The National Parks Worth Visiting In October
Maples change color in a West Texas desert canyon every October. The East has more fall color, with thick hardwood forests from Ohio to Tennessee. The West has less, but it pops against evergreens and red rock. Seven parks make this list, three in the West and four in the East. In all of them, the high trees turn first and the low slopes follow a few weeks later. So when you go matters as much as where.
Yosemite National Park
By coming to Yosemite National Park in October, one will see a mixture of evergreens with fall colors, creating a more subtle fall vibe, with bigleaf maples turning yellow and dogwoods turning red and pink. Poison oak trees may even turn purple. The U-shaped valley that Yosemite is known for is one of the best places to see these colors light up the landscape of evergreens.
Yosemite National Park is less crowded in October, offering more time to see its landscapes without interruption. It's also one of the last times in the year to see all of the park, as some areas begin shutting down in November due to weather. Temperatures in October vary depending on the elevation, with lower elevations seeing temperatures up to 71 degrees Fahrenheit. In addition, fall rains can also help bring the valley's waterfalls back to life, such as Yosemite Falls.
Zion National Park
October is the best time to visit Zion National Park to see its fall colors. During early October, the plateau of the park has peak fall colors at 6,500 feet, while by mid-October fall colors are still present at lower elevations, including canyon areas. The orange and yellow leaves make for complementary colors with the red sandstone cliffs.
Temperatures in Zion National Park this time of the year are still pleasant, ranging from 49 to 78 degrees Fahrenheit, which is significantly cooler than September where temperatures can reach up to 91 degrees Fahrenheit. Crowd numbers start to decrease in October, with visitors ranging from around 370,000 to 430,000 the entire month. Visitors can spend time at different elevations, from the higher East Rim Area and Kolob Terrace to the lower Southwestern Desert and Kolob Canyon.
Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Despite its location in the American Southwest, the Guadalupe Mountains National Park is known for having some of the best fall colors, especially in mid-October. The reason for this unusual characteristic in this normally dry section of Texas is the higher elevations from 3,000 to 8,000 feet and the higher precipitation compared to the surrounding region.
Due to this explosion of color, Guadalupe Mountains National Park sees the most visitors during the month of October, especially in the last week when maple trees are at their peak color. The NPS recommends the best places to view these trees are the McKittrick Canyon Trail, the Smith Loop Spring Trail, or Pine Springs. For those coming to the park in early October, Dog Canyon is known to have fall colors earlier than other places in the park.
Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Although the eastern U.S. has far fewer national parks than the west, those parks really shine in the fall, especially Ohio's only national park: Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The fall colors here reach their peak in the third week of October, but at times trees may shed their leaves earlier, meaning one can see different colors on trees depending on the exact calendar date.
Sugar and red maples have orange, red, and yellow, with white oak trees turning brownish red, and black gum and northern red oaks giving off bright red colors. Depending on when one visits in the fall, one can plan hikes to see the best of the fall colors. In early October, the Oak Hill Trail takes one by maple and white ash trees, while in mid-October, one can see brown white oaks and red sugar maples alongside Brandywine Falls.
In late October, the valley offers beautiful overlooks of the brown, red, yellow, and orange leaves at the Ledges Overlook, along with historic spots such as the Everett Covered Bridge.
Shenandoah National Park
Shenandoah National Park in Virginia cools down to an average temperature of 49 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit during the fall months, and with that change in weather comes an array of fall colors that draws in the most guests of any time in the year. The best time to see these colors is in October, as fall colors change first in the highest elevations before gradually moving down to lower elevations throughout the month.
Skyline Drive follows the Blue Ridge Mountains throughout the National Park, offering 70 overlooks for drivers to stop and view trees and wildlife in the park, including black bears. There are also many shorter and longer walks in the park for those wishing to get out and engage with the park with all senses, such as the 1-mile Little Stony Man Overlook. Old Rag Circuit is one of the most popular spots during the fall as it ascends Old Rag Mountain, giving 360-degree views of the foliage. During fall months, the NPS posts a Fall Update Video on social media every Thursday to help people keep up with the change in season.
New River Gorge National Park
New River Gorge National Park in West Virginia is the newest national park in the U.S., with more than 70,000 acres alongside the oldest river in North America. Sitting at 745 feet elevation at the river and 3,291 feet on Swell Mountain, the park offers plenty of fall colors throughout its elevation in October. It's also completely free to enter, making this one of the most attractive spots to go in October.
Every third Saturday in October, the park hosts Bridge Day, allowing visitors to walk on the New River Gorge Bridge, which stretches out across the mountains with the New River below. It is also accessible from the Canyon Rim Visitor Center. One of the best places to view fall colors is from Grandview, which provides a 1,400-foot overview of the river and the surrounding trees.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited in the NPS system by far, with 11.5 million visitors in 2025. A big reason for that number is how beautiful this Appalachian Mountains park becomes in the fall.
October itself is the busiest month in the park, as sugar maples, scarlet oaks, red maples, and hickory trees change color. In early October, the first trees to change color are American beech, mountain maple, and pin cherry. In fact, there are over 100 tree species that change colors.
One of the busiest but most beautiful places to see in October is Cades Cove Loop Road, which goes through a valley within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and includes many historic churches and log cabins. On the Kuwohi Road, ascending to the highest point in the park, there are overlooks to view foliage, or one can go to the top of the Kuwohi Observation Deck on Mount Kuwohi itself at 6,643 feet. For less busy areas, one can go out to the Look Rock Tower, which goes out to an observation tower, or the Cove Hardwood Trail through a 0.75-mile loop.
Plan for weather and crowds
When picking a national park to see in October, one needs to plan for weather and crowds. Some of these national parks slow down in the fall, such as Zion National Park and Yosemite National Park, whereas others speed up, such as the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Guadalupe Mountains National Park. October rain and colder weather also begin to set in, so visitors will need to plan accordingly, taking clothes for both warmer and colder weather depending on the forecast. To see peak colors, one will also need to consider which elevations to go to, as trees change earlier in October at higher elevations and later at lower elevations. Lastly, hikers and drivers alike should consider looking into less busy spots to enjoy the October colors, wind, and sights in a calmer atmosphere.
