Leaf Peeping

Every year, trees across the nation change their leaf color from green to gold, crimson, amber, and even jewel-toned purple. This process is part of a much larger undertaking where trees of all shapes and sizes spend the autumn months getting ready for the trials of winter.

Autumn is a wonderful time to visit many parks around the country. Explore some of the parks in your area and learn about the science behind this seasonal change.

Come and drive our parks! Whether you are enjoying the fall foliage in Blue Ridge Parkway, taking in the breathtaking scenery of Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park, or watching the sunrise from Summit Road in Acadia National Park, you should always be aware of your surroundings and drive safely.

Come and capture your adventure in the park. Check out these quick tips on how to avoid photography-related hazards when visiting our national parks.

The hike to "the Notch" is a challenging day hike that proceeds through McKittrick Canyon to a dramatic viewpoint about half way up toward McKittrick Ridge.

Explore ways to enjoy beautiful fall colors at Katahdin Woods and Waters.

Join a Park Ranger as we explore each one of our 6 park sites on Saturdays this Fall. Tours will discuss the history of each site and its importance withint the larger context of US history. Tours start at 10:00 AM and last about 90 minutes.

Leaf peepers, grab your cameras! Here are our tips for where to find Cuyahoga Valley’s best fall colors throughout October.

The McKittrick Canyon Trail follows the floor of South McKittrick Canyon for four miles before climbing steeply to gain the ridge on the north side of the canyon. This is an arduous climb provides spectacular views into the canyon and to the ridges that border it. This is an extremely rewarding trail, offering both the variety of McKittrick Canyon and the grandeur of the high ridges that surround it.

The journey to the top of McKittrick Ridge is "the toughest hike in Texas." This arduous hike is best enjoyed as an overnight hike allowing for rest, recovery, and fabulous night skies at the McKittrick Ridge Wilderness Campground. An overnight Wilderness Use Permit is required for camping.

Travel from Teton Village to the Phelps Lake Overlook on this strenuous hike.

Bright fall colors of deciduous trees are not common in the southwest, but elevation and environment combine in the Guadalupe Mountains for a seasonally striking display usually from mid-October to Mid-November. A series of short and long hikes of varying degrees of difficulty will bring you to glimpse of this annual splendor.

The journey to the top of McKittrick Ridge is "the toughest hike in Texas." This arduous hike is best enjoyed as an overnight hike allowing for rest, recovery, and fabulous night skies at the McKittrick Ridge Wilderness Campground. An overnight Wilderness Use Permit is required for camping.

Enjoy the shortest distance into the heart of the canyon by hiking to Pratt Cabin and return (a distance of 4.8 miles). Along this walk you will cross the stream once before arriving at the historic structure. Enjoy a snack or lunch at the picnic tables near or at Pratt Cabin, or sit for a spell on the porch. Volunteers staff Pratt Cabin on occasion; take a look inside the stone structure.

Fall foliage in the Northeastern U.S. is a spectacular natural event, bringing millions of tourists and billions of dollar to the region each autumn. But climate change threatens to permanently dullen it if immediate action is taken.

Information on a current research project in Acadia National Park and how climate change is impacting leaf color change and how that might impact tourism and visitation to Acadia National Park.

By the end of the month, colorful fall foliage should adorn the mountain slopes and canyons of Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Plan ahead and prepare for the best visit, and learn how you can help protect the park.

Acadia National Park is known for having spectacular fall foliage. Learn more about why these leaves chance colors signaling the changing of the seasons.

Grand Canyon National Park’s North Rim will begin day-use operations on October 19, 2020. At this time, the Grand Canyon Lodge will close and no overnight accommodations, including camping, will be available to visitors at the North Rim.

Autumn is a wonderful time to visit many parks around the country. Explore some of the parks in your area and learn about the science behind this seasonal change.

Autumn is a wonderful time to visit many parks around the country. Explore some of the parks in your area and learn about the science behind this seasonal change.

Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts introduces new nature-based programming to highlight its trails and other natural features.

Tucked away in a wooded spot overlooking the Monongahela River in southwestern Pennsylvania is Friendship Hill National Historic Site, home of Albert Gallatin (1761–1849). Gallatin is best known for serving as Secretary of the Treasury under Presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Madison.

As Mother Nature changes her colors for the Fall season, Steamtown National Historic Site is scheduling train excursions through some of the most beautiful fall countryside of the nearby Pocono Mountains!