What to Expect When Visiting Grand Teton and Yellowstone in the Fall

Personally, I think fall is the BEST season to visit Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. I might be a little biased because the last two trips I took to the area were in the fall. 😏 Haha! I’ve been to both parks in the summer and the fall; I haven’t ventured over in the spring since they typically have snow through March and April, and I’m not one to brave the snow for a true winter adventure. (In the winter, Yellowstone is closed to vehicles except for the road between the North and Northeast Entrances…you literally have to snowmobile in everywhere else. I bet it’s magical to be at the geysers and to see wildlife with snow everywhere but I do not enjoy winter that much!)

If you’re planning a trip to see Grand Teton and Yellowstone in the fall, one of the (if not THE) most beautiful time to visit the parks, here’s what you can expect! Get ready for FALL FOLIAGE GALORE!

Read next: One day in Grand Teton and Yellowstone

What to Expect When Visiting Grand Teton
and Yellowstone in the Fall

HOW BUSY ARE GRAND TETON AND YELLOWSTONE IN THE FALL? IN SEPTEMBER? IN OCTOBER?

Not surprisingly, Grand Teton and Yellowstone are both way less busy in the fall than in the summer! In the fall, kids are back in school, so there are fewer large families. September is slightly busier than October, as the weather is nicer. It cools down quite a bit come October (more on that below)!

ARE THERE FALL COLORS IN GRAND TETON AND YELLOWSTONE?

Yes and yes!!! Both Grand Teton and Yellowstone have an abundance of aspen trees, and their leaves turn a gorgeous, vibrant yellow. It’s the best when they flitter in the breeze! The grasses in both parks turn yellow-orange, and every once in a while you’ll spot other trees and bushes with changing leaves. The fall color is one of my favorite parts of visiting the parks in the fall! You can typically see good color between mid September and mid October, with the peak generally around late September to early October, but this changes based on the weather! While the color is beautiful in both Grand Teton and Yellowstone, I’ve noticed that Grand Teton has way more aspens and fall color in general (hence why most of these photos were taken in Grand Teton haha).

DO GRAND TETON AND YELLOWSTONE GET SNOW IN SEPTEMBER? IN OCTOBER?

It’s possible that the parks can get snow in September, and the chance of snow increases in October! We visited the parks in late September 2020, and it snowed our last morning in Yellowstone. It wasn’t much (only an inch or so); I don’t recall having any issues driving, but I definitely recommend watching the weather and packing accordingly! We had beautiful weather in late September 2021—60s and 70s with no snow! Snow is much more likely to happen in October…right around now (mid October!). Note that most (if not all) lodging within Yellowstone closes in early October.

HOW SHOULD I DRESS FOR GRAND TETON AND YELLOWSTONE IN SEPTEMBER? IN OCTOBER?

It depends on the weather! I highly recommend checking weather.gov daily, and I would 100% wait to pack until right before you leave for your trip. We visited Grand Teton and Yellowstone the same weekend in late September 2020 and 2021 and had different weather each time! In 2020, we had a warm day in Grand Teton followed by a cold front in Yellowstone with thunderstorms, wind, cooler temperatures, and then overnight snow. In 2021, we had beautiful weather in the 60s to 70s the whole time in both parks. Check out my post on how to pack for a fall road trip to Grand Teton and Yellowstone for ideas and tips!

WHAT WILDLIFE CAN I SEE IN GRAND TETON AND YELLOWSTONE IN THE FALL?

Both parks are known for their wildlife, and fall is an especially fun time of year to spot them! In both Grand Teton and Yellowstone, you’ll likely see buffalo. There is a buffalo herd that hangs out just south of Moran, Wyoming, on the elk flats and one in Yellowstone in the Hayden Valley (you may also spot lonesome buffalo in other areas!). Keep your eyes peeled for the herd of horses on the elk flats, too. We’ve seen elk by Lake Village on both of our fall trips to Yellowstone; if you stay in Lake Village, you’ll hear the elk bugling at night! You might get lucky and spot a bear or moose, and watch out for the smaller wildlife like chipmunks, ground squirrels, and even beavers (one tried to cross the road in front of us at night on our last trip!).

Read next: 24 Hours in Grand Teton National Park

You really can’t go wrong with a fall trip to Grand Teton and Yellowstone. Korri and I are hoping to make it a yearly tradition! We just love it so much and have had so much fun exploring the parks at a more leisurely pace now that we visit more often and don’t care as much about hitting the main sights every time.

As for what I wore, I packed my usual assortment of tank tops, layering pieces (cardigans and sweatshirts), leggings, wool socks, and baseball caps along with sneakers, hiking shoes (I’m not wearing them here but it’s so nice to have a proper pair now), and a lightweight puffer for nighttime. I struggled with figuring out to bring with on the day that we left town, so I asked Korri to tell me what to bring and he picked out this cardigan and tank top. It’s a bit of an unexpected combo that I love because it reminds me of—what else—fall foliage!

Any more questions about what to expect when visiting Grand Teton and/or Yellowstone in the fall? Drop ‘em in the comments below!

Read next: What to pack for a fall road trip to Grand Teton and Yellowstone

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OUTFIT DETAILS

Amour Vert cardigan / similar style or similar from Nordstrom (review here)
Grana top / old; similar by Nordstrom Rack
Zella leggings / exact (review here)
Smartwool socks / exact via Backcountry or Zappos
Earth sneakers c/o / old; similar by Merrell (last seen here)
Madewell x Parks Project hat / similar (last seen here)
Le Specs sunglasses / exact via Shopbop, Nordstrom, or Net-A-Porter
Dior Lip Glow in rosewood / exact