The Most Scenic College Campuses in the Fall
Fall is one of the most beautiful times of year to visit or live on a college campus. The leaves change color, the air is crisp, and comfy sweaters come out of hiding. When you’re on one of the most scenic campuses in the fall, it feels like you’ve stepped out of your dorm room and into a scene from a movie or a page in a book. Here are a few of the top most scenic campuses in the US (spoiler alert: several are in New England and the Northeast, much to no surprise):
Williams College is a private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts. The campus is known for its stunning natural beauty, with its rolling hills, lush forests, and tranquil lakes. Its walkable campus offers up trees in brilliant shades of red, orange, and yellow, creating a truly breathtaking sight each fall.
Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college located in Middlebury, Vermont. The campus is situated in the heart of the famous Green Mountains, and it offers stunning views of the surrounding countryside. When the leaves change in the fall, it creates a truly magical scene that is not one to miss.
Dartmouth College is a private liberal arts college located in Hanover, New Hampshire. The campus is known for its beautiful Georgian architecture and its idyllic setting on the banks of the Connecticut River. The leaves changing in the fall create a stunning contrast to the white bricks of Dartmouth Hall, one of the first buildings at the college built in 1784.
Colgate University is a private liberal arts college located in Hamilton, New York. The campus is known for its beautiful Collegiate Gothic architecture and its picturesque setting on the shores of Colgate Lake. With its walkways engulfed by mature trees, the campus provides a showstopper visual experience every fall.
The College of the Holy Cross is a private liberal arts college located in Worcester, Massachusetts. Despite being nestled in the middle of a large bustling city, the New England charm shines through on the campus each fall.
Located in Greenville, South Carolina, this campus is right on the banks of the Reedy River and surrounded by rolling tree-filled hills, which, you can imagine, offer up quite the scene each autumn season.
Historical charm coupled with gorgeous scenery?! Yes, please! The University of Notre Dame is a private Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, Indiana. Known for its beautiful Collegiate Gothic architecture and its iconic Golden Dome, each fall, the campus comes alive with vibrant hues of red, orange, yellow, and green.
Tree-lined walkways set with benches to just sit and reflect, Kenyon College is a campus worth visiting when the leaves start to change color. This private liberal arts college is located in Gambier, Ohio within the picturesque setting on the banks of the Kokosing River.
Nestled within New York’s Finger Lakes Region, Cornell University, a private Ivy League research university located in Ithaca, New York, offers up a walkable campus right on Lake Cayuga. On top of the campus’ botanical gardens, the colors of the leaves setting against its historic buildings are an experience worth making if you’re visiting upstate New York.
Set on the banks of the Bloomington Reservoir, the site of Indiana University was specifically chosen for its natural beauty. While the campus has grown since opening in 1884, the original space, known as Dunn’s Woods remains, “ a constant example of lush, southern Indiana woodland even as the campus has expanded beyond the Old Crescent.” As you can imagine, a space like this transforms into an autumn dream each year.
Of course, these are only a few of the most scenic college campuses in the fall. When we think of college campuses, we think of fall weather and relaxing on the campus quad, reading a book or throwing a frisbee. Anyone who has gone to or visited a college campus can remember its beauty!
Did you attend a college with a scenic fall campus? Let us know in the comments below!
Cover photo by Cloris Ying on Unsplash
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