15 Scenic US National Parks to Visit in the Fall

Looking for some of the best national parks to visit in the fall? I have 15 amazing options for you! If you love to see the vibrant and varying colors of fall foliage, this is the best time to visit a national park in the United States, so use this list to plan your trip.

Traveling to any of these national parks to visit in the fall is great if you want to avoid the busy tourist season. If you’re headed to a warmer climate, you can enjoy more comfortable weather outdoors — and if you’re visiting a colder environment, this will be your last chance before you freeze your butt off.

Keep reading for my top picks for the best national parks to visit in the fall, but first here are some tips on how to visit the parks for less.

Want to explore some of these national parks to visit in the fall on a budget? Here are some tips.

Some national parks are free, but most have an entry fee that starts at $20 a person and above. There are some passes, however, that can basically get you into parks for nothing! There are a variety of annual or lifetime passes that offer free entry for certain groups of people:

• Current US military members, military veterans, and their immediate families
• 4th Graders (starting that school year through the following August)
• Seniors age 62-years and older
• Those with documented permanent disabilities
• Federal volunteers with 250 service hours

Simply pay a small registration fee for these passes and/or register for these passes online or in person at select locations listed on the National Park Service’s website. If none of these passes apply to you, there’s also the annual pass that pays for itself in just a few park visits each year!

1. Yosemite

By mid-September, Yosemite National Park in California is much less crowded than during the busy summer season. The weather is nice and cool, though nights get quite cold as the season progresses.

Yosemite features a mix of evergreen and deciduous trees. By mid-October, you can enjoy a vibrant foliage mix of yellows, oranges, and reds. This time of year, certain parts of the park are closed at night in case of snowfall, but others are open to you all year. Just check conditions before you head out.

2. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Located on the Island of Hawaii, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is home to 2 active volcanoes, but that’s just the beginning! You can go on lava tours, fly over the park, hike craters, see ancient petroglyphs, and more.

The park is a popular attraction, so expect visitors all year-round. However, fall is the shoulder season, and school is in session, which means some relief from crowds.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park covers a landmass that goes from sea level to an elevation of over 4,000 feet, so weather can vary greatly all year. At the highest elevations, expect misty, cool weather all year. But in the fall you can enjoy a break from high humidity levels and hot weather.

3. Mount Rainier

Mountain Rainer National Park is a popular summer destination in Washington, but it’s also absolutely stunning in the fall! Take in the bright reds and oranges of fall foliage with a background of evergreen trees, blue lakes, and snow-capped mountains.

A big tip for visiting this northeastern park in the fall is to go in September or early October. This is when the trees start showing their colors, and you can enjoy them up close with some amazing hikes.

You may be tempted to wait until autumnal colors peak in mid-October. Just keep in mind that by the end of October many trails will already be inaccessible to you due to snow. There are some trails that are open all year-round.

4. Zion

Zion National Park is one of the most popular national parks, making it very crowded with long lines during the summer. Instead, visit in the fall when the park is much less crowded. This also means the shuttles are convenient and much more comfortable to utilize.

Plus, the fall weather in southern Utah is milder with highs reaching only into the 70s. Enjoy great hikes, horseback riding, star gazing, and explore red sandstone canyons. Just imagine the crisp, cool air of fall and the stunning colors of the trees to add to the experience.

5. Death Valley

Avoid the extreme heat of the summer and visit Death Valley National Park in the fall. The weather becomes more comfortable, making for a great fall and winter camping season! You’ll find Death Valley in Central California along the Nevada border. It’s a mix of desert and mountains that are ideal for hiking and biking.

This is one of the best national parks to visit in the fall for the ranger programs that are rolled out in October and go through April. These free walking tours include things like hikes, educational talks, nature sightings, and stargazing.  

6. Joshua Tree

The next California park is perhaps one of the biggest hidden gems of fall travel! Joshua Tree National Park isn’t known as a premier fall destination, but it’s a great option. By October, you’re out of the 90s but still have warm, clear, sunny days to explore the park.

Plus, it’s much less busy than the popular spring and summer seasons. Enjoy some day hiking or rock climbing. You can camp all year long and enjoy clear nights for stargazing. Just make sure to bring plenty of layers for those chilly desert nights.

7. The Grand Tetons

Head to Wyoming to explore Grand Teton National Park from mid-September to early October. This is the perfect chance to enjoy lovely fall foliage in the park. Keep in mind that cooler weather brings rain to Wyoming, so you may not want to stay overnight.

Enjoy cool days full of hikes with stunning mountain views full of reds, oranges, and yellows of aspens and willows. Do some mountain climbing and explore historical buildings. Fall is also a great time to keep an eye out for elk and moose or do some birdwatching or enjoy a guided wildlife tour.

8. Great Basin

Great Basin National Park is a great choice for national parks to visit in the fall. It’s located in a large, secluded part of eastern Nevada. Be sure to come in September for good weather and minimal crowds (October snowfall and unpredictable frost is totally possible).

There are still campsites open until the winter, and Great Basin is a great place to catch views of the Milky Way at night. Fall is also pine nut gathering season, or you can take a tour of the underground Lehman Caves.

You can hike the Bristlecone Pine Glacier Trail to see Bristlecone Pines, the oldest lifeforms on earth. Take in the yellow and gold autumnal colors of the aspen trees when Nevada’s fall season peaks in mid-September.  

9. Grand Canyon

Visiting the Grand Canyon National Park in the fall can mean a lot of things. On the Southern Rim, crowds lessen with school back in session. The fall season is very competitive for rafting the canyon and camping at Phantom Ranch. But it’s much easier to get camping and tour reservations at the rim.

The Arizona park is one of the best national parks to visit in the fall because the summer monsoon season is past. You can enjoy cooler days on the rim, though the canyon floor can still reach the high 90s some days! People of all experience levels can find hikes at the Grand Canyon. Or you can view it from above on a helicopter tour.

Just keep in mind that much of the Northern Rim closes by mid-November due to freezing conditions. Plus, camping at the park can be challenging with dipping nighttime temperatures in the fall.

10. Rocky Mountain National Park

Of course, the iconic Rocky Mountain National Park makes this list of the best national parks to visit in the fall! The aspen-lined valleys covered in golden fall foliage with blue mountains towering beyond are picture perfect.

Breathe in the cool, crisp air of the season while you enjoy thinner crowds in the park. It’s also a great time to catch a peak of elk, which come down to the plains for mating season. Go on a safari tour to take in the scenery and wildlife. 

Most of the hiking trails are still open in the fall, as well as cycling and backpacking opportunities. Fishing is also a popular Rocky Mountain Park activity this time of year.

11. The Great Smoky Mountains

Head to the East Coast for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, nestled between Tennessee and North Carolina. There’s nothing else in the south that compares to the Great Smoky Mountains in the fall!

The fall is the mountains’ dry season, meaning you can enjoy a long, cool fall from late September through the middle of November. Visitors love the Great Smoky Mountains’ fall foliage, so you’ll have plenty of company.

Enjoy the cooler weather while you go on fall hikes through forests of maple, oak birch, and more. Or, if you’re in a car, go on a scenic drive along the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail through the park!

12. Mammoth Cave

Here’s one of the unexpected national parks to visit in the fall: a cave in Kentucky!

Mammoth Cave National Park is an amazing park in the heart of Kentucky. It’s full of thick green forests that turn stunning autumnal shades of deep red, orange, and yellow.

While the biggest draws are the fascinating caves and their pathways, there’s so much more to this park. In the fall, you can still enjoy miles of accessible trails of varying intensity levels. Camp through November in mountainous forests of maple trees covered in mossy rocks and fallen autumnal leaves.

If you want to do a cave tour in the fall, keep in mind that they’re on a more limited schedule with fewer tours. You’ll have to book it in advance, but it’s worth it!

13. Shenandoah

For peak fall foliage in the Shenandoah National Park, head down Skyline Drive in the middle of October. This is when the birch, poplar, and chestnut trees are exploding with all the autumn colors.

You can also find low and high-impact hikes at trailheads all along the parkway. Enjoy the fall scenery along with gorgeous waterfalls. Stay at campgrounds or hotel in or near the park. Before you go, don’t forget to picnic at an overlook off the parkway and enjoy the views.

14. Acadia

In Maine, Acadia National Park fall foliage intensifies in mid-October. One of the most visited national parks in the country, this is a busy season for the park on Mt. Desert Island. It’s one of the national parks to visit in the fall worth seeing–despite the crowds!

Enjoy the balmy cool weather of the fall while you choose from a variety of land and water sports. Hike the mountain trails and enjoy stunning gold and red foliage among the towering evergreen Eastern White Pines. And if you come in early fall, it’s still wet enough to go mushroom hunting!

15. Great Sand Dunes

There’s nothing quite like the views from the Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado in the fall! The aspen trees in the mountain ridge side of the park change colors and contrast with the tall sand dunes. It’s amazing to see how the foliage reflects off the sand and seems to change its color.

Fall in the Great Sand Dunes means amazing weather and fewer crowds, plus you’re past the summer thunderstorm season. Rent sand sleds from the visitor’s center through early fall, do some dune hiking, or hike the foothills to alpine lakes.

The weather is ideal for clear views of the Milky Way at night. You can reserve campsites at the Pinon Flats Campsite through October or you can book permits to backpack overnight throughout the year.

Which National Parks to Visit in the Fall will you choose?

My choices for the best national parks to visit in the fall range from high desert parks in the west to old forest parks in the east. In most cases, the parks are quieter and you can feel the calm vibes in the air with the end of the summer season.

Visiting the national parks in the fall offers amazing opportunities to enjoy the change of seasons. No matter which direction you go, you can take cooler weather, restless wildlife, and stunning colors you can’t see any other time.

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