Credit: Arizona Office of Tourism
A guide to the best fall foliage in the western states.
New England gets all the credit. It is known for its seasonal changing of the leaves throughout Maine, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Vermont – and you can find a road trip guide to New England here. But this region is not the only part of the U.S. that cast off different shades during autumn.
Here is where to see the best fall foliage in the western states.
WEST
Arizona
Outside of Sedona, Red Rock State Park’s riparian zone of Oak Creek Canyon goes by Fremont cottonwood, sycamore, velvet ash and Arizona alder trees on various trails and the path up to the Eagle’s Nest Trail to get a top-down view. See Slide Rock State Park on the same day; trees there also provide a vibrant contrast against the Oak Creek’s red rocks.
Idaho
The Boise River Greenbelt is a tree-lined pathway throughout the city and connects walkers and cyclists to its various riverside parks. Or head out on the Sawtooth Scenic Byway, as this Highway 75 rolls north past the Harriman Trail and the Galena Summit Overlook, then on through the resort towns of Hailey, Ketchum, and Sun Valley.
Nevada
In Eastern Nevada, the Great Basin National Park encourages you to drive around at your own pace. Its Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive is a paved 12-mile route leading to an elevation exceeding 10,000 feet and views of groves of aspen trees in yellow, red and gold.
New Mexico
The Santa Fe National Forest Scenic Byway leads to a 13,000-foot aspen filled alpine wilderness, where the hillsides from Hyde Memorial State Park to Ski Santa Fe shine vibrantly gold. Fall colors hit nicely along U.S. 64, across the Carson National Forest between Taos and Chama and through Tres Piedras and Tierra Amarilla, where the view of the Brazos Cliffs is worth the stop.
Wyoming
Along Battle Pass Scenic Byway, a 57-mile Sierra Madre Mountains of the Medicine Bow National Forest, see the famous strand of trees known as Aspen Alley. Jackson is a gateway to two of the country’s most beautiful national parks – Yellowstone and Grand Teton. Drive along the Cloud Peak Skyway Scenic Byway, the southern-most route across the Bighorn National Forest, for views of the Bighorn Mountains that are framed by yellow- and gold-hued aspens.