Fall and Winter Travel Guides
3 Parks to Adventure in this Fall & Winter
Thinking about planning a national park adventure this fall or winter? With our partners at Travelodge® by Wyndham, we’re sharing three of our favorite national parks to explore and why the cooler months are a great time to adventure responsibly in them.
With many locations close to our national parks, Travelodge has long provided a basecamp for park explorers while driving awareness for the preservation of our favorite places, including Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park and Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park. No matter which park you decide to visit, check the National Park Service site for the park in advance to learn of closures and other important details.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee & North Carolina
Snow-covered trail in Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Wes Hicks
Leaf-covered road in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Jonny James
Horses in Great Smoky Mountains National Park
David HertleBreathtaking mountain scenery, panoramic views of forested land and rushing mountain streams are beautiful on their own – now, imagine them when the leaves change! Fall foliage has long drawn visitors to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Every year, from about late September to early November, the park’s fall colors are on display; of course, this timing depends on many variables (including elevation and temperature), and it’s impossible to predict just when exactly “peak” season will occur. Taking a drive along the Clingmans Dome Road, the Blue Ridge Parkway or the Foothills Parkway will afford visitors spectacular displays of colorful sugar maple, scarlet oak, sweetgum, red maple and hickories – just some of the 100 native tree species in the park.
Looking for another way to take in the sights and cooler weather? Guided horseback rides are available at stables in the park from mid-March through late November and are an engaging way to explore some of the 550 miles of hiking trails that are open to horses while trying something that might be new. Visitors interested in horse riding in the park can learn more on Great Smoky Mountains’ NPS site here.
Because of the park’s varied elevation and geographic location, it’s possible to visit and explore in the winter as well. Adventurous visitors – with the right gear and preparation – can tackle snowy peaks, while others can often enjoy snow-free trails by sticking to the foothills and paths in the valley. As is the case in the fall, many roads and parkways through the park boast stunning views once snow has fallen – just be sure, regardless of when you visit, to check the NPS site to be sure there aren’t any closures on the roads or trails.
Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
Snow on the Navajo Loop Trail in Bryce Canyon National Park
Pedro Lastra
Stars on a clear winter night in Bryce Canyon National Park
Philip Graves
Hikers in the snow in Bryce Canyon National Park
Hans Isaacson
Bryce Canyon National Park in the snow
Mike NewbryWhile you might not be able to completely beat the heat in this desert park during the fall, the onset of autumn and shift into winter means the beginning of cooler temperatures! Bryce Canyon National Park, located in Utah, is perhaps best known for its hoodoos – irregular columns of rock found throughout the park. It’s home to the largest concentration of them on Earth! The cooler months of the year offer visitors the opportunity to visit when snow blankets the park’s famed red rocks, pink cliffs and evergreens.
With snow on the ground, visitors can explore the park by snowshoeing or cross-country skiing in addition to winter hiking – NPCA staff recommend checking conditions in advance as well as packing seasonally appropriate clothing and gear, such as traction devices for boots. The park also hosts annual winter events that are popular with visitors, like the annual Christmas Bird Count. Bird enthusiasts and casual observers alike are welcome to join the event, held each December. It’s one of the longest-running citizen science surveys in the world, where visitors and rangers alike gather data about birds in a 15-mile diameter to help researchers. Whether you come with friends or family or travel solo, you’ll be able to join up with teams at the visitor center and choose from several routes, from strenuous hikes to easy drives. Learn more about the Christmas Bird Count.
If stargazing is more your speed, you’re in luck; cool, clear night skies can make for spectacular views. Visitors who come to the park during a full moon can take part in special nighttime hikes. Offered as weather permits, the hikes last 60-120 minutes, during which visitors explore the parks hoodoos on a 1-2-mile-long moonlit hike. Reservations for the hike – as well as other hikes hosted by the park – are required; learn more.
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park, DC & Maryland
View of the canal in Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
L.L. Kern
Replica canal boat in Cheseapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
Carol M. HighsmithBiking, hiking, ice skating and more – there’s plenty of fun to be had in the fall and winter at Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park! The park features a 184.5-mile towpath along the Potomac River where visitors can take in the fall foliage. Visitors can explore the towpath by foot, and with a bit of advanced planning, they can also ride aboard an 1870s replica pack boat, the Charles F. Mercer; tickets are available first come, first served one hour before the program at the Great Falls Visitor Center. Once aboard, visitors will learn more about the people who lived and worked along the canal, including Charles Fenton Mercer, the boat’s namesake, who spearheaded the construction of C&O Canal in 1823.
For those ready for a winter adventure, C&O Canal offers a variety of cold weather activities. Sledding, ice skating, ice fishing and cross-country skiing can all be enjoyed in the park, though visitors must comply with the park’s rules and regulations to ensure they’re avoiding prohibited areas and practicing responsible visitation. For visitors looking to stay out of the cold, the park boasts a variety of indoor interactive exhibits and historic buildings. The Cumberland Visitor Center in the Western Maryland Railway station features a spacious exhibit area full of interactive displays about the history of the canal and the Cumberland, as well as a model of the Paw Paw Tunnel and a life-size section of a canal boat.
Whether you visit Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park or Chesapeake and Ohio National Historical Park, NPCA and Travelodge encourage to you be responsible park visitors – for 10 ways to adventure responsibly, click here!
Travelodge is energizing adventure with the National Parks Conservation Association. With a large footprint close to national parks, Travelodge is driving awareness for the preservation of our nation’s favorite places while providing a basecamp for adventurers to refuel for the day to come. Between February 21, 2023 and June 22, 2024, NPCA members receive up to 20% off their stay at any Travelodge and 5% is donated to NPCA! Click here to learn more.
