When kids go back to school, many adult travelers head to U.S. national parks. Depending on the location, the parks are visited by fewer people during the fall months, and temperatures are typically moderate. No matter where you go, however, there are plenty of appealing activities, as well as lodging choices for every budget.
Here are three examples of autumn-season national park adventures:
Death Valley National Park, California. Unlike most national parks, fall is just the beginning of the park’s peak season. Concessioner Xanterra Parks & Resorts operates the luxurious, 66-room Inn at Furnace Creek, which opens its doors for the season in mid-October. Xanterra also operates the year-round Ranch at Furnace Creek. The resort features three restaurants, lounge, gift stores, golf course, swimming pools and more. Activities in Death Valley include golfing at the world’s lowest golf course, horseback riding, Jeep tours, bicycling, tours of historic Scotty’s Castle, hiking and touring by car.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
Desert Destination’s Climate Patterns Make Winter the Best Time to Visit
Many people in the United States have already experienced the first chill of winter. This is even true in Death Valley National Park, one of the world’s hottest places. The chill Death Valley visitors feel in winter is not caused by temperature drops, rather by the breathtaking beauty of the pristine desert, enjoyed during the season with the most moderate temperatures of the year – the winter season.
Winter is the most popular time of the year to visit this strange and quietly beautiful California park, particularly during the months of January and February. With 3.3 million acres, Death Valley is the largest national park in the continental U.S. Compared to other major national parks, however, it has relatively low visitation, with only 902,723 people visiting in 2008.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".