Any chance you have to visit a National Park is reason enough, but some are particularly beautiful to visit as autumn comes around. There are two big reasons to visit national parks in the falls: crowds and colors. More specifically, there’s a lack of the former and an abundance of the latter.

If you’re considering traveling to any national parks in the fall, here are 25 that are especially awesome to see. I’ve been to almost all of them and can vouch for their beauty!

Denali, Alaska

Much of Denali’s landscape is treeless permafrost, but there are trees there, and the tundra plants also change colors in the fall. September is the peak time, and that’s also one of the best weather windows of the year.

Mount Rainier, Washington

There’s a brief but glorious fall here as intense colors frame “the mountain.” September into early October is the best stretch, and then the rains and snows of winter arrive.

Crater Lake, Oregon

The summer crowds are gone. The roads are still open. And color surrounds this jewel of a lake while early snowfall coats the rim.

Yosemite, California

Yosemite Valley is beautiful in the fall, and it’s usually sunny and warm. Yosemite Falls and Bridalveil Fall may be wisps of their spring and early summer selves, but there’s still a lot of beauty. For even more, drive up into the high country around Tioga Pass while the road’s still open.

Kings Canyon, California

My recommendation is to hike in from the east side so you’ll get fall colors along with lakes and mountain scenery. The two best places to do that are from Onion Valley near Independence and South Lake near Bishop. Trails lead to mountain passes on the park boundary. Early fall is usually gorgeous in the High Sierra, but there can sometimes be heavy snowfall, so be prepared.

Great Basin, Nevada

What I love about this park is its remoteness. It’s like a mini-Sierra Nevada or Rockies occupying a sky island out in the desert. The golden aspens up high will wow you in the fall, and the park will be practically empty.

Grand Canyon North Rim, Arizona

The North Rim is higher and cooler than the South Rim, and it feels more like being in the mountains. There’s a lot of fall color, but make sure you check conditions before making the long drive in; at some point, snow always closes the roads until May.

Zion, Utah

Cottonwoods along the Virgin River and aspens in the high country will dazzle. Enjoy the tremendous beauty without all the spring and summer crowds, and enjoy the warm days and cool nights.

Bryce Canyon, Utah

Bryce Canyon is the highest of Utah’s national parks and enters montane climate zones. This means a lot of trees that turn colorful, mainly aspens, but you also have to be ready for winter weather; that season comes early here.

Capitol Reef, Utah

For a few years, I made annual fall trips here after discovering how incredible the colors were and how empty most of the trails were. Starting in mid-September and going into early October, cottonwoods along the Fruita River near park headquarters make a stunning golden contrast with the sandstone surroundings.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Colorado

Just about everywhere in Colorado is spectacular in the fall due to the colorful aspens. At the Black Canyon, which typically doesn’t get too crowded, you’ll find what summer crowds there were gone.

Rocky Mountain, Colorado

Fall visits here are a little risky because heavy snow can arrive at any time, but the trails are still open and there’s a lot of color to see. One Columbus Day Weekend, I hiked the trail up Glacier Gorge to Sky Pond. The lakes up there were already frozen over, but the trail was still mostly clear of snow and ice, and there was no one else up there.

Grand Teton, Wyoming

By the time the cottonwoods and aspens start turning in mid-September, going into the high country is a risky proposition for all but the most experienced. This far north, blizzards sometimes strike in December, and I’ve twice experienced two feet of fresh snow during late September and early October. Still, the colors and views are great, and you can admire them on your way up to…

Yellowstone, Idaho-Montana-Wyoming

Winter comes early here, and most roads are closed by November. But fall is a beautiful time here, and it’s also when predators such as grizzly bears and wolves come back from their summer ranges in the high mountains, so you’re more likely to see them in the fall. One of my most memorable experiences there was standing outside in the Lamar Valley on a cold, foggy fall night and hearing a lone wolf howling somewhere out in the mist. It was, to channel Jack London, the call of the wild.

Glacier, Montana

Going all the way up here in the fall is pushing it even more. However, if you get good weather, you’ll be rewarded by colors on both sides of the park September into early October. My vote for the best roadside sight that time of year is the golden cottonwoods lining the shores of St. Mary Lake as spectacular mountains tower above.

Theodore Roosevelt, North Dakota

This park is far away from any major cities and thus is among the least-visited in the Lower 48, and most visitation is in the summer. During the fall, you can enjoy the vistas, colors, and bison and wild horse herds without many other people around.

Wind Cave, South Dakota

Wind Cave is filled with forests and prairies that sport nice fall colors. If the weather isn’t cooperating, you can make that your day to tour the namesake cave and see its unique formations.

Voyageurs, Minnesota

Here’s what I love about this park: except for the visitor center and park headquarters, exploring this park requires boat shuttles. My wife and I did that one extended October weekend, and we were all alone on the color-strewn island we visited. Well, not all alone– we did see fresh wolf tracks; wolves cross between the mainland and islands in the winter when the lakes freeze over.

Isle Royale, Michigan

Isle Royale is also out in a lake, this one being Lake Superior. You can only get there by boat or seaplane. Summer is when most people visit, but there’s still time in fall before the brutal Great Lakes winter sets in.

Guadalupe Mountains, Texas

Overall, Texas is one of the worst states for fall colors. A major exception is this park that’s also home to the state highpoint, Guadalupe Peak. Highly recommended is McKittrick Canyon, where the maples in fall will make you think you’re in New England.

Great Smoky Mountains, North Carolina-Tennessee

The East is generally regarded as better than the West for fall colors because it has more species of deciduous trees. In the West, most of the fall color comes from the golden aspens and cottonwoods. The Smokies have excellent fall colors that usually peak in October.

Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina-Virginia

The Blue Ridge Parkway is a 470-mile, stoplight-free asphalt ribbon that connects the Smokies with Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. If you have a week in October that’s free, you won’t regret the journey to and between these parks.

Shenandoah, Virginia

Although Shenandoah is quite a bit north from the Smokies, its peaks are much lower, so mid-October is again usually the peak time for fall colors. Skyline Drive, the one road through the park, can get really busy at this time. I always preferred to hike in from a trailhead outside the park and enjoy the scenery that way.

New River Gorge, West Virginia

West Virginia is mostly mountains, plateaus, and high valleys, so winter can strike earlier here than it does just to the east in Virginia. Still, October should be a pretty safe time to visit this national park, one of our country’s newest.

Acadia, Maine

Few people argue that the country’s best fall foliage is anywhere other than New England. Here in the region’s only national park, you get mountains, forests, lakes, and the ocean. During my one October visit here, it rained most of the weekend, but the rainfall didn’t dampen the intense colors of the leaves.

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