See eco initiatives in action in the Missouri Ozarks

“We led the country in saving our streams: these were the first free-flowing rivers to be preserved and protected by the National Park Service, creating the Ozark National Scenic Riverways,” says travel writer and keen kayaker Barbara Ostmann, who grew up in the Arkansas Ozarks before later hopping the border to live on the Missouri side.

“There’s huge citizen participation in taking care of our rivers. We have thousands of ‘Missouri Stream Teams’, where people adopt sections of the river and are responsible for keeping them clean – and they are crystal-clear,” she adds.

The Ozarks have the highest concentration of first-magnitude springs in North America, which pump out more than 2.8 cubic metres of water per second. The area’s conservation efforts extend to the land, where a former railroad corridor is being turned into Rock Island Trail State Park.

“If you want to canoe the rivers or go hiking, the crowds drop off in fall. During this season there are fewer people, the trees are gorgeous and you can see squirrels gathering up their acorns. If you take the time to look around you, it’s a wonderful show.”

- Katie McGonagle

Play bridge bingo in Vermont

Vermont is known for having more than 100 historic covered bridges – that’s more per square metre than any other US state. Each has its own architectural style but all were designed for the same purpose: to protect their decking from the harsh Vermont winters (though they also kept horses from being spooked by the running water below).

These 19th-century steel-free structures have earned countless fans, including Heather Hassett, owner of Vermont Confectionery, a store selling local products in the quintessential New England town of Bennington.

“I’ve lived here all my life, and seeing the bridges in fall still takes my breath away,” she says. Diehard devotees can try to identify the bridge builder by the style of truss, while photographers can simply focus on snapping them with flaming autumnal foliage surrounds.

The state’s south-west corner has five bridges in close proximity – three in Bennington and two in nearby Arlington. Hassett says: “Pick up some cider, Vermont cheese and maple or pumpkin products in town and then stop for a picnic next to Henry Bridge, which has a pull-off area with tables.”
Finish by driving to the Paper Mill Bridge to see its “lovely waterfall”, followed by the Silk Road Bridge. Take it slow, advises Heather: go one car at a time and don’t be the person who tries to manoeuvre a camper van under a covered bridge!

- Karen Burshtein

Take it slow in New Brunswick

“Fall is a great time to slow down and catch your breath here [in the Bay of Fundy]. We’re not a park you want to rush,” insists Nancy Lockerbie, general manager of the Fundy Trail Parkway, which follows the billowing outline of the cliffs overlooking Canada’s New Brunswick coast. The parkway also marked its 25th anniversary this year and is set to become an official provincial park from 2024.

“It’s one of the last remaining coastal wilderness areas on the Eastern Seaboard, so the park and parkway have been created out of nothing. There are 21 lookouts where people can see the magnificent Bay of Fundy, where we have the world’s highest and lowest tides.

“One of the highlights is Walton Glen Gorge – some people have named it the ‘Grand Canyon of New Brunswick’ – and now we have an electric shuttle to take people who couldn’t do that hike to the observation point. It’s spectacular.”

- Katie McGonagle

Join in with a community camomile harvest in Washington State

Nestled in the foothills of Washington’s North Cascade mountain range sits Willowbrook Manor English Tea House and Farm Stay, where visitors can witness the vibrant reds and golds that carpet the Pacific Northwest landscape deep into the fall months.

But it’s more than just a beautiful view: homegrown camomile sends sweet floral notes swirling into the air during the Autumn Harvest Tea, when owner and operator Terry Gifford invites the local community to help harvest the crop, followed by cups of camomile tea and scones – with all proceeds going to help those in need.

“People come to the farm to celebrate the wonderful colours and flavours of fall,” says Terry. “The garden tour takes guests down a long path covered with a canopy of wisteria, leading to a large patch of aromatic Roman camomile. I call it ‘the giving field’, because this is where the community comes together for special events like camomile planting, weeding and harvesting. These tea-and-work parties raise awareness and funds for homeless families in our area.”

- MaryRose Denton

See lakes and stars in Nevada

As the crowds at Lake Tahoe thin in the autumn and Nevada gears up for the annular eclipse, there are plenty of ways to soak up the state’s beaches, dark skies and rocky wildernesses, says Dawn Andone, park interpreter for Nevada State Parks.

“The beaches of Lake Tahoe are crazy busy in summer, but by September, the crowds have died down and it’s still warm going into October. Most head to Stateline for its casinos, but Incline Village, in the quieter northern part of the lake, is more beautiful and has some nice hotels, while the 270km Rim Trail offers hikers peaceful views of the shoreline from up on high.

“Over in the eastern part of the state, I started the annual Park to Park cycle ride (65km–160km), which starts at Kershaw-Ryan State Park and goes up to Echo Canyon and back. It runs on the first weekend of October this year, and the reason we do it is so that you can watch the leaves changing from a different perspective.

“Or if you want to see the eclipse, head to Charcoal Ovens State Historical Park [named after its 19th-century beehive-shaped ovens], which has the best open skies. Or to see the state’s starry nights, the Nevada Northern Star Train runs from Ely to the Great Basin.”

- Gareth Clark

Savour the peace of Yosemite National Park

Autumn comes late to Yosemite National Park, but it also opens up a labyrinth of trails and landscapes with no one else around, says Elizabeth Barton of cooperative tour operator Echo Adventures.
“Fall up here looks different to down at sea level; it starts mid-October and can last until Christmas. It’s still very much summer going into September, so my favourite time is later on, when the crowds leave and the weather cools.

“Any time you hike more than a mile from your car in Yosemite, you’ll lose the bulk of other visitors, especially in the high country along Tioga Road and Highway 120. My favourite route is the North Dome trail, a 14km loop that most people can do because there’s not a lot of elevation. It takes you out to the northern rim of Yosemite Valley, so you’re walking through beautiful forests, then you pop out and you’re facing Half Dome, El Capitan and Glacier Point. It feels like a summit, but it’s just an easy 7km hike.

“It’s a good time for horseback riding in the area too. You can trot among giant sequoias – the largest trees on the planet – in Yosemite‘s Mariposa Grove. It’s so cowboy!”

- Gareth Clark

Watch whales in the waters of off Florida's Amelia Island

Perched on the edge of the Florida coast, Amelia Island has a front-row seat for the wildlife migrations passing up and down the Eastern Seaboard. Delicate monarch butterflies pause to feed on milkweed as they flit through in search of warmer climes, and North-Atlantic right whales are known to bask in the island’s waters.

Lauren Hodges, marine biologist at Omni Amelia Island Resort’s nature centre, says: “I always recommend to people that they come in fall, because the temperatures have cooled off, schools are back in session and there’s less traffic, so it’s an ideal time to visit.”

“I moved here because there are a lot of marine species that are specific to this area. This is also a critical habitat for the endangered North-Atlantic right whale, which comes here to breed in fall because of the island’s warm waters. They edge close to the coast because they like to give birth to their babies in the shallows.”

- Katie McGonagle

Reconnect with nature in Jasper National Park, Alberta

Canada’s Rocky Mountains are awash with tourists in summer, but to connect with the area’s Indigenous heritage – exploring flora and fauna alongside its traditional owners – it pays to wait until the crowds have gone. Matricia Bauer is a Cree knowledge keeper and plant medicine guide at Warrior Women in Alberta, who leads medicine walks through Jasper National Park.

“The Wapakwanis Plant Walk lets me share local flora through the eyes of an Indigenous person,” says Matricia. “We look at it from an edible, medicinal and spiritual perspective.

“Traditionally, fall was when we did the final harvest to fill our caches for winter with blueberries, fireweed, Labrador tea and rosehips. By visiting during this harvest season, people are re-establishing their connection to the land. I show them what they can harvest for themselves, then we get busy using the plants to make brews, lotions and salves.”

- Diane Selkirk

Explore Philadelphia's landmarks on foot

Philly usually empties during summer, as the heat drives locals to the shores of neighbouring Jersey, but come autumn, says Liz Pagonis of Philadelphia Runner, the weather cools, the parks and neighbourhoods spring to life and you realise just how walkable (or runnable) the city can be.

“People come to Philly for its history (Independence Hall, etc), and these sites are always quieter in fall, but this is a city of neighbourhoods too. It’s cool enough to wander during this time and you’ll find each area has its own thing going on. This city has so many pockets that you can only see on foot.

“Take, for example, Philadelphia’s art murals. As well as the usual walking tours, there are also running tours with non-profit Mural Miles as the weather cools down. It organises monthly art runs and brings artists along to talk about the pieces as you go.

“There are plenty of fall colours, too. Fairmount Park is the largest landscaped urban area in the US and connects over 60 parks. The second-largest of these is Wissahickon, where you can watch the foliage turn to orange as you wander the creek. You’re still in the city, but it feels like you’re in the middle of nowhere.”

- Gareth Clark

Walk crowd-free streets in Washington DC

With world-class museums and monuments at every turn, there’s never a bad time to visit the nation’s capital. But, to avoid spring’s cherry-blossom crowds and summer’s humid weather, fall is the quietest time to explore.

“I always tell people: if you have a choice of any time of year, November is when to come,” says Tim Wright, owner of tour company Attucks Adams. “Even in Thanksgiving week, people leave DC, so it usually empties out.”

Wright recommends quiet outdoor spots such as the National Arboretum, with its collections of dogwoods, azaleas and Asian gardens. “It’s huge, and on some days I feel like I have it all to myself. The leaves also change in October and November, so you get some incredible colours.”

The Anacostia Riverwalk Trail and the free community firepits at waterfront development The Wharf also come recommended, but for the best views, Wright advises skipping the queues at the Washington Monument. “Tickets are very hard to come by, so head to the Old Post Office tower on Pennsylvania Avenue instead – it’s free, underrated and the sightlines are great.”

- Katie McGonagle