These national parks practically burst with color in fall

National parks tend to be associated with summer road trips, but some of them save their best scenery for fall. Forests turn red, orange, and gold, temperatures become more comfortable, and trails are less crowded. 

From lakeside forests in Maine to golden aspen groves in Wyoming, these are nine of the best national parks for fall foliage.

Acadia National Park, Maine

Acadia National Park's fall colors come with a bonus: rugged mountains, granite cliffs, and the deep blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The park began as Sieur de Monts National Monument in 1916 and became Lafayette National Park in 1919. It received its current name in 1929, making it the first national park east of the Mississippi River.

More than 1,100 plant species grow within Acadia's borders. In fall, red and sugar maples provide brilliant reds, oranges, and yellows, while birch and aspen turn gold. Evergreen spruce, fir, and pine keep the scene from becoming one solid block of color.

Jordan Pond is one of the prettiest places to see the leaves reflected in the water, especially when the Bubbles rise behind them. The Park Loop Road offers an easy overview, while Cadillac Mountain provides sweeping views across Mount Desert Island. The carriage roads are another excellent choice for a quieter walk or bike ride beneath the changing trees.

Best time to visit:Fall color is expected to be strongest from early to mid-October, with Acadia typically reaching peak color between the first and third weeks of the month.

Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

Shenandoah National Park was established in 1935, when former farmland and heavily logged areas were still recovering. Today, the park is more than 95 percent forested , and those regenerated woods put on one of the country's biggest fall shows.

Maples, hickories, oaks, black gums, sassafras, tulip poplars, and dogwoods turn the Blue Ridge Mountains into layers of red, burgundy, orange, and gold. 

The easiest way to take it all in is along 105-mile Skyline Drive , the only public road through the park. Dozens of overlooks face the Shenandoah Valley and the rolling ridges beyond. Hawksbill Summit, Stony Man, and Mary's Rock offer even broader views for those willing to hike. Dark Hollow Falls combines fall foliage with one of the park's most popular waterfalls.

Best time to visit:The strongest color is expected from mid-October through early November, although higher elevations along Skyline Drive will turn first.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee and North Carolina

Established in 1934, Great Smoky Mountains National Park protects one of the most biologically diverse temperate forests in North America. That diversity is exactly what makes fall here so impressive. Instead of one dominant color, the mountains become a patchwork created by roughly 100 species of native trees.

Sugar maples explode with hues of orange and scarlet, hickories and tulip poplars turn yellow, and scarlet oaks, red maples, sourwoods, and sweetgums bring deep shades of red and burgundy. 

Kuwohi, formerly known as Clingmans Dome, offers enormous views from the park's highest point. Newfound Gap Road crosses the mountains and passes through several elevations, making it possible to see different stages of color on one drive. Cades Cove, the Foothills Parkway, and Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail are equally beautiful, especially early in the morning.

Best time to visit:Higher elevations should begin turning in early October, with the most widespread color expected from mid-October through early November.

Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio

Cuyahoga Valley was protected as a national recreation area in 1974 and was named a national park in 2000. Although it sits between Cleveland and Akron, much of the park feels surprisingly removed from city life. Forested ravines, waterfalls, wetlands, and the winding Cuyahoga River make the autumn colors feel especially lush.

Sugar and red maples lead the show with fiery shades of red, yellow, and orange. White and pin oaks follow with russet and reddish-brown leaves, while hazelnut and witch hazel add late-season yellow beneath the taller trees. At Brandywine Falls, evergreen hemlocks provide a dramatic contrast to the red maples surrounding the gorge .

Ledges Overlook is one of the best places for a wide view across the valley, particularly late in the season when the oaks reach peak color. The nearly level Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail runs through miles of forest, and Kendall Lake is a favorite spot for fall photography. The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad offers another way to see the leaves without spending the day behind the wheel.

Best time to visit:Peak color is expected around the third week of October, making Oct. 17-25 the safest window for a foliage trip.

New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, West Virginia

New River Gorge became a national park and preserve in 2020, although much of the area had been protected as a national river since 1978. The park follows more than 50 miles of the New River as it cuts through the forested Appalachian Plateau, creating steep canyon walls that seem built for fall color.

The surrounding hardwood forest contains red and sugar maples, oaks, hickories, beech, birch, black gum, and tulip poplar. Together, they produce bright yellow, gold, orange, crimson, and deep wine-red leaves, usually with plenty of green mixed in from hemlocks and rhododendrons.

Grandview is aptly named. Its overlooks, the highest in the park, look down on a horseshoe-shaped bend in the river and are particularly colorful in October. The Endless Wall Trail passes through hemlock forest before reaching Diamond Point above the gorge. Long Point frames the New River Gorge Bridge with colorful hillsides, while Fayette Station Road drops into the canyon for a closer look at the river and forest.

Best time to visit:The gorge is expected to reach its best color in late October, with Oct. 20-31 offering the strongest chance of catching peak foliage.

Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota

In 1975, Voyageurs National Park was established and named for the French Canadian fur traders who once traveled through the region by canoe. Water still defines the park. Its 218,000 acres contain lakes, islands, streams, wetlands, and rocky shorelines, which means many of its best fall views are seen from a boat.

The forests mix white and red pine, spruce, fir, jack pine, aspen, birch, and red maple. Aspens and birches turn the shorelines bright yellow and gold, while maples add splashes of red and orange. The evergreens hold onto their deep green color, creating the classic North Woods combination that looks especially striking when reflected in still water.

Rainy Lake, Kabetogama Lake, Namakan Lake, and Sand Point Lake all provide expansive views of the changing forest. The Oberholtzer Trail near Rainy Lake Visitor Center is an easy option on land, while the Blind Ash Bay Trail passes through mixed forest near Kabetogama Lake.

Best time to visit:Northern Minnesota turns early, and the best color is expected from mid- to late September, particularly around Sept. 15-25.

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Established in 1915, Rocky Mountain National Park protects 415 square miles of alpine tundra, mountain meadows, lakes, and forest in northern Colorado. Its fall palette is simpler than the one found in the Appalachians, but it may be even more dramatic. Groves of quaking aspen turn brilliant yellow and gold against dark-green pines and gray mountain peaks.

Some aspen leaves take on orange or reddish edges, but gold is the star. Their pale trunks and fluttering leaves seem to glow when the sun hits them. Low shrubs and ground cover add touches of rust, red, and bronze around the meadows.

Bear Lake Road provides access to several of the best viewing areas, including Moraine Park, Sprague Lake, and Bear Lake. The Peak to Peak Scenic Byway outside the park also makes a beautiful addition to the trip. Trail Ridge Road offers huge views across the mountains, although early snow can affect access.

Best time to visit:Colorado's fall color may arrive early this year, with Rocky Mountain National Park's aspens expected to be at their best from Sept. 13-24.

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Grand Teton National Park was established in 1929 and expanded in 1950, bringing much of Jackson Hole beneath its protection. The jagged Teton Range would be impressive in any season, but fall adds golden trees, rust-colored grasses, and the possibility of fresh snow on the highest peaks.

Most of the park's trees are conifers, but groves of quaking aspen provide flashes of bright yellow and gold. Cottonwoods along the Snake River turn yellow, while willows and shrubs add orange, red, and copper near wetlands and lake shores.

In Oxbow Bend, the cottonwoods and aspens line the Snake River as Mount Moran rises behind them. Snake River Overlook is one of the best places to see the views framed by the changing trees. Jenny Lake Scenic Drive, the Moose-Wilson Road, and the area around Jackson Lake Lodge are also reliable choices. 

Best time to visit:The aspens and cottonwoods are expected to turn from mid-September into early October, with Sept. 18-Oct. 2 providing the strongest overall window.

Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

In 1899, Mount Rainier National Park became the fifth national park in the United States. Western Washington is known for evergreen forests, but fall at Mount Rainier proves that the season doesn't need endless maple trees to put on a memorable show.

At lower elevations, vine maples turn red, orange, and yellow beneath the towering evergreens. Higher on the mountain, huckleberry bushes cover meadows in shades of crimson and burgundy while mountain ash is covered in orange and red berries and grasses fade to gold. On the drier eastern side of the park, deciduous larches turn a luminous yellow before dropping their needles.

Paradise is one of the best places to see red huckleberry foliage spread across subalpine meadows below the mountain. Reflection Lakes adds the possibility of a mirrored view of Rainier, while the road between Longmire and Paradise passes through colorful old-growth forest. Sunrise and the White River area offer a different perspective from the northeastern side of the mountain. 

Best time to visit:Huckleberry and vine maple should begin changing in late September, with the most vivid color expected from Sept. 25 through the first week of October.

How we determined the best time to see fall foliage

The "best time to visit" windows were selected using 2026 regional foliage forecasts where available, along with National Park Service guidance, state forestry reports, and historical peak-color data. Elevation was also considered because leaves at higher elevations generally change before those in valleys and lower portions of a park.

Nature is fickle, and exact peak color can't be guaranteed months or even weeks in advance. Weather events like temperature, rainfall, drought, wind, and early snow affect the timing or shorten the color window. Still, these dates are helpful planning tools.