What fall looks like in every state

Fall in northern Alaska brings the famous aurora borealis, or the northern lights, which can start in mid-September in the northernmost US state. A fall adventure to Denali National Park might mean spotting a surreal light show in the sky.

Known as Hawksbill Crag or Whitaker Point, this Arkansas rock formation is a popular photo spot. During the fall, the geological wonder comes alive, surrounded by colorful leaves. 

Pumpkin patches and corn mazes are quintessential fall activities and in Colorado, pumpkin-picking often comes with a gorgeous mountain view.

At Fifer Orchards, you can reserve a spot to try out the corn maze, which changes in theme every year. Visitors can also pick their own pumpkins and apples, drink apple cider, and grab lunch and ice cream at the Farm Kitchen.

The Georgia State Fair at the Atlanta Motor Speedway was open this year from September 27 through October 6. Fairgoers enjoyed live music, pig races, circus performers, and plenty of fair food.

As fall weather moves into Idaho, one of Boise’s most-loved trails, the Greenbelt, becomes even more picturesque with vibrant leaves that line the pathway. The 25-mile route is a perfect path for bikers and pedestrians to enjoy the city before winter creeps in.

One of Indiana’s most unique spots is the Indiana Dunes National Park, where beautiful fall leaves dot the landscape from late September through October, the National Park Service reported.

In Kansas City, the Central Avenue Betterment Association hosts plenty of festivities for Día de los Muertos. There is face painting, food, and art vendors, and, of course, a big parade held every year on Central Avenue. 

New Orleans’ annual Oak Street Po-Boy Festival celebrates its take on what people in other regions of the country may know as a “sub” sandwich or “hoagie.” The festival brings more than 60 varieties of the po’boy to the streets of New Orleans, along with artists and music, for a lively event that is just one of many fall festivities in the colorful city.

Landscapes throughout Maryland begin to bloom with colorful leaves in mid-September.

Spending time in one of the state’s forests and parks is a common way to cherish the fall months alongside activities like watching the skies and rivers for birds that are migrating south for the winter.

There’s nothing more fall-esque than sipping on apple cider on a crisp afternoon.

In Michigan, apples are the largest and most valuable local fruit crop, The Produce News reported, so it’s no wonder Michigan locals pride themselves on their state’s local apple ciders and historic cider mills, such as Uncle John’s Cider Mill, which has been around since the early 1900s.

Mississippi is another Southern state filled with big-time fall football pride.

Fans of Mississippi State are known to not only cheer for their favorite players but also wave cowbells, many of which are bedazzled and decorated. The quirky but iconic cowbells can be seen (and heard) throughout the state as a symbol of school spirit.

Early fall is said to be an ideal, less-congested time to drive along Montana’s famous Going-to-the-Sun Road, travel blog Well Planned Journey wrote.

The road is a 50-mile, two-lane highway that spans Glacier National Park, passing through landscapes of all sorts, including picturesque glacial lakes, forests, and tundra areas.

Beautiful in every season, Lake Tahoe is a famous destination for outdoor enthusiasts in all types of weather. During the fall, Lake Tahoe is in its offseason prime and is less congested with tourists, who flock to the area in summer and winter.

New Jersey comes alive in autumn with the annual Autumn Lights Festival, held in West Milford, New Jersey. The event, which features light displays, craft vendors, and food trucks, draws more than 35,000 attendees annually.

Among a plethora of autumn festivities in New York, a well-loved fall tradition is the Tompkins Square Park Halloween Dog Parade, where dogs (and their owners) flock to the Manhattan park, sporting comical canine costumes.

North Dakota’s Theodore Roosevelt National Park is one of the state’s most picturesque natural landscapes. It’s home to herds of bison, or buffalo, among other creatures like bobcats, beavers, and longhorns, per the National Park Service.

Oklahoma City’s Bricktown district is a lively neighborhood that illuminates in the crisp fall weather. With shops, restaurants, and string light-filled scenery, it’s a popular area to spend time in when the weather is chilly but not too cold.

There’s something quintessentially fall about spending an afternoon at an apple orchard. Pennsylvania ranks fourth in the nation for apple production, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, and is filled with orchards for apple picking and other fall activities.

South Carolina’s summer humidity typically doesn’t stop at the technical first day of fall, but that doesn’t mean locals aren’t in the autumn spirit. Greenville, South Carolina, is known to be a beautiful fall foliage destination with robust bike paths.

From mid-October through early November, fall colors found in the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee are at their most vibrant.

The famous mountain range is filled with different species of trees, from maples to hickories, that make for unparalleled autumn views.

Among Utah’s natural wonders that shine in the fall is Bryce Canyon National Park, which is home to the world’s largest concentration of “hoodoos,” or irregular columns of rock, per the National Park Service.

For the past 50-plus years, Virginians have kicked off fall at the Bluemont Fair, a festival that takes place at the end of September at the foothills of the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains. 

Washington, DC, may be a well-known spot in the spring for the Cherry Blossom Festival, but its stunning fall leaves also make for memorable landscapes that contrast the city’s traditional architecture.

During autumn, leaves transform and dot DC’s most famous areas, from Georgetown to Capitol Hill, with reds, oranges, and browns.

Wisconsin’s Door County is known for its vibrant fall foliage, making it one of the state’s most idyllic autumn destinations.

With chillier weather comes colorful trees along the state’s Lake Michigan and Green Bay coasts, plus troves of farmers’ markets, ghost tours, and corn mazes.

From the beginning of September through mid-October, Wyoming’s Grand Tetons are a visually incredible fall destination thanks to huge areas of deciduous trees, or trees that turn yellow, orange, and red.