10 Top Places To Visit In Nevada This Fall
Nevada is known for its scorching summers and icy winters, but autumn arrives as a temperate time to explore the rugged yet romantic terrain outside. From September through November, colorful foliage and refreshing temperatures make the Silver State an ideal fall destination in the United States. The season awakens vibrant displays of yellow aspens and orange maple leaves carpeting landscapes from the Sierra Nevada to Washoe Valley.
Visitors can hike winding canyon trails, bike shorelines, or picnic by the lake to take in peak leaf-peeping views as birds migrate through blue skies. Farm towns emerge as cozy destinations, hosting pumpkin patches, corn mazes, and harvest festivals. Below are some of the top places to visit in Nevada this fall, from the overlooks along Lake Tahoe National Scenic Byway to the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area trails.
Great Basin National Park
Between mid-September and mid-October, autumn colors coat the forested wilderness of Great Basin National Park, starting with the higher elevations. Its endless network of aspens, pines, and firs turn from green to a blend of red, orange, and yellow hues, peaking in the first week of October. The crisp air and mild conditions cultivate outdoor expeditions, including treks along the moderately rated Alpine Lakes Trail. This 2.7-mile route begins at a 9,800-foot elevation and rewards tourists with 360-degree panoramas of two alpine lakes and the South Snake Range high peaks.
Several cycling paths traverse the Great Basin, offering a less strenuous alternative to exploring its fall wonderland. The 16-mile Miller Basin Trail is a good option for adventurers seeking a slight challenge through the Willow Patch Springs with exciting photo ops of Wheeler Peak and Mt. Moriah.
Clark County Wetlands Park
With summer ending, the fall period sees Clark County Wetlands Park awash with muted yellows and golds as the heart-shaped cottonwood leaves gradually change color. The sky is as blue as ever, and brown mesquite seed pods on the desert floor bring the park's wildlife to life with a promise of a bountiful harvest. The vast 14+ mile trail system weaves through mesquite, phragmites, and cottonwood groves, inviting expeditions into the wild. Along the way, you can encounter some of the 70 mammals and 310 bird species domiciled in the park, such as beavers and raccoons.
To fully experience the park's splendor during the season, head to Cottonwood Pass for horned owl sightings or the Big Weir Bridge for stunning vistas of the Las Vegas Wash and the sparkling city skyline. Migrating shorebirds also add to the activity in the region's shallow waters, resulting in prime nature photography opportunities.
Floyd Lamb Park
Situated about 30 minutes from the busy strip, Floyd Lamb Park is an excellent place to watch the fall colors in Las Vegas. The 2,000-acre oasis reaches its autumn climax in late October, providing a chance to peep the shades of gold, crimson, and rust before the leaves drop. Several paved passages meander the park's oak and cottonwood trees, which you can hike to peep the transitioning tincture. Alternatively, lazily stroll around the lakes and ponds to watch the hues reflecting in the water as waterfowls and other wading birds play.
The various ponds are periodically stocked with fish, drawing licensed anglers. Floyd Lamb Park also has recreational amenities like picnic areas and tables, allowing guests to savor autumn's crisp air in a nice outdoor space while admiring a thriving wildlife population. If you’re into sports, the park also has a volleyball court and pump track to cover all interests.
Lake Tahoe National Scenic Byway
This 28-mile byway between Stateline and Crystal Bay presents one of the best fall drives in Nevada. It exposes road trippers to changing pine leaf colors flanked by stunning vistas of the deep blue lake and the picturesque Sierra Nevada range. Multiple overlooks along the road allow you to pause and soak up the panorama, with highlights like Zephyr Cove providing recreation opportunities. This is a potential stop for enjoying a lake cruise aboard the M.S. Dixie paddle-wheeler boat.
Meanwhile, stop to hike the beautiful pathway through colored trees at Spooner Lake for lovely photo ops of the water stretching to the horizon. Finally, Sand Harbor has three beaches where you can take a dip or chill out and revel in the isolated, peaceful atmosphere.
Washoe Valley
The Washoe Valley region lies between Reno and Carson City. In mid-October, it achieves its autumn peak, exploding into a spectrum of gold, orange, and yellow across the rolling hills, sprawling ranches, and open fields dominating the area. One of the best places to witness the golden aspens and rusty sagebrushes is Washoe Lake State Park. The reserve houses a mix of wetlands and sand dunes with a thriving wildlife population, highlighted by wild horses and songbird species.
Paved trekking routes traverse the park, culminating in secluded picnic areas with incredible sights of Little Washoe Lake. Anglers can speculate for white bass, channel catfish, and bullhead catfish. If you consider spending the night, the reserve has 49 campsites spread between two campgrounds. Each site has access to tables, a grill, a fire ring, and more for a relaxing outdoor stay.
Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area
Autumn hues combine with tawny-colored rock walls to deliver one of the most stunning fall-color displays in Nevada's desert wilderness. The Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is dotted with oaks and ash trees, whose leaves transition to orange or gold. The height of the transformation comes in the first week of November. Oak Creek Canyon is among the best spots to check out the season's shades and features a 2-mile easy-to-moderate walkway leading to the Red Rock Escarpment. The area receives fewer visitors than other canyons, so there is little competition for the best vantage points.
Furthermore, the White Rock-Willow Springs trail is an exciting alternative, stretching about 4 miles between White Rock Springs and Willow Springs. From the White Rock Spring parking lot, it descends to a man-made water hole where you can cool off before continuing to Willow Spring. Rock climbing is also popular with challenging routes like Keystone Thrust, a thrust fault reaching 3,000 feet high.
Riverview Park, Carson City
Riverview Park, which lies along the scenic banks of the Carson River, is among the best places to visit in Nevada when autumn leaves start transitioning in October. At the season's peak in late October, the lines of willow and cottonwood trees along the river dazzle with yellow and orange, dramatically reflecting in the water's shiny surface, resulting in fabulous photography moments. Paved and unpaved trails straddling a combined 2 miles accommodate hikers and bikers planning to discover the wilderness scenes.
These are scattered across the 109-acre park and link up with the Empire Ranch and Mexican Ditch Trails. The transitioning foliage is best showcased in various habitats on the riparian corridor, including wetlands and sagebrush.
Spring Mountains National Recreation Area
Spring Mountains National Recreation Area puts on a brilliant show of color from the last week of September. It hosts a beautiful forest of oak and aspen trees on the Kyle Canyon side that gradually turns into striking golds and oranges. The best time to witness this is in late October. This is also a great place to hike or picnic, and you can lay a blanket at the Kyle Canyon Picnic Area to enjoy the displays during a laid-back session outside.
To the west of the Spring Mountains Visitor Gateway, visitors can take the Pack Rat hiking route. The 1.4-mile path is crowd-free and takes you through point-leaf manzanita and pinyon pines to Jaeger’s mousetail views and an educational pitstop on the Cold War.
Amargosa Valley
Amargosa Valley is a top tourist destination around the year, and leaf peepers love to flock to the area from late September for some of the best fall sceneries in Nevada. The air is conveniently crisp at this time, and the ash trees at Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge turn into a conspicuous shade of orange and gold. The 23,000-acre refuge boasts spring-fed wetlands where one can find many endemic species, such as the Ash Meadows sunray, Ash Meadows gum plant, and Ash Meadows milkvetch.
Tourists can take advantage of the mild weather to explore the area through the Crystal Springs Boardwalk, which has seating spots and scopes to marvel at the Caribbean-blue pool and surroundings. There is plenty of wildlife to see at the refuge as migrating birds begin their trip southward for winter. Besides the autumn tint, the surrounding Funeral Mountains and Yucca Mountain are popular subjects for nature photographers.
Nevada State Capitol Grounds
Leaf peepers traveling to Nevada for the transitioning foliage need not stray into the backcountry wilderness to witness the season's magic. Bang in the middle of the capital, a lovely scene plays out at the Nevada State Capitol Grounds. The iconic landmark is enveloped by a 10-acre garden with well-landscaped lawns and trees that display a spectrum of gold, orange, and red shades between late September and early November. The colors are brightest in October, making it the best month to feast your eyes.
Pleasantly paved paths wind around the urban oasis, dotted with intricate statues and quaint fountains. Picnic areas are also available for those who want to sit and delight in the scenery. Finally, you can tour the capitol building and climb to the upper floors for extravagant vistas of its grounds. The landmark boasts Neoclassical Italianate architecture from 1871, creating a rustic aura that’ll transport you to the past.
Final Thought
Whether driving the scenic shores of Lake Tahoe and taking in the views of blazing foliage colors reflected off serene waters or spending an afternoon enjoying interactive exhibits and nature trails now dusted with changing hues at Floyd Lamb Park, these locales represent some of the places to visit in Nevada in autumn. They showcase the Silver State at its picturesque best during fall's prime seasonal display. Their exploration creates lasting memories of the unique landscapes found throughout this dynamic western state.
