11 fiery shots of fall foliage around the US

PopSci Staff
·1 min read
Red fall foliage on three-leaf sumac in Great Sand Dunes National Park
Three-leaf sumac in Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado.

Where there are deciduous trees, there will likely be flame-colored leaves come autumn. Sure, the maples, oaks, sweetgums, and hickories in the Northeast net the most attention during fall foliage season, but there's a certain poetry in the stately yellows and oranges of the quaking aspens, cottonwoods, and birches out West. In the South, a seasonal flush hits the hardwood trees dotting river deltas and wetlands. And in the far north, hardy tundra shrubs and wildflowers darken to jewel-like hues as they prepare for a blistering winter. Only Hawaii seems to miss the wave of colorful changes, though non-native plants might add a splash of crispness.

[Related: 9 native grasses that will revitalize your sad, water-wasting lawn]

So, as an ode to the sweet autumn air and last leaves of the year, let's take a tour across the US to see some of the brilliance that our national parks, military bases, and other public lands have to offer.

Yellow fall foliage on quaking aspens in Great Basin National Park
Quaking aspens in Great Basin National Park, Nevada.
Red fall foliage in forest at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
Maple, beech, and other mixed upland forest trees in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Michigan.
Yellow fall foliage on oak and yucca in Angeles National Forest
Oak (left) and yucca (right) in Angeles National Forest, California.
Orange fall foliage on sugar maples at Fort Knox
Sugar maples at Fort Knox, Kentucky.
Red fall foliage on bearberry in Bering Land Bridge National Preserve
Bearberry in Bering Land Bridge National Preserve, Alaska.
Orange fall foliage on quaking aspens in Grand Teton National Park
Quaking aspens in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming.
Yellow fall foliage on cottonwoods and sunflowers in Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge
(From background to foreground) Cottonwood, sunflowers, and sandhill cranes in Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico.
Brown fall foliage on magnolia in Rainbow Springs State Park
Magnolias in Rainbow Springs State Park, Florida.
White yarrow and red fall foliage on fireweed in Denali National Park
Yarrow (left) and fireweed (right) in Denali National Park, Alaska.
Orange fall foliage on sugar maples in Arlington National Cemetery
Sugar maples in Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia.