Courtesy Visit Bucks Co.
U.S. Hot Air Balloon Team
Bucks County, Pennsylvania
On the eastern edge of Pennsylvania, just north of Philadelphia, Bucks County has a wealth of woodland and an abundance of ways for group visitors to experience fall foliage. Perhaps the most exhilarating is a fall balloon ride with the U.S. Hot Air Balloon Team, a crew of pilots and balloons that operate sightseeing flights in the area.
“Flights are available year-round, but October is the most popular month to enjoy a hot air balloon ride because of Bucks County’s breathtaking fall foliage,” said Jessica Lawlor, marketing and communications coordinator for Visit Bucks County. “From the hot air balloon, visitors will enjoy views of the bucolic Bucks County countryside, including vineyards, horse farms, the Delaware River and more. On a clear day, riders may see the silhouette of the New York City skyline.”
The flight experience lasts about three hours from start to finish, including an hour in the air and a celebration afterward with a champagne toast. Planners can opt for a morning flight that departs around 6:00 and evening flights that depart between 4:30 and 5:30. Each balloon basket holds between four and 10 people, but the company has enough pilots and balloons to take a group of up to 70 people flying at the same time.
Travelers who prefer not to fly can enjoy the area’s foliage in a number of other ways. New Hope and Ivyland Railroad offers two-and-a-half-hour fall foliage excursions aboard 1920s traincars every weekend in October. And the Bucks County Riverboat Company takes passengers on sightseeing tours on the tree-lined Delaware River.
