Fall can be a magical time at national parks. The trees change colors, and many animals become more active, including brown bears and elk. Plus, the cooler weather can make camping more comfortable.
On Aug. 22 Forbes highlighted 12 parks around the country that are especially good to visit between September and November.
The list stretches from Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska to Channel Islands National Park off Southern California. While only a few offer beautiful changing colors, there are other reasons to visit parks in the fall.
Be sure to check opening and closing dates at each park. Several events at the national parks last just a few days, while tours, roads and campgrounds begin closing as winter approaches.
September Starts With Bears and Stargazing
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Katmai is the hardest park on the list to reach, but September is one of the best months for seeing brown bears around Brooks Camp. Bears often gather near the mouth of the Brooks River while searching for salmon. However, keep in mind that everyone arriving at camp must attend a safety orientation and remain at least 50 yards from bears.
Great Basin and Yosemite offer special fall events. The free Great Basin Astronomy Festival runs Sept. 10 through 12, with some activities requiring reservations. Yosemite’s annual Facelift cleanup follows Sept. 23 through 27. Visitors heading to Acadia may see migrating hawks pass over Cadillac Mountain in September, and fall colors peak around mid-October.
October Brings Foliage and BASE Jumpers
Hot Springs National Park will hold its free Water Festival on Oct. 10. There are no outdoor soaking pools inside the park, but visitors can use the thermal water at Buckstaff Bathhouse or Quapaw Baths & Spa.
Bridge Day at New River Gorge takes over the West Virginia park on Oct. 17, when pedestrians cross the 3,030-foot bridge and watch BASE jumpers leap 876 feet into the gorge.
At Mesa Verde, ranger-led cliff dwelling tours continue through Oct. 21 and open for booking 14 days in advance. Yellowstone‘s elk rut runs into October around Mammoth Hot Springs and Grant Village.
Cooler Weather Makes Camping More Accessible
Joshua Tree‘s ticketed Night Sky Festival is scheduled for Oct. 9 and 10. Even without the festival, cooler nights make the park’s campgrounds and designated stargazing areas far more appealing than they are during summer heat.
At Olympic, you can see coho salmon leaping at Salmon Cascades in September and October. More than 20,000 sandhill cranes also pass through the region around Great Sand Dunes from late September into November, although the best viewing areas are usually outside the park.
Channel Islands rounds out the list with its calmest winds and seas typically occurring from August through October. However, the National Park Service warns that open-ocean kayaking is still unsuitable for beginners and conditions can change without warning.