Here are two other places with their own arboreal fireworks – minus the crowds. Around Labor Day, the U.S. Forest Service plans to revive its Fall Color Hotline (800-354-4595), promising updates on peak color in every region.
Denali National Park, Alaska
Perfect for: Leaf-peepers who want big wildlife – moose, grizzlies and wolves.
What’s there: Mount McKinley, at 20,320 feet it is the highest peak in North America. Denali’s 6 million acres offer a landscape, with birch, poplar, aspen and spruce, plus rolling tundra, whose vegetation turns rich shades of red and purple.
Peak color: Early to mid-September.
Getting there: Anchorage is 240 miles south of park headquarters; Fairbanks is 125 miles north.
Where to stay: Most lodgings close by Sept. 17. Denali Park Resorts has a $139-per-night promotional rate at its lodges, subject to availability, for rooms booked between now and Sept. 17. Grande Denali Lodge, where a double normally runs $229; other park properties include Glacier Bay Lodge, McKinley Chalet Resort and McKinley Village Lodge. Outside the park, White Moose Lodge in Healy (800-481-1232, whitemooselodge.com), open till Sept. 21.
Don’t miss: The aurora borealis. The longer nights (10-12 hours) allow you to see the northern lights.
Info: Denali National Park (907-683-2294, nps.gov/dena). Denali Park Resorts (800-276-7234, denaliparkresorts.com).
Ozark, Ark.
Perfect for: Crowd dodgers; anyone who likes their foliage more low-key, especially late in the season.
What’s there: Ozark National Forest about 10 miles to the north, Ouachita National Forest 45 miles to the south, and the Arkansas River running alongside it.
Peak color: Late October
Getting there: Ozark is about 140 miles west of Little Rock via Interstate 40.
Where to stay: Mulberry River Mountain Ranch, formerly Spirit Mountain Lodge (on Arkansas 23, 866-667-1919, spiritmountainlodge.com), 16 miles north of Ozark, has seven cabins, all but one with a kitchen, and an eight-bedroom lodge for rent. Cabins run from $95 to $120; the lodge starts at $375.
Don’t miss: Frontier Fest, Oct. 22-23 at Fort Smith National Historic Site (479-783-3961, nps.gov/fosm), is a free event. Downtown Fall Festival & Chili Cookoff on Oct. 29 in Russellville, about 60 miles east of Ozark. Details: 479-967-1437, discoverrussellville.org.
Info: Tri-Peaks Tourist Association (800-561-6508, arvtripeaks.com). City of Ozark (ozarkarkansas.com).
