America's best national parks for fall revealed plus the NPS director's personal picks
A new study ranking the best national parks for an autumn getaway put the Smokies at No.1, ahead of Acadia, Shenandoah, Rocky Mountain and Grand Teton.CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE FROM OUTKICK OUTDOORSThe research, conducted by Sudoku Bliss, analyzed National Park Service visitation data from September through November between 2021 and 2025, along with Google ratings and reviews.
Great Smoky Mountains earned the top overall score after welcoming nearly 19 million fall visitors over that five-year span.Best for: Sweeping mountain views, colorful fall foliage and beginner-friendly campground options (Getty Images)And if you're looking for a second opinion, the acting director of the National Park Service happens to agree.During a recent interview with OutKick OutDoors, Jessica Bowron named the Smokies and the Blue Ridge Parkway when asked where she'd send someone chasing fall colors.6 OF THE BEST FALL CAMPING DESTINATIONS IN AMERICA, PLUS GEAR BEGINNERS SHOULD PACK"I would send them to the Blue Ridge Parkway, with a close partner being the Great Smoky Mountains National Park," Bowron said."Two really incredible parks to see the fall colors."The Smokies finished well ahead of the rest of the field in the study, with a fall score of 94.7.Acadia National Park in Maine ranked second at 86.6, followed by Virginia's Shenandoah National Park at 76.0, Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado at 74.1 and Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming at 72.9.The rest of the top 10 included Yosemite, Zion, Yellowstone, Cuyahoga Valley and New River Gorge.HERE'S HOW TO DO THE SMOKY MOUNTAINS WITHOUT TRAFFIC AND CROWDSAnd the rankings weren't based on visitor totals alone.The study weighted total fall visits, total visitor hours, Google ratings and the number of reviews containing autumn-related language.
Shenandoah, for example, had fewer visitors than several parks ranked below it, but 18.4% of its Google reviews mentioned fall — the highest share among the top 10.An overlook at Shen...