Fewer crowds, less traffic make this the perfect time to hit the road to these seven spectacular destinations.
The crowds have thinned out and the fall colors are fading. If, like me, you’re a fan of visiting parks at any time of year, now is the perfect time. Before the winter snow sets in, late fall can be a magical time to explore some of America’s most stunning treasured spaces. Fewer visitors mean more intimate experiences with nature, and the changing seasons bring unique sights. Here are seven parks for a late fall road trip.
Acadia National Park, Maine
A popular destination – perhaps TOO popular – for its incredible foliage in September and October, Acadia actually becomes much more manageable later in the fall. You can drive Park Loop Road without the traffic jams and avoid jostling for the best viewpoints at favorite spots like Thunder Hole. Even better, the lovely autumn light still makes for fabulous photography. When it’s clear of ice and snow, driving to Cadillac Mountain to see the sunrise costs nothing and requires no reservation in the quieter months from late October to late May. Another highlight is Jordan Pond Path, an easy-going 3.3 mile hike that offers beautiful views of the Bubble Mountains. Visit nps.gov before you go for up-to-date closures.
To get the lay of the land, check out Alice Ford’s Acadia National Park Summer Trip
Olympic National Park, Washington
Check the weather forecast – this region gets up to 14 feet of rain a year! Even on a rainy day there’s nothing like the Hoh Rainforest, a moss-covered paradise of western hemlock and Sitka spruce trees that’s also the gateway to some of Olympic’s best hikes. The Hall of Moss Trail is only 0.8 miles long, a fairytale trek among the ferns, and if you’re lucky you could spot a Roosevelt elk, a pileated woodpecker or even a river otter. Horror-romance fans will definitely want to stop in the nearby town of Forks, where Bella fell for Edward in Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight novels. For more on Olympic, check out Megatherium Club’s Olympic NP: How to Visit & What to See.
Canyonlands National Park, Utah
Broiling hot in the summer months, this increasingly popular member of Utah’s Mighty 5 has picture-perfect weather in the late fall. Take the 10-mile drive from Moab to the mesa called Island in the Sky, which offers astonishing views over sandstone cliffs.
And assuming your vehicle is the rugged four-wheel drive kind, we highly recommend taking a one-hour road trip along the iconic Shafer Trail. It’s a twisting and winding dirt road, forged from a Native American trail, that descends 1,500 feet down a sandstone cliff. A white-knuckle adventure for the stern of spirit.
For more on Canyonlands, watch Alice Ford Driving the Infamous Shafer Trail, and Trekers Consider Day Trips to Canyonlands and Dead Horse Point State Park.
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Death Valley National Park, California
Just possibly the hottest place on Earth in the summer, Death Valley really comes alive in the fall and winter. Expect some crowding in the lead-up to the annual encampment of the Death Valley ‘49ers and through Thanksgiving, but late fall and December are still the best times to visit.
Most folks recommend a two-to-three day road trip, but if you’re pinched for time you can still see a lot in a day. After paying the $30 fee at one of the pay stations around the Furnace Creek Visitor Center you’ll want to make a beeline to Dante’s View, 5,476 feet above sea level and a staggering viewpoint. (Make sure you bring a jacket and layers – it’s cold up there!)
From the heights you’ll head to the lows of Badwater Basin and its famous crystal formations of salt, about an hour away. If you’ve only got one day, be sure to visit Artist’s Drive and Artist’s Pallet, a glorious span of colorful hills – best to see in the full light of day. If you’ve got more than a few days, tack on a trip to Joshua Tree National Park, which is not far away.
Learn How Death Valley Got Its Name from National Park Diaries. Watch Peter Silverman’s The Eureka Dunes at Death Valley. And don’t miss Experience Death Valley’s Unique Landscape from Megatherium Club.
Little River Canyon National Preserve, Alabama
If you’re looking beyond the “name-brand” parks and want to catch a slightly later option for fall foliage, Little River Canyon National Preserve in Alabama is worth checking out. Since it’s farther south, peak colors often extend into mid-November, and the preserve has a wide variety of trees, including maples, oaks, hickories and poplars. It’s a fantastic place for bird-watching, with over 142 species identified.
You can drive along Little River Canyon Rim Parkway or Canyon Mouth Road for some spectacular views, or take a picnic at one of the overlooks. There are 23 miles of trails for hiking, biking or horseback riding, and since it’s fed by rain, the Little River becomes navigable for canoeing and kayaking from November through April. Fishing and hunting are also allowed in the preserve with the appropriate permits.
For a preview, check out this short video from National Park Family Quest: Come Explore Little River Canyon National Preserve
Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio
Nestled between Akron and Cleveland in Ohio, Cuyahoga Valley NP spans 33,000 acres of forests, waterfalls and wetlands. Even if you’ve missed the peak of glorious fall colors, autumn is a great time to visit – and the critters that live here are as active as ever.
Take the boardwalk across Beaver Marsh to see how they’ve restored the area through their dam system, and along with beavers you might encounter otters, muskrats and two kinds of turtles, painted and snapping. If you feel like putting your feet up and letting someone else drive, the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad runs Wednesday through Sunday on a two-hour journey through the park’s landscapes.
Cuyahoga also features historical sites, like the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail, providing a unique blend of nature and history in an urban setting. Best of all, the park is dog friendly and fee-free year round.
Watch Lots to do in Cuyahoga Valley! from Megatherium Club and Exploring Cuyahoga Valley NP by foot, bike, & train! from Adventures of A+K.
The National Mall, Washington, DC
It sounds counterintuitive – isn’t DC for summer vacation or school trips? – but late fall is a wonderful time to see the most-visited unit in the entire national park system, with over 36 million annual visitors. Day or night, climbing the stairs of the Lincoln Memorial to read Honest Abe’s famous speeches, or strolling along the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, is a powerful experience.
If you want an aerial preview of the terrain, check out the Monument Cam of the Trust for the National Mall. The fall weather is typically crisp and comfortable for exploring the more than 30 National Park Service units in the city.
For a detailed itinerary that’s perfect for families, check out Matt and Cheryl of We’re in the Rockies The BEST of Washington DC, in 3 days!Learn more about DC from some of our other Parks Channel creators.
Top photo of Shafer Canyon Road in Canyonlands National Park by hjuni8r/iStock
