful part of US Highway 89! We followed this highway all the way into Yellowstone (east of Hoback, Wyoming, it meets up with US Highway 191). The whole drive is beautiful, as you can imagine, but I mention this highway specifically for the section between Montpelier, Idaho, and Hoback. We had not ever done this drive before and it was lovely. Star Valley, Wyoming is beautiful! I was especially impressed with the canyon between Alpine and Hoback (east of the Palisades Reservoir).

Highway 89 is accessible at Logan, Utah, and at multiple other points from southeast and eastern Idaho. If you’re going to Montpelier from Pocatello, head south on I-15, east on US Highway 30, and east on Highway 89 in Montpelier. From Idaho Falls, take US Highway 26 to the Alpine Junction.

3. Grand Targhee, Idaho/Wyoming

Korri and I stayed our last night in Driggs, Idaho, which is a small town on the western side of the Tetons. Before heading home, we drove up to Grand Targhee Resort, which is located about 25 minutes from town on the border of Wyoming. The fall color the whole drive up to the resort was UNREAL. There were aspens everywhere (there was even a neighborhood with aspen-themed street names, haha). It was definitely worth the short detour! Don’t forget to stop at the overlook to grab a photo of the western side of the Tetons. (They aren’t visible from the base of the resort.)

To get to Grand Targhee from Idaho Falls, head north on US Highway 20 to ID Highway 33 at Sugar City. Head east to Driggs, then turn east on Ski Hill Road (the only streetlight in town). Another option from Idaho Falls is to head north on US Highway 26 to Swan Valley, then head north on ID Highway 31 through mountains. In Victor, head north on Highway 33 to Driggs.

4. Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

The drive through Grand Teton National Park is the quintessential fall foliage drive—and it’s easy to get to from eastern Idaho! I cannot get over the fall color here. We visited Grand Teton the same weekend in 2020 and it was just as beautiful, so I definitely recommend doing a trip in mid to late September if you can swing it. It seemed like the leaves were peaking while we were there.

There truly is not a bad place to stop to grab a few photos, but this time we prioritized the Oxbow Bend overlook because it was one we had skipped in the past due to it being very popular. This overlook is right off of the highway (past the entrance station, so you would need to pay $35 per vehicle or bring along your annual pass!). If you want to avoid the entrance fee, drive along Highway 26/89/191 north from Jackson to Moran, then turn around and head back!

BONUS: 2 MORE SCENIC FALL FOLIAGE DRIVES!

5. Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

And just for fun, I couldn’t not mention the beautiful fall color in Yellowstone National Park! There are a number of aspens mingling with the pine trees that create such a striking color contrast in the fall. If you’re feeling ambitious, do a day trip (drive) through the park starting in eastern Idaho (and head south through Grand Teton to hit another beautiful area for foliage!).

6. Yellowstone East Entrance to Cody, Wyoming

Korri and I spent part of our full day in Yellowstone leaving the park. Haha! We drove out the east entrance to Cody because we did that drive in summer 2018 and remembered how amazing it was. The geology is the main feature on this drive but there are sections with incredible fall color. This drive is a little farther out from Idaho but it’s an excellent scenic drive if you’re headed east!

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