Autumn is a picture-perfect time to take a scenic drive through the Valley Forge area and Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Leaf peep, pick produce, shop or just enjoy all Mother Nature, and the area's attractions, deliver each fall.


View the 3,600-acre explosion of gold, red and orange that is Valley Forge National Historical Park in October, the best place to begin. Then, marvel the majestic maples that flank the entryway of John James Audubon Center at Mill Grove wildlife sanctuary, set along the Perkiomen Creek. From Mill Grove, visit Willow Creek Orchards, a certified organic fruit and vegetable farm. Dig in, get your hands dirty and harvest the season's bounty. Enjoy a scenic hay ride, pick and paint your own pumpkin and navigate the dizzying five-acre corn maze at Merrymead Farm.

From Merrymead, find Freddy Hill Farms and Family Fun Center in Lansdale, where weekends feature pig races, hay rides, pumpkin picking and delicious hand-dipped ice cream. Then follow Sumneytown Pike/Route 63 West to a left on to Old Forty Foot Road. Go right on Route 73 West and pass historic Skippack Village and Pennypacker Mills. Cross over the Perkiomen Creek Bridge, make a left onto Route 29 South and pay close attention as a colorful mountain of mums emerges on the right at Ott's Exotic Plants. This unique botanical gem also features a waterfall and a winding walk-up trail. Return to Valley Forge and enjoy an equally scenic drive back.

For more information contact the Valley Forge Convention & Visitors Bureau at (610) 834-1550 or info@valleyforge.org.