Leaf Peeping: Where to Find the Best Fall Foliage in the Western United States
Top Regions in the West to see the Leaves Change this Autumn
Cave Springs Campground: Sedona, AZ - Photo Credit: Bryan Donoghue
It's still Leaf Peepin' Season!
This week, we wanted to show some love to the West coast, so we're bringing you another list (and more photos!) of our favorites out here on this side of the country. As I mentioned last week, my experience out West has led me to believe that for all California has in terms of natural beauty, the foliage here in the Autumn months comes up a bit lacking. So for the purposes of this post, we'll be focusing on the Pacific Northwest ranging down to the Southwest - perhaps our California audience may be inspired to get out of their home state to see what else the West has to offer. As I mentioned last week, if you're from California and think I'm missing out on great foliage areas within the state, please let us know at blog@pathloom.com - send some photos over and we'll feature them in an upcoming social media post (along with a big fat mea culpa from yours truly)
Johnson Canyon Road: Kanab, UT - Photo Credit: Darryll DiPietro
As we mentioned last week, smokymountains.com has a GREAT interactive map to help you determine what areas have peak foliage depending on the time of year - and it's not just for the Smokies, it's for the entire (contiguous) USA! Click here to check it out, but remember - just like the weather itself there's no way to predict foliage patterns with 100% success, so don't be mad at them (or us!) if you feel you might have missed peak season in your respective location.
And to reiterate one more time - keep in mind that peak season varies region to region - general rule of thumb is that the farther north you go, the earlier in the year the season will peak. That being said, climate patterns out here in the West make absolutely no sense whatsoever, so definitely consult that map in the previous paragraph before venturing out.
So without further ado, and to continue the celebration of one of the unanimous Top Four Seasons of the Year, here are our favorite areas of the West for fall foliage!
OK a little bit of further ado - check back with us on Thursday for the best foliage areas in the Midwest (including Mountain west as well). And if you've got an area you'd like to nominate, let us know on our social media or at blog@pathloom.com!
Olympic National Park - Washington
Olympic National Park, WA - Photo Credit: Scott Carnahan
Sawtooth National Forest - Idaho
Sun Valley, ID - Photo Credit: Scott Carnahan
Santa Cruz Mountains - California
Boulder Creek, CA - Photo Credit: Bryan Donoghue
Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument - Utah
Lower Calf Creek Falls Trail: Escalante, UT - Photo Credit: Bryan Donoghue
Coconino National Forest - Arizona
Humphrey's Peak: Flagstaff, AZ - Photo Credit: Angie Celestino
Do you think we left out one of your favorite leaf peepin' places in the East? Do you have recommendations for the Midwest or the West that we should include in future editions of this series? Are you a photographer that would like to contribute to future Pathloom articles? Let us know at blog@pathloom.com!
Check out these other articles by Pathloom which you may enjoy:
Very Superstitious: Phoenix In The Fall
The Resilience of the Redwoods: Big Basin’s Rise from the Ashes
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