Fall in Five National Parks

Fall and winter are my favorite times to head into the National Parks. This is mostly because as I’ve gotten older, I’ve become much more introverted and I don’t want to see anyone. When you start getting into fall and then winter, the parks start to empty out a bit. This is especially true in parks with harsh and intense winters, like Yosemite and Yellowstone.

Since we’re in the thick of fall right now, I thought I’d share a few photos of what fall looks like in five of my favorite parks. Here they are, in no particular order.

Yosemite National Park

The weather in the fall is really all over the place in Yosemite. I was just there last week and it was snowing, cloudy, foggy, and very wet. Last fall it was sunny and warm. The fall before was smokey and warm. You just can’t predict how it’s going to be in Yosemite in the fall. That said, it’s probably one of my favorite fall places to visit for this reason. I love the chaos of it all.

Want more fall images from Yosemite? Click here.

Banff & Jasper National Park

I feel like this is probably one of the hardest places to nail down in the fall if you’re traveling there. I was there for five days in the fall last year, and I was so fortunate enough to be there at the right time. I didn’t go during the larches, which is by far the most popular fall time to go. Remember… introvert. But I went right after that rush, while trees were still yellow and lakes were unfrozen. If you wait too long into he fall, you may risk a ton of snow and ice. If you go too early, you will have more of the summer conditions and crowds. The window between summer and winter seems pretty small in Alberta.

Want more fall images from Alberta? Click here.

Grand Teton National Park

Confession - I’ve only ever been here in the fall and winter. I’ve never seen the grass green, as it is in the spring and into the summer. When I think fall, I think of this grass and this view. It’s all golden. Grand Teton is one of my favorite places because it embodies everything I love. It is the west. And fall in the Teton’s is truly magical.

Want more fall images from Grand Teton? Click here.

Zion National Park

Without a doubt, the desert is very accessible all year. It’s cold and potentially snowy in the winter, but the fall is mild and absolutely beautiful. For those reasons, crowds can still be pretty intense year round in Zion. But if you’ve never been in the fall, it’s a wonderful time to go. Bryce Canyon National Park isn’t too far, either, and it’s definitely winter there with tons of snow and freezing temperatures by late fall. You get a two-for-one in the desert.

Want more fall images from Zion? Click here.

Glacier National Park

Hard to imagine a more beautiful place. Unfortunately, my only experiences in Glacier in the fall was during the pandemic lockdown, with half of the park closed to protect the Blackfoot Tribe. While I was there during the lockdown, literally no one else was. Everyday I felt like I had the entire place to myself. There was no one at sunrise. No one at sunset. No one on Going-to-the-Sun Road. I would love that experience, again.

Want more fall images from Glacier? Click here.

There are so many other amazing places in the fall, and I had a hard time choosing which ones to share. I had runner-ups in the desert like the Grand Canyon and Death Valley, and places in the PNW like Mt. Rainier and the North Cascades. They are all incredible places to visit year round, but the fall is so special.

Which is your favorite? Let me know in the comments below, or in the thread on social media you may have discovered this on!