Looking for the best national parks to visit in October?
October is a beautiful time to visit the National Parks. The kids are back in school (yay, no kids!), fall colors are out, and it’s great weather for getting outdoors.
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Last Updated: September 29, 2022
Before we get into it, we want to remind everyone to explore the parks responsibly using the 7 Leave no Trace Principles. Have a plan, stay on established trails, carry out anything you carry in, leave what you find, minimize campfire impact, respect wildlife, and be considerate of others.
About the National Park by month Series
To put together this list, we’ve combined our personal experiences and tips we gathered from locals and cross-referenced them with the weather, accessibility, local forums, seasonal attractions like fall foliage or wildflowers, and special events happening in the area. We also considered any unique adventures only offered at certain times of the year to find the most optimal months to visit each National Park. Phew! that was a lot!
It took me a whole week of research, but since I’m a maximizer, it was worth having a year-round calendar of adventures (publishing that soon!). Also, check out our complete list of all the national parks and all national park units that include soon-to-be national parks.
We also chose not to include the hardest-to-access national parks in Alaska and the ones in U.S. territories in this series.
National Parks: Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul
Is October a Good Time to Visit National Parks?
Yes! It’s a great time to visit National Parks, especially for fall colors. We had a hard time narrowing down the list, so we included 17.
Plan on visiting more than two national parks this year? Pick up an America the Beautiful annual pass to save money (entrance fees to each park are, on average, $30-35 per vehicle). Plus, you are helping support the Parks that always need the funding.
17 Best National Parks to Visit in September
1. Acadia National Park, Maine
25 Visitor Center Rd, Bar Harbor, ME 04609, map
Average Temperatures: 55° F / 38° F
Why Visit: Mid-October is the best time to visit for leaf-peeping. Although crowds will increase a…