Fall color isn’t always where you expect to find it.
Quick story: The assignment from a wise assigner, years ago, was to do a story on fall color at Yosemite National Park. Got there, and everything Yosemite was supposed to have was present that day in mid-October: Half Dome, El Capitan, waterfalls, all of it.
And from Glacier Point, one of the world’s great overlooks and the logical place to spot anything resembling fall color in Yosemite — no fall color.
So we asked a ranger, Where is the very best place to see fall color? He winced.
“People come up to me all the time, and they look around and they say, ‘We came for the fall colors. Where are they?’ And I (point toward Nevada and) go, ‘That way, about 3,000 miles.’ “
What follows is information on fall color at a few of our 59 official U.S. national parks. This isn’t a ranking (it’s alphabetical) nor a comprehensive list — yes, we know about the color at the Tetons and Hot Springs and whichever other park we’ll be accused of overlooking. But this curated collection spanning coast to coast is a good place to start. Peak color times are variable; check the park websites in season for color updates.
And yes, there was some fall color at Yosemite.
Acadia National Park: Maine
The sea and shoreline draw crowds here even after the kids are back in school, but come fall, the mix of hardwoods — maple, beech, oak, aspen — and contrasting evergreens brings a startling beauty of its own. The roads and trails (coastal and forest) provide easy access to much of what sets Acadia apart from your world; bicyclists will feel especially blessed pedaling around Eagle Lake on roads where motor vehicles are unwelcome; nps.gov/acad.
Best time: Late September to mid-October
Best peep spot: Anywhere along Park Loop Road
Cuyahoga Valley National Park: Ohio
Still kind of a secret outside the Buckeye State, the park (opened in 2000) is at its absolute best during fall color season. White and red oak, maple, aspen and dogwood are the stars, and the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail (20 miles of the 85-mile trail are in the park) is ideal for bicyclists (in combination, or not, with the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad’s service) or wheel-free civilians; nps.gov/cuva.
Best time: Early October
Best peep spot: The Ledges Overlook, Ledges Trail
Denali National Park: Alaska
There’s an element of risk here, because the weather can be so extreme and unpredictable and services are limited after mid-September. The tradeoffs: Private cars, restricted in summer, are allowed deeper into the park until the snow gets serious. Though the aspen, oak, maple and birch begin putting on a show in early September, it’s the tundra plants — the low shrubs — that turn red in August and assure you you’re not in Connecticut anymore; nps.gov/dena.
Best time: Late August, early September
Best peep spot: Denali Park Road, around Mile 2
Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Tennessee/North Carolina
Absolutely one of the best of the parks for fall color, not only because of the sugar maples, beech, birch, poplars, dogwood and more, but because of this: Thanks to trees at a broad range of elevations, from late September into early November there’s color somewhere in the Smokies. Fires near Gatlinburg late last year scorched some areas; a few trails may remain closed, but no worries — there are 848 of them; nps.gov/grsm.
Best time: Mid-October
Best peep spot: Newfound Gap
Rocky Mountain National Park: Colorado
Above the tree line, the tundra vegetation dazzles early in the changing season. Peepers accustomed to the oranges and reds of the Northeast and Midwest can be blinded by the brilliant gold of the quaking aspen that shimmers in the Rocky Mountain sunshine — but beware: Big winds as October approaches can strip the trees in a day. And fall-color weekend crowds can be nuts; nps.gov/romo.
Best time: Late September to early October
Best peep spot: Trail Ridge Road
Shenandoah National Park: Virginia
The absolute no-brainer of national park leaf-peeping — from the meadows that ease into golds and browns at the first tickle of autumn chill to the riot of deciduous show-time that makes the Skyline Drive irresistible. The popularity of that 105-mile road and a 35 mph speed limit can make for slow going in any season; in fall, that’s a given. Overlooks are frequent, trails abound and the season ends reluctantly. Ash, maple, oak, sumac, hickory, plus shrubs and ivies and bears. Oh, my; nps.gov/shen.
Best time: Second and third weeks of October
Best peep spot: Stony Man Overlook
Yosemite National Park: California
Mr. Ranger was right: The best is mostly outside the park boundaries. Near the park’s Tioga Pass entrance, stands of bright yellow aspen quiver in the sun. Within Yosemite, the color pops here and there — but fortunate visitors who look downward near water and along trails and roadsides will be rewarded with ferns and shrubs turning brilliant orange, red and gold; nps.gov/yose.
Best time: Mid- to late October
Best peep spot: Bridalveil Fall Trail
Alan Solomon is a freelance writer.
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