Fall has arrived. It’s the season of cozy sweaters, apple picking, pumpkin spice lattes, and fall foliage. With America’s beautiful national parks and state parks, there are many places with spectacular fall colors.
State parks are often overshadowed by the country’s national parks, but there are incredible state parks with scenic nature and many of them also have stunning fall colors. We wanted to find out which state parks in the United States have the most beautiful fall foliage.
The team of travel experts at New York Travel Guides conducted a study to find the best state parks for fall foliage in America. In total, more than 600 state parks (and state natural areas) were analyzed and compared across 3 categories:
- Reviews about fall colors
- Fall photography popularity
- Overall rating of the parks
After conducting the study, we found the top 15 best state parks for fall foliage in America.
Results
The 15 best state parks for fall foliage in the United States are shown on the map below.
Below, you can find a table with the data for each state park that made the top 15, including the scores for each factor.
| Rank | State Park | State | Fall Reviews Score | Fall Photography Score | Overall Rating Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lost Maples State Natural Area | Texas | 100 | 74 | 88 |
| 2 | Rib Mountain State Park | Wisconsin | 100 | 70 | 88 |
| 3 | Brown County State Park | Indiana | 85 | 81 | 95 |
| 4 | Letchworth State Park | New York | 84 | 100 | 98 |
| 5 | Babcock State Park | West Virginia | 80 | 77 | 88 |
| 6 | Mount Magazine State Park | Arkansas | 80 | 72 | 93 |
| 7 | Kinzua Bridge State Park | Pennsylvania | 79 | 74 | 97 |
| 8 | Tahquamenon Falls State Park | Michigan | 79 | 74 | 95 |
| 9 | Franconia Notch State Park | New Hampshire | 77 | 83 | 96 |
| 10 | Vogel State Park | Georgia | 76 | 75 | 93 |
| 11 | Starved Rock State Park | Illinois | 75 | 82 | 97 |
| 12 | Devil’s Lake State Park | Wisconsin | 75 | 74 | 98 |
| 13 | Tallulah Gorge State Park | Georgia | 73 | 74 | 95 |
| 14 | Amicalola Falls State Park | Georgia | 73 | 72 | 98 |
| 15 | Natural Bridge State Resort Park | Kentucky | 72 | 78 | 95 |
15 Best State Parks (and State Natural Areas) for Fall Foliage in America
Below, you can find information about the top 15 state parks and state natural areas for fall foliage in America out of the 600+ state parks that were analyzed.
1. Lost Maples State Natural Area, Texas
Only two hours northwest of San Antonio, one can find Lost Maples State Natural Area. Established in 1979, this natural area is home to beautiful bigtooth maple trees. Lost Maples State Natural Area is known for its fall foliage, which consists of gorgeous colors of yellow, orange, and red.
2. Rib Mountain State Park, Wisconsin
Established in 1979, Rib Mountain State Park, located in Wisconsin close to Wausau, is one of America’s best state parks for fall foliage. The state park isn’t only great because of the beauty of the fall colors, but also because of the unique way to enjoy the breathtaking colors during a scenic chairlift ride.
3. Brown County State Park, Indiana
Brown County State Park, the largest state park in Indiana, is known for its gorgeous fall colors. The state park has about 1.2 million annual visitors and was established in 1929. Because of similarities with the Great Smoky Mountains, it’s often called the “Little Smokies”. In addition to that, the park is home to the Abe Martin Lodge which features a beautiful indoor swimming pool.
4. Letchworth State Park, New York
Dating back to the year 1906, Letchworth State Park is a beautiful state park that turns into a place with incredible shades of yellow, red, and orange during the fall season. The park is known for the Genesee Arch Bridge and its impressive waterfalls on the Genesee River. Located on the top of a cliff, one can find the historic Glen Iris Inn at Letchworth State Park which offers rooms with a view of the Middle Falls.
5. Babcock State Park, West Virginia
Babcock State Park is a gorgeous state park in West Virginia that dates back to 1934. The state park is known for The Glade Creek Grist Mill, a real working mill that was built using parts from three other West Virginia grist mills. Surrounded by stunning fall colors, The Glade Creek Grist Mill is very popular for photography in the fall.
6. Mount Magazine State Park, Arkansas
Established in 1998, Mount Magazine State Park is a stunning state park. The fall colors at this state park in Arkansas are breathtaking. With panoramic views from its guest rooms, The Lodge at Mount Magazine, which is a 66,617-square-foot rustic-style lodge located in the state park, is incredible for those who want to enjoy the beauty of fall.
7. Kinzua Bridge State Park, Pennsylvania
Kinzua Bridge State Park is a beautiful state park in Pennsylvania that’s one of the best for fall foliage in the country. The park isn’t only great in fall because of its fantastic fall colors, but also because of the Kinzua Bridge Skywalk from where one can have an incredible view of the fall foliage. The skywalk is a walkway that was constructed on the remaining steel towers of the Kinzua Bridge, which was a bridge that was built in 1882 and that was partially destroyed in 2003.
8. Tahquamenon Falls State Park, Michigan
Tahquamenon Falls State Park is a state park in Michigan with vibrant fall colors that was established in 1947. One of the park’s highlights is the Upper Falls on the Tahquamenon River. This waterfall looks spectacular in fall when the leaves change color. In addition to that, the river’s unique amber color adds to the beautiful scenery.
9. Franconia Notch State Park, New Hampshire
Franconia Notch State Park, located in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, is a state park that was established around 1930. The fall colors in the state park are mesmerizing. Furthermore, the Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway is located in the park, and when this tramway is in operation during the fall season, one can enjoy incredible views of the fall scenery.
10. Vogel State Park, Georgia
With its spectacular palette of fall colors, Vogel State Park, which is the second oldest state park in Georgia, is one of the best state parks in the United States for fall foliage. The park was established in 1931 and can be found at the base of Blood Mountain.
11. Starved Rock State Park, Illinois
Starved Rock State Park, located in the state of Illinois, is one of the most spectacular state parks for fall foliage in the USA. A guided fall color trolley tour, which runs in October, is a great way to explore the fall colors of the park. It is also possible to see the park’s red, yellow, and golden leaves by doing a guided hike and lunch, during which it is possible to learn about the park from a guide, visit various areas, and have food.
12. Devil’s Lake State Park, Wisconsin
Devil’s Lake State Park, the largest state park in Wisconsin, is located in the Baraboo Range and was established in 1911. The park is known for its rock formations and scenic views. With its gorgeous fall colors during the fall season, Devil’s Lake State Park is one of America’s best state parks for fall foliage.
13. Tallulah Gorge State Park, Georgia
Located near Tallulah Falls, GA, Tallulah Gorge State Park is known for its scenic beauty. The state park surrounds the spectacular Tallulah Gorge. During the fall season, there are mesmerizing fall colors at Tallulah Gorge State Park because of the park’s stunning maple trees and oaks, making it one of America’s best state parks for fall foliage.
14. Amicalola Falls State Park, Georgia
Amicalola Falls State Park, located in Georgia, is a scenic state park with a beautiful palette of fall colors during the fall season. The state park is known for the gorgeous Amicalola Falls, which is the tallest waterfall in Georgia. A great activity in the park is doing a guided waterfall hike. Furthermore, one can find the Amicalola Falls Lodge at the park where one can dine with a mesmerizing view.
15. Natural Bridge State Resort Park, Kentucky
Natural Bridge State Resort Park is a beautiful state park that is located in Powell and Wolfe Counties adjacent to the Red River Gorge Geologic Area. The park was established in 1926 and is known for its natural sandstone bridge. During the fall season, a spectacular blanket of orange, yellow, and red covers Natural Bridge State Resort Park.
Methodology
For this study, we selected 600 state parks from across the United States. We then did an analysis and compared the state parks across 3 categories:
1. Reviews about fall colors
For each state park, we analyzed all reviews on two online review websites. We then determined the total number of positive reviews about fall colors and foliage for each park. This number was then used to determine the proportion of positive reviews about fall colors and foliage among the total number of reviews, and a standardized value was calculated based on that.
2. Fall photography popularity
For each state park, we looked at the number of fall photos posted on a website for photographers. We then compared these total numbers among all analyzed state parks to calculate a standardized value that ranges from 0 to 100, with 100 being the value for the state park with the highest number of photos.
3. Overall rating of the parks
For each state park, we looked at the park’s overall review score and the park’s total number of reviews on two online review websites. Based on this, we calculated a score and this score was then used to calculate a standardized value.
Each of the standardized values is a score that ranges from 0 to 100, with 100 being the best.
After calculating the standardized values, the scores were given a weight. The weights that were used are 0.8, 0.2, and 0.2, for factors 1, 2, and 3, respectively, and these were used to calculate a score to rank the state parks.