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Autumn in Glacier National Park
Even though summer is the most popular time for visitors to explore and enjoy Glacier National Park, fall is also a gorgeous time of year to visit this famous destination.  Even though the days are shorter and the nights are colder, the month of September and early October provide a host of reasons for you to consider visiting Glacier National Park during the autumn season.

#1.  The Aspens Turn Color
Most of the east side of Glacier National Park is covered in aspens, and during the last week in September and first week of October, the aspen leaves turn bright gold.  It’s a spectacular sight… especially around Chief Mountain along the Chief Mountain International Peace Parkway.

#2. The Rut
Elk and moose have there mating season, known as “the rut”, in late September and early October. Watching these great animals “do what they do” is absolutely amazing.  You will see bull elk fighting to protect their harems, and you will hear them bugle at each other…. It’s really something special to experience this amazing behavior.  And watching a huge bull moose guard over his cow… it’s really a great time of year.

#3.  Electric Blue Sky
The sky during the fall season in Glacier National Park turns a vivid “electric blue” that is even more striking when the aspen leaves have turned to their bright gold color.  It’s a shade of blue not seen any other time of year…. providing that the regional fires are out by then.

#4.  Easier River and Stream Crossings
There are several Glacier Park hikes that require that the hiker ford across a river or stream, and fall is the best time of year to make these crossings because the water level is much lower than spring or summer.

#5.  Cooler Temperatures
The day time and night time temperatures begin to really cool down in Glacier National Park, especially after mid-September.  These cooler temperatures make hiking very pleasant and really make a campfire feel extra good as the night time temperatures begin to drop dramatically.  This time of year you’ll really enjoy your down sleeping bag as well.

#6.  Fresh Snow on the Mountain Tops
If you’re lucky, you will get to see a fresh “dusting” of snow on the peaks of Glacier National Park. This fresh snow, with the electric blue sky and the golden aspens, are what dreams are made of when taking scenic photographs.

#7.  The Tamaracks (Larch) Turn Yellow
Glacier National Park is home to many Tamarack trees, also known as Larch.  Located mainly on the west side of the continental divide, these amazing trees look like evergreens in the spring and summer, but during late September and early October, the needles turn a vivid yellow before they fall off the tree.  When the tamarack forests are yellow with a dark green background of the neighboring evergreens, the sight is breathtaking.

#8.  Animals Are More Visible
Fall is a great time to see animals in Glacier National Park. They are out more because the days are cooler, and many animals such as pika are busy gathering food for winter, or animals such as bears are trying to really fatten up for their long winter’s nap.  They are so busy looking for food that often times they are out all day and quite visible to visitors. Elk and moose are in their mating seasons, and later in the fall (November) the big horn sheep, mule deer and whitetail deer begin their mating seasons.  So fall is a wonderful time to view wildlife.

Limited Services
Now of course many of the Glacier National Park Lodging Facilities and Glacier Park Campgrounds begin closing up in September, but keep in mind that many of the campgrounds are still open, even though they won’t have running water.  Instead, they turn what is known as “primitive”.  So you can still camp, but you won’t have all the conveniences that are provided during the summer season.  The lodges are closed up usually by the third week of September, and the Going To The Sun Road typically remains open until mid October, depending on the weather.

But if you are OK with the primitive campgrounds and the lodge closures, you will truly enjoy some magical days in Glacier National Park.  Fall is an amazing time of year in Glacier… the colors, the clear skies, the cool nights, the snow capped peaks and the animals all make autumn a very special time, and we highly recommend that you take some time and explore it.

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Autumn in Grand Teton National Park: Simply Gorgeous!
Autumn is a very special time in Grand Teton National Park, and is one of our favorite places to be during the fall season. The fall colors, the animals, the electric blue sky and the cool crisp days and nights all make Grand Teton National Park a wonderful place to visit during the fall season.

Fall Colors
Grand Teton National Park is world famous for its magnificent fall colors, and if you hit it just right, you will understand why. There are a high concentration of aspens throughout the park, and when they turn, they turn a bright yellow. This bright yellow is jaw-dropping, especially when the aspen trees are in direct contrast to the dark green of the evergreen trees. And what’s also a really treat are the aspens that turn a copper color and sometimes even red. These vivid colors reflecting in the Snake River at Oxbow Bend, and the incredible Teton Mountain Range as the towering back drop, makes for a perfect image. That’s probably why Oxbow Bend is one of the most photographed spots in Grand Teton National Park, and probably in the entire country.

What date the colors actually change is slightly different from year to year, but usually the colors start to really turn the third week of September through the first week in October. And of course there are several factors that can affect the outcome of the color change. For example, if there is an early freeze, sometimes the leaves simply die without really showing off a vivid yellow. And other times if there are high winds, the leaves are blown off before visitors really get to enjoy them. And sometimes the colors change all at once which is really amazing to see, and other years it happens in sections. But if you hit it right during the perfect year, you will be absolutely astounded over what you’ll see!

The “Rut”
Fall is also the mating seasons for pronghorns, elk and moose in Grand Teton National Park. This is known as “the rut”, and is a fascinating time to watch these animals in action. The males are trying to “get friendly” with the females, and they have to fight other males for this privilege. Watching these rituals is always fascinating and quite memorable. And during the rut, these animals are out in the open more, so you have a much better chance of seeing them as opposed to mid summer. That is why you’ll see a lot of photographers out in the field during this time of year.

Cool Crisp Days and Nights
An added bonus to fall in Grand Teton National Park is that the days are very pleasant. The temperature is cooler but the sun is warm on your face… kind of like a campfire. It’s hard to describe but it’s wonderful. And when the sun goes down, it gets quite cool, which makes campfires feel even better.

Fresh Snow on the Peaks
Another nice feature of a Grand Teton National Park autumn is the fresh snow that falls on the tall peaks of the Teton Mountain Range. This snow really makes the mountains even more breathtaking, and this along with the fall colors make for a wonderful scene.

Electric Blue Sky
It’s hard to describe to someone who hasn’t seen it in person, but the sky above Grand Teton National Park (as well as Yellowstone National Park and Glacier National Park) becomes “electric blue” in color. You won’t see this vivid color any other time of year, and it’s absolutely amazing. It’s due to the polarizing effect from the specific angle of the sun during this time of year, and because the forest fires are finished for the year (usually). There is also less UV haze in the air this time of year which helps create this unique color.

So adding the “electric blue” sky to the white fresh snow on the mountains, and the incredibly vivid yellow aspen leaves…. you’ve got yourself one of the prettiest images your eyes will ever see. Oh, and add a harem of cow elk with a herd bull bugling…. it just doesn’t get better than that! But no matter how hard we attempt to adequately describe it, and no matter how we try to capture it in photos, actually seeing Grand Teton National Park during the peak of the autumn season with your own eyes is the only way to do it justice. You’ll then understand why we get so excited about this special place during this special time of year!

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