Heritage Road Trips: Fall Foliage Viewing in Indiana's Amish Country

If you’re planning a fall foliage viewing trip, Elkhart County (Indiana’s Amish country) is a scenic and heritage-rich option. Peak color-viewing time is the end of September through mid-October, and Elkhart County’s Heritage Trail takes you through the heart of some of the Midwest’s most picturesque countryside.

The Heritage Trail self-guided audio driving tour is an ideal way to enjoy fall color while hearing the story of this area’s history and heritage and learning interesting and fun facts about the area along the way. Better yet, the entertaining narrative also gives turn-by-turn directions to help you follow the route.

The Heritage Trail begins in Elkhart, and the route follows the St. Joseph River. Martin’s Landing in Elkhart is a great spot to see the wide expanse of water with vibrant fall colors reflected there.

The route continues to historic Bonneyville Mill, the centerpiece of Bonneyville Mill County Park. The barn-red mill provides the perfect backdrop for the sycamore, ash, cottonwood, oak, maple and walnut trees that fill the park. The mill stays in operation and grinds flour through October. Take a free tour and buy a bag of freshly ground flour.

The route travels through rural Amish country past tidy farms and fields that change from green to golden. You’ll often see more buggies than cars on these rural roads, and in autumn Amish men guide huge teams of Belgian workhorses in perfect precision as they work the fields. Stop for freshly picked apples, pumpkins and sweet apple cider at roadside stands and country stores along the way.

The city of Goshen is dubbed “Maple City” and for good reason. Huge maple trees alive with color line neighborhood streets. Kercher's Harvest Fest Oct. 11-12, provides family fun at one of Indiana’s largest orchards (on CR 38). Find free hayrides, you-pick apples, pumpkins, food and entertainment.

The route travels to Nappanee where Amish Acres, a historic Amish farmstead in the National Register, celebrates Fall Harvest Days through October. Scarecrows, corn stalks and pumpkins decorate walkways, apple butter bubbles, and the farm’s historic cider mill rumbles into action.

Follow the route into Wakarusa, where a towering “Pumpkin Tree” built with more than 200 pumpkins decorates the center of town Oct. 9-25.





Jackie Hughes
Elkhart County, Indiana Convention & Visitors Bureau

Photos courtesy of the Elkhart County, Indiana Convention & Visitors Bureau