Best National Parks with Spectacular Fall Foliage

Every autumn, one of nature's most breathtaking displays is the changing leaves, with the gold of hickories and aspens, sumac's orange, and the plums and vermillions of maples and oaks. National parks are wonderful—and picturesque—locations to view these vibrant hues because of their dense forests and wide-open spaces. Here is a list of the six American national parks with the most spectacular fall foliage, along with recommendations for where to see it.

Acadia National Park, Maine

The Acadia National Park's heavily forested peaks that slope down to the Atlantic are a vibrant contrast to the ocean's blue hue in the fall. However, unless you hike one of the park's more than 100 trails, you won't be able to see its blueberry bushes turn bright red or the fiery sumac orange. Some of the most picturesque views of the park's rugged coastline can only be appreciated from a boat.

The best view in the region can be found from the Blue Hill Overlook. The Overlook is located on Cadillac Mountain, which is the tallest peak on the East Coast, standing at 1,529 feet. The seven-mile round-trip hike is well worth it to see it. The 187-acre Jordan Pond, located at the foot of the mountain (just off Park Loop Road), adds a splash of color to the two notable rounded hills (the Bubbles), which provide a breathtaking view of a multicolored treeline in the distance. A horse-drawn carriage can take you around the park as you listen to the constant clop of hooves to get a truly traditional autumn color experience.

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Rocky Mountain National Park, which spans the two sides of the continental divide, is illuminated by trembling aspens, whose gold and copper canopies contrast elegantly with their silvery trunks. Take a trip to the elegant valleys of Beaver Meadows, Glacier Gorge, and Hollowell Park, where you can find orange cottonwoods. At heights of about 7,000 to 9,500 feet, you can notice Aspen thriving. Nothing compares to the hiking trail to Gem Lake, where dense aspen stands stand out against Lumpy Ridge's red rock formations. The ascent provides a 360° view of the vibrant Estes Park, which hosts the annual Autumn Gold Festival open to everyone.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee, and North Carolina

Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee has one of the longest fall foliage seasons and an impressive variety of fall colors thanks to its more than 100 species of trees, the majority of which are deciduous. In higher areas, such as those along the Appalachian Trails and Sugarland Mountain, beeches, hobble bushes, and yellow birches display flashes of color as early as mid-September. Autumn wildflowers like goldenrods, asters, black-eyed Susans, and coreopsis add to the fleury of hues. However, the garnet and deep plum tones of the sweet gums, red and sugar maples, and hickories in October put on the most impressive display.

Head east to walk along secluded Big Creek, drive the Roaring Fork nature loop, or take in the immersive views from Balsam Mountain and the Blue Ridge Parkway on the park's southeastern edge to avoid the mob of fall color enthusiasts at popular locations like Cades Cove.

Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

Shenandoah National Park hosts the Shenandoah Fall Foliage Bike Festival for three days each October as a creative way to celebrate the season (October 14–16, 2022). Eleven different bicycle rides, including ones for little kids, set out from Staunton, Virginia, for the event. However, nature starts its spectacular display earlier than in the high mountains near Swift Run Gap and Lewis Mountain. At the end of September, Virginia creeper twines a wine-red color, and maple trees begin to blaze all over the region close to Upper Pocosin.

The Skyline Drive Scenic Byway, which possesses over 75 beautiful overlooks along its 105 miles, is the best and most preferred driving route for viewing leaves. The best places to view the pepper-red oaks, yellow hickories, and differently colored maples are Stony Man Overlook and Bacon Hollow. 

Glacier National Park, Montana

Another Park with a wide variety of deciduous trees is Glacier National Park, which is particularly colorful from mid-September to mid-October. The national park is especially well-known for its western larch, a deciduous pine that blooms a brilliant yellow before its needles fall off. You can take walks on any trails surrounding Lake McDonald or drive along Highway 2 on the park's southwest border to see the larches. From Going-to-the-Sun Road or Ptarmigan Pass, you can see Montana's mountainsides at a higher elevation, where they glow with Tiffany lamp-like hues. If you're particularly daring, consider rafting down the Flathead River to see the leaves.

Conclusion

America is replete with beautiful national parks, and if you're a fan of fall foliage like us, our list above is something you'd need going forward. To effectively take in all that fall has to offer, you need to know the right parks to go to and when to visit them. Lucky for you, you're ahead of the curve now.