National
parks slow down during the fall.
Crowds
thin as children return to school. Temperatures drop from hot to cool. And
colorful displays of fall foliage blaze across mountain ranges and lofty
plateaus as temperatures become comfortable. With this scenic but low-key
backdrop, fall is prime time for in-depth exploration.
Grand
Canyon National Park, Arizona
Gateway
cities: Phoenix,
360 kilometers away, or Las Vegas, 435
kilometers away
Adventurers,
grab your hiking poles. Mild temperatures along the Colorado River from
September through November make autumn an excellent time for exploring the
depths of Grand
Canyon National Park. Visit the North Rim on the lofty Kaibab Plateau where
you can hike trails that are lined with golden-leaved aspen trees. Facilities
on the North Rim, which is 425 kilometers east of Las Vegas, close seasonally
in mid-October.
Take
a break from the trails and soak in culture at the Grand Canyon Music
Festival, which closes out summer with classical music performances. The Celebration of Art soon follows, with resident
artists painting the scene for a week, followed by a four-month exhibition in
Kolb Studio.
Grand
Canyon National Park, Arizona
Acadia
National Park, Maine
Gateway
city: Boston,
440 kilometers away
Scenic
driving is the big draw in autumn at Acadia.
The 43-kilometer Park Loop Road, which swings past the rugged Maine coast, was
designed to complement the natural landscape and offers many great views. From
September through mid-October, orange, red and yellow leaves make this a great
scenic drive. Pull over at Jordan Pond House for popovers and tea.
Adventurous
hikers can scramble up iron rungs on the Precipice and Jordan Cliffs trails,
which reopen in late summer. These “ladder trails” close in mid-March for
nesting peregrine falcons.
Acadia
National Park, Maine
Great
Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina and Tennessee
Gateway
city: Charlotte, North Carolina, 265
kilometers away
How
best to describe the Great
Smokies in fall? Magical comes to mind, especially after a hike down
the Sugarland Mountain Trail. From its trailhead near Clingmans Dome, the
highest point in the park, this 19-kilometer path drops through three types of
forest — spruce-fir, northern hardwood and cove hardwood. Depending on altitude
and the time of year, leaves along the trail shimmer with the hues of autumn.
Great
Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina and Tennessee
Rocky
Mountain National Park, Colorado
Gateway
city: Denver,
112 kilometers away
When
it comes to memorable love songs, the bugle call of the bull elk is hard to
beat. From September through mid-October in the meadows of Rocky
Mountain National Park, these 315-kilogram beasts display their antlers and
sound their mating calls.
In
the fall, aspens turn golden-yellow, and the tundra shines with copper hues.
The park is extremely crowded at this time of year. Park officials may restrict
access in specific areas when needed. Avoid congestion by arriving early or
late in the day and visiting on weekdays.
Rocky
Mountain National Park, Colorado
Great
Basin National Park, Nevada
Gateway
city: Las Vegas, 480 kilometers away
Ponder
your place in the universe at Great
Basin National Park in eastern Nevada during the annual Astronomy
Festival. For three days in late September, stars are the stars at this remote
park, which perches beneath transparent night skies in the Snake Mountains.
Activities include talks, telescope viewings and an astronomy-themed talent
show starring park rangers.
Great
Basin National Park, Nevada
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