9 Great National Parks for Fall Hiking

Even if you aren’t into hiking, you can still have an adventure at this park on the border of Canada. An incredibly scenic drive on the Going-To-The-Sun Road is worth the trip to Glacier National Park, even if you don’t want to explore on foot. The landscape, which straddles a continental divide, is known to be exquisite in the fall.

Or you can hike along 700 miles of trails that skirt clear lakes, melting glaciers, alpine meadows, and heaps of stunning fall foliage. There’s also whitewater rafting, scenic flights over epic vistas, and horseback riding. You can even rent a moped if you want to cover more ground.

There’s a reason people should flock here in the fall. The dramatic colors of the leaves turning plus a a respite from Utah’s summer heat make a walk in the park here feel magical. Zion National Park is also less crowded in summer.

Take in a hike to see the stunning autumnal juxtaposition of cottonwood trees and steep red, cream, and pink sandstone walls on one of the park’s many storied trails. Or bike up Zion Canyon to take in magnificent views of The Watchman Spire, which rises some 2,200 feet above the overlook below. This park is perfect for camping, walking, or mountain biking.

Yes, you read that right. Death Valley may be on your do-not-enter list during summer, but as the weather cools, temperatures drop from scorching triple digits to highs in the 80s. The best time of year to visit starts in November and extends to March, but the cooldown starts in October. That’s when it can still be a bit hot during the day, but chills in the evening without getting too cold. Then you can take in the beauty of the stark landscape of the valley and Furnace Creek from Dante’s View. Or roam near the colorful slopes of Artist’s Palette or other striking formations in this large park.

Just keep an eye on the temperature forecast before you decide your trip dates.

Located along Maine’s rugged and remote Atlantic Coast, Acadia National Park is one of the most beautiful wildernesses in the eastern U.S. This is particularly true in the fall, when the trees explode with an array of vibrant colors. Most visitors during that time of year come to make the drive to the top of Cadillac Mountain, the highest peak in the park. But you can avoid the traffic jam by hiking up the Cadillac North Ridge Trail instead. The trail isn’t particularly long at just 4.4 miles round trip, but the route is steep at times. It rises all the way up to the 1,528-foot summit where views of the ocean and forest meet. Get there before dawn and you’ll even have the chance to be one of the first people in North America to witness the sunrise that day.

Colorado’s famous aspen trees turn a spectacular golden hue come fall, and there are few places more well suited to see them than Rocky Mountain National Park. The snowcapped peaks of the surrounding mountains make a dramatic backdrop for the prolific aspens, which take on a warm glow in the autumn sun. There are plenty of hiking trails to choose from in the park, and nearly all of them are fantastic options for a fall outing. But one of the absolute best is the 10-mile roundtrip trek to the top of Mt. Ida, a 12,880-foot mountain that offers breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape, including several deep-blue alpine lakes. This trek is a bit on the challenging side, particularly as you near the top, but the payoff is certainly well worth the effort.

With more than 850 miles of trail inside the park, the Great Smoky Mountains are a fantastic place to hike all year long. But autumn paints the birch, oak, and maple trees there in vibrant shades of red, orange, and yellow, making it a special time to visit indeed. It is also the perfect time of year to hike to the top of Mt. Cammerer, an 11.1-mile roundtrip walk that includes more than 3,000 feet of vertical gain. Reach the summit and you’ll find some of the most breathtaking views in the entire park as the Smokey Mountains stretch out in all directions around you.

One of the common misconceptions about Texas that it is composed mostly of dry and dusty environments. In reality, the massive state has a wide variety of landscapes to offer, including some lovely forests that provide a stunning splash of color each fall. Following a long, hot summer, autumn brings some much needed relief to West Texas, making it the perfect time to visit the Guadalupe Mountains National Park–home of Guadalupe Peak. At 8,751 feet, it is the highest point in the state, and the trek to the top can be quite a slog even in cooler temperatures. The McKittrick Canyon Trail is a nice alternative however, crossing through both desert settings and canyon woodlands along its 4.8-mile route. In the fall, the trees that are found there not only provide excellent shade, but some bright colors to enjoy along the way too.

With its numerous stands of aspen, cottonwood, and willow trees, Grand Teton National Park puts on quite a colorful show each fall. The picturesque Teton Range dominates the horizon overhead with snowcapped summits casting long shadows over the landscape below. The park is home to bear, moose, elk, and numerous other animal species too, many of which are highly active in the fall. If you go for a hike during the autumn, there is a good chance you will spot some wildlife, particularly if you make the walk to Lake Solitude. This 15.3-mile trail isn’t easy, but it’s certainly scenic. Along the way, you’ll even pass by both Jenny Lake and Hidden Falls, which at 100 feet in height is one of the tallest waterfalls in the entire park.

More than 100 miles of the Appalachian Trail pass directly through the heart of Shenandoah National Park, and during the fall a steady stream of thru-hikers can usually be seen marching across the area. They’re treated to some outstanding views of the fiery sassafras trees and the multicolored sumacs, which are typically ablaze with color during the autumn months. One of the best hikes in the entire park is the Stony Man Loop, an easy 3.7-mile path that takes visitors to the top of a 3,000-foot cliff that overlooks the entire Shenandoah Valley below. It is an impressive sight to say the least, especially during the most colorful season of them all.