The Best Months to Visit National Parks

Acadia National Park

Maine

June - August: Mild Temperatures, fresh ocean air.

October: Blazing fall colors

Glacier National Park

Montana

June - July: Scenic Drives (Only open in summer) and hikes.

September - October: Fewer Crowds; aspen, larch, and cottonwood trees turning yellow.

 

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

North Carolina and Tennessee

April - May: Lavish wildflowers, blooming redbud and dogwood trees

September - October: Brilliant fall colors that change with elevation.

 

Grand Canyon National Park

Arizona

April - May: Not as hot.

October - November: Less crowded hiking trails.

 

Joshua Tree National Park

California

March - May: Cooler weather, cactus blooms, scenic wildflowers.

October - November: Cooler Weather

 

Rocky Mountains National Park

Colorado

September - October: Elk bugling season; eagle, hawk, and falcon spotting.

Yellowstone National Park

Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming.

May - June: Wildlife Watching (bison, wolves, bighorn sheep, elk.), wildflower season.

October:  Cooler weather, fall colors, migrating wildlife.

Yosemite National Park

California

May - June: Yosemite Falls at its peak, migrating birds.

Zion National Park

Utah

October - November: Less crowded, bighorn sheep, fall colors (orange aspens, cottonwoods)