What fall looks like in every state

Erin McDowellOct 26, 2024, 00:59 IST

In South Carolina, the leafy trails and bike paths come alive with fall colors.Kevin Ruck/Shutterstock

Fall can look and feel different depending on where you are in the US.
Floridians are lucky if they see one brown leaf hiding among palm trees during the fall months.

Fall can look and feel different depending on where you live in the US. Between football games, colorful leaves, and beautiful scenic spots, each state has something special to offer when autumn comes around.

Tourism in the fall can bring big business to each state, too. New England, which is home to some of the country's most vibrant fall colors, earns an estimated $8 billion each year from visitors during its autumnal "leaf-peeping" season, according to the US Forest Service.

Here's what fall looks like in every state.

Darcy Schild and Caroline Fox contributed to an earlier version of this story.

Every autumn, Alabama turns crimson for football season.

Alabama is famous for its energetic football games.Joe Robbins/Getty Images

In Alaska, the aurora borealis lights up the sky.

The aurora borealis above Denali National Park in Alaska in September.Lance King/Getty Images

The Arizona State Fair is open throughout most of October.

The Arizona State Fair is held every year, drawing big crowds.Gregory E. Clifford/Shutterstock

In Arkansas, a stunning rock formation provides the perfect photo opportunity.

Hikers on Whitaker Point.H. Abernathy/ClassicStock/Getty Images

Some people in California celebrate Día de los Muertos.

Día de los Muertos celebrations in Los Angeles.Ronen Tivony/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Pumpkin-picking comes with epic views in Colorado.

Rock Creek Farm Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze in October.Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post via Getty Images

Connecticut has one of the country's longest-lasting fall foliage seasons.

Fall foliage on a lake in Connecticut.Romiana Lee/Shutterstock

Fifer Orchards in Delaware is home to a themed corn maze.

People walk through a corn maze.Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

In many places in Florida, temperatures remain too warm for autumnal colors.

The sunrise behind palm trees and grass in St. Petersburg, Florida.John Coletti/Getty Images

In Georgia, get into the fall spirit at the Georgia State Fair.

The annual fair in the North Georgia mountains.Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

In Hawaii, locals and visitors still head to the beach.

Hawaii has its own unique fall traditions.Kyodo News via Getty Images

It's colder in Idaho, where fallen leaves line the Greenbelt.

A cyclist on the Boise River Greenbelt.Joe Jaszewski for The Washington Post via Getty Images

In Illinois, scarecrows are spread out across St. Charles.

Artist Joseph Gagnepain of Geneva, Illinois, made some last-minute adjustments to his "Polar Scare" display during the Scarecrow Festival in St. Charles, Illinois.Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

Crunchy autumn leaves cover Indiana's parks.

Indiana's Dunes State Park in October.Patrick Gorski/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Visitors can search for crystallized rocks in Iowa's Keokuk Creek.

A person searched for geodes in Iowa's Keokuk Creek.Lost_in_the_Midwest/Shutterstock

In Kansas, Day of the Dead celebrations parade through the streets every year.

A Día de los Muertos event in October 2018 in Kansas.Mark Reinstein/Corbis via Getty Images

Horses race at the legendary Keeneland track in Kentucky every October.

Horses at the Breeders' Cup at Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky.Michael Reaves/Getty Images

Louisiana residents honor their iconic sandwich, the po'boy, with an annual street festival in New Orleans.

People attended the Po-Boy Festival in New Orleans.Infrogmation of New Orleans/Flickr

In Maine, orchard visitors can pick apples until late October.

A woman at Orchard Hill Farm near Portland, Maine.Whitney Hayward/Portland Portland Press Herald via Getty Images

In Maryland, bird watchers can catch a glimpse of birds migrating south.

Bird-watching is a popular fall activity in Maryland.James M. Thresher/The Washington Post/Getty Images

Meanwhile, in Massachusetts, growers spend the season harvesting cranberries.

Cranberry harvesters in Carver, Massachusetts.John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

Visitors enjoy cider from a century-old mill in Michigan, where apples are big business.

Drinking apple cider at Uncle John's Cider Mill.Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Hundreds of thousands of people descend on the Renaissance Festival in Minnesota each fall.

Attendees in character at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival.Bruce Bisping/Star Tribune via Getty Images

In Mississippi, football fans wave cowbells as the season gets underway.

Davis Wade Stadium, home to the Mississippi State Bulldogs.Wesley Hitt/Getty Images

Fall foliage gives Missouri's Ozarks region an orange hue.

The Ozarks in the fall.Holly Hildreth / Contributor via Getty Images

In Montana, the season shows off the stunning landscapes.

Sandhill cranes flew over Kalispell, Montana.Avalon/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Nebraska's capital is another picturesque fall destination.

A Lincoln, Nebraska sunset.Christopher Boswell/Shutterstock

In Nevada, fall is a less-congested time of year to enjoy all the activities Lake Tahoe has to offer.

People out on the water in Lake Tahoe in Sand Harbor, Nevada.George Rose/Getty Images

New Hampshire is home to a record-breaking pumpkin festival.

Display of the pumpkin festival in Keene, New Hampshire.John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images

New Jersey lights up with the annual Autumn Lights Festival.

The Autumn Lights Festival is held in West Milford, New Jersey, each year.Islam Dogru/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Each fall, visitors flock to New Mexico for a nine-day hot air balloon festival.

Albuquerque's annual Balloon Fiesta.Maddie Meyer/Getty Images for Lumix

Dogs get into the Halloween spirit for an annual costume parade in New York.

The Tompkins Square Park Halloween Dog Parade, an annual event in New York City.TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images

North Carolina is home to one of the most picturesque roads during the fall.

The Appalachian Trail near Hot Springs, North Carolina.George Rose/Getty Images

North Dakota's parks are more beautiful than ever in the fall.

A bison was spotted at Theodore Roosevelt National Park.Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

In Ohio, growers compete for the title of heaviest pumpkin.

A massive pumpkin at the Ohio pumpkin competition.Jeff Swensen/Getty Images

In Oklahoma, locals can enjoy the cooling temperatures in beautiful downtown districts.

The Bricktown district in Oklahoma City.Shane Bevel/For The Washington Post via Getty Images

There's no end to fall activities in Oregon.

A Pomeranian dog with a view of the Columbia River in November.Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images

Pennsylvania visitors and locals can pick crisp apples at some of the country's best orchards.

An apple orchard in Aspers, Pennsylvania.Edwin Remsburg/VW Pics via Getty Images

Early sunsets in Rhode Island make for stunning autumn coastal views.

Point Judith Lighthouse at sunset in October.John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images

In South Carolina, the leafy trails and bike paths come alive with fall colors.

Swamp Rabbit Trail in Greenville, South Carolina.Kevin Ruck/Shutterstock

South Dakota's golden hour shows off the state's breathtaking natural beauty.

The Badlands in the fall.Karen Desjardin / Contributor via Getty Images

Tennessee's tree varieties provide spectacular autumn views.

Tennessee's Great Smoky Mountains.Patrick Gorski/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Texas serves up unique local food at its annual state fair.

The Texas State Fair had local vendors and food.Ron Jenkins for the Washington Post

In Utah, autumn shows off the state's natural wonders.

A couple at Utah's Bryce Canyon National Park in November 2018.George Rose/Getty Images

In Vermont, adventurers can enjoy lakes and streams, surrounded by fall foliage.

Kayakers at the Waterbury Reservoir in Vermont.Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Virginians celebrate fall with a fair held in a centuries-old village.

The Bluemont Fair at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains.ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP/Getty Images

Washington marks Halloween in its famous Bavarian village every fall.

Leavenworth in Washington.Victoria Ditkovsky

The changing leaves transform Washington, DC's most iconic scenes.

Fall foliage at the Washington Monument.Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Every year, daredevils from across the world travel to West Virginia to jump from one of its bridges into the gorge below.

Bridge Day in West Virginia.MICHAEL MATHES/AFP/Getty Images

Wisconsin is home to some of the country's most vibrant fall views.

Door County in the fall.Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

In Wyoming's national parks, wild animals roam between vibrantly colored trees.

Grand Teton National Park in October.Gavriel Jecan/VWPics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

I paid $250 to stay in a plastic tiny house in New Zealand in the middle of winter. I thought I'd freeze, but by morning, I didn't want to leave.

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