Best US National Parks for Late Fall Colors
Foliage Season in Smokies, Shenandoah, Georgia, Yosemite
Sep 16, 2009
Driving through the fall foliage in U.S. national parks – now the subject of a wonderful Ken Burns PBS documentary subtitled “America’s Best idea” – has long been a favorite pastime of seniors and boomers.
Yes, many parks reach their peak colors in late September and early October. But the southern tier of parks such as Great Smoky Mountains National Park on the border of North Carolina and Tennessee, Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, and the federally-administered Blue Ridge Parkway of Virginia are glorious well into November.
Great Smoky Mountains Colors Last into November
According to the National Park Service, the colors in the Smokies vary by elevation, and they are spectacular because there are more than 100 species of trees in the Park.
“The fall color display usually reaches peak at mid and lower elevations between mid-October and early November. This is the park’s most spectacular display as it includes such colorful trees as sugar maple, scarlet oak, sweetgum, red maple, and the hickories,” says the NPS.
Crowds create heavy traffic in the Smokies. Park rangers suggest that visitors try the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, a narrow, steep, but paved one-way road reachable from Gatlinburg for a little less crowded viewing experience.
Shenandoah National Park Offers Great Virginia Foliage
“Due to the varying elevations along the many hollows, ridges and mountain tops of Shenandoah, it’s impossible to pick a ‘peak date’ for the best foliage, says the Park Service. While the middle of October often means leaves are “at their most brilliant stage,” many visitors have reported that early November can be almost as beautiful from Skyline Drive to hiking trails – and much less crowded.
Chattahoochee River in Georgia – Float Through Fall
The Chattahoochee River in North Georgia is a National Recreation Area where float trips and hiking are popular. What is less known by out of state visitors is that the fall foliage can be lovely here at the end of October.
Yosemite is Less Crowded in Fall
Valleys in Yosemite National Park in California can be lovely into November, even though colors reach their blazing best in early October. “Yosemite is not known for having spectacular fall colors because most of the trees are evergreen” notes the Park Service. But it add that “big-leaf maples, black oaks, Pacific dogwoods, and other deciduous trees tend to be showy around mid-October.”
The best part of visiting Yosemite in the autumn is that the biggest crowds have left. Yosemite, though wildly popular, is mostly a summer and early fall attraction. Another western park with great foliage - Grand Teton.
Summary: Southern national parks and valleys in Yosemite offer great fall foliage opportunities. And did you know seniors pay almost nothing to visit America’s national parks?
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