Only 5 weeks are left for the start of the autumn holidays in the United States. The nature-loving Americans would never skip going to one or two National Parks that are known as best places to visit in October in the US.
Why the National Parks are considered as Best Places to Visit in October in the US?
- In the U.S., the majority of the national parks are targeted autumn travel destinations because, apart from the breathtaking fall colors, it is the time when birds are excited and sing their songs that signals their second mating season.
- National Parks always occupy a large land space that can withstand any number of visitors but still you won’t say they are crowded.
- Another reason is the prices of hotels and jungle lodges are not at their peak because the tourists are mostly interested in day trips to such places of beauty during the autumn.
- Finally, every American State except Delaware has national parks. This implies the local residents need not travel far and wide to seek a fallvacation spot.
Best Places to Visit in October in the US: Fall Vacation Spots
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Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
It is better known for its skiing adventure. Grand Teton Mountains’ highest point is at 13,700 feet! Immediately after the fall season, it will begin to snow heavily here. It becomes one of the most sought-after ski resorts by the second week of November.
Therefore, before the onset of winter, the local residents of Wyoming will flock to Teton county where this national park is located.
The flora of Grand Teton has been existing there for millions of years ago. Moreover, it is an important birding area.
The beautiful Jackson Hole is part of this national park.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d0/Barns_grand_tetons.jpg/640px-Barns_grand_tetons.jpg
The biggest attraction of Grand Teton National Park as one of the best places to visit in October in the US. is the numerous hiking trails and more than one thousand campgrounds where you can either pitch up your canvas tent or park your RV.
You can find numerous glacial lakes in the Grand Teton National Park where the legendary Snake River Flows, making its path beautiful with wildflowers.
The most spectacular of all the lakes is the Emma Matilda Lake. The beauty of it will tie you down to the place.
It is an alpine lake that is situated at over 9000 feet!
Prominent places to see in the Grand Teton National Park and Jackson Hole during the autumn:
- Lake Solitude
- Icefloe Lake
- Two Ocean Lake
- Jackson Lake
- Phelps Lake
- Taggart Lake
- Jenny Lake
- Hidden Falls
Birders will have a field day running behind as many as 300 plus species of rare birds out of which I will mention just one bird below.
Now you know why the Grand Teton National Park occupies the top position in the list U.S. National Parks that are excellent autumn travel destinations!
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Badlands National Park, South Dakota
Somehow the animals that live in this large U.S. National Park roam freely in the autumn. I wonder why the fall season is liked by the animals too! Probably, they sense the onset of winter is around the corner.
Badlands National Park’s wildlife attractions include:
- Prairie Dogs that don’t look like dogs
- Bison
- Bighorn Sheep
- Several species of deer such as elk and pronghorn
Badlands National Park’s pinnacles and buttes are unique and are not to be seen in any other national park in America.
Another view of the buttes and spires.
This NP is also known for its endless sight of green carpet that is geographically called “Prairie grass’.
As one of the fall vacation spots in the U.S., Badlands National Park has provided numerous campgrounds for tourists to stay overnight.
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Acadia National Park, Maine
Acadia National Park is probably one of the under-visited fall travel destinations in the U.S. As a matter of fact, it is not a favored vacation spot throughout the year in spite of amazing natural beauty, numerous islands, a fjord, a diverse coastline.
In addition, its mountains dotted with crystal-clear streams, and waterfalls would bind a nature lover forever.
Acadia National Park’s major portion comprises Mount Desert Island, Isle au Haut, and rather unknown 16 islets whose pristine virgin beaches are the sights to behold.
Being on the border of Canada and the New England region of North America, its climate includes every popular American season to the point.
The lack of tourists even during the autumn means you see less pollution resulting in crisp and clean air.
Several smaller islands of Maine that beg you to wet your feet are:
- Baker Island
- Bar Island
- Sheep Island
- Long Island
- Bald Island
- Bear Island
- Thompson Island
There is a unique feature in this part of Acadia National Park. You can literally walk into one of these (Bar Island) islands from mainland Maine. Of course, to do that, you have to wait for the low tides.
There are numerous walking trails on the mountains that offer simply breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean and the islands.
This is the fjord on the island of Mountain Desert.
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Congaree National Park, South Carolina
From South Carolina’s capital Columbia, this fall vacation spot is just 30 km away. Naturally, this U.S. National Park receives the highest number of visitors during the autumn.
The Congaree National Park boasts of some of the tallest tree species in the United States. They are classified under “old-growth bottomland hardwood forest”.
Apart from being declared as a biosphere reserve by UNESCO, this autumn vacation destination is declared as an important bird-watching region. The Congaree River that flows through the park acts as an ideal habitat for birds and insects.
Not only this park is one of the best places to visit in October in the US but it is also visited during the summer just to watch the fireflies that are considered endangered wildlife.
The biggest entertainment attractions here are the numerous walking trails through the lush forests and 32 km long boating trail in Cedar Creek where canoes and kayaks are hired by adventure seekers.
Out of several hiking trails, the longest is
King Snake Trail. It measures 17.5 km. Oakridge Trail whose length is 12 k is also a pretty long walking trail.
Tree lovers can’t wait to walk on a 4 km long Boardwalk Platform.
It is slightly raised from the ground level so that walkers don’t trod on delicate plant species and insects that are essential to maintain the ecology of the national park.
Since Congaree National Park is very close to the city of Columbia in South Carolina, visitors can enjoy nature and return to the city in half a day.
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Saguaro National Park, Arizona
The wild cactuses that you see in the image above would grow up to 50 feet tall! The numerous small mountain ranges that are known as ‘sky islands’, a unique geographical phenomenon, a wide range of wildlife, Sonoran Desert, and the giant cactus enable this U.S. National Park to get into the list of highly visited fall travel destinations in the U.S.
Saguaro National Park is quite large comprising a whopping 92k acres. Geographically, the national park is divided into two regions namely:
- Tucson Mountain District
- Rincon Mountain District
The giant cactuses are part of the Rincon Mountain District where the Sonoran Desert is a part of.
Except for the autumn that starts from early October, this national park in America will be unbearably hot because of the Sonoran Desert that spreads into some parts of Mexico and Baja California.
Like any national park, the Saguara also has wonderful trails to walk and explore the exotic geography. Elders hop onto horsebacks and go around.
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Death Valley National Park, California
So, no colorful foliages to see in this U.S. National Park because the landscape is arid and dry.
Death Valley National Park is similar to Saguara National Park; both of them are fit to visit only during the fall season when the temperature is comfortable.
If you ever want to see some of the strange landscape and flora that survives only in an arid climate, you have to include the Death Valley National Park in your bucket list of autumn travel destinations in the U.S.
What are all the unique geographical places that you can see during your trip to the Death Valley?
- Panamint Valley
- Saline Valley
- Eureka Valley
- Mojave Desert
- Sand dunes that are great for sandboarding adventure.
- Salt-flats
- Badlands
- Canyons
- Badwater Basin
- Lake Manly
You can see so many geographical features in the west of the U.S. that you can be very proud of. Such a phenomenal and diverse landscape doesn’t exist anywhere in the world.
Dark-Sky Preserve
Above all, the Death Valley is marked as a ‘dark-sky’ preserve where no artificial lighting is allowed to facilitate star gazing.
Isn’t it a wonderful arrangement?
Other Dark-Sky Preserves in the world:
In case, you live nearby but are oblivious of them, you can now resolve to make a trip to your nearby dark-sky sanctuary.
- Lake Hudson State Recreation Area., Michigan
- Torrance Barrens in the Muskoka region, Ontario
- Mont Mégantic Observatory, Quebec
- Natural Bridges National Monument, Utah
- Elqui Valley, Chile
Canada has the most dark-sky preserves in the world.
These six National Parks are best places to visit in October in the US.
