Utah has claimed the No. 2 spot in a new ranking of the best U.S. states to see fall colors, edged out only by Colorado in a study that weighed everything from forest coverage to Instagram hashtags. The state's five national parks, nine scenic drives, and roughly 17-day peak foliage window helped it beat out Idaho, California, and West Virginia for the runner-up title.
The ranking comes from Maaltalk, which evaluated forest coverage, peak foliage season length, scenic drives, national parks, camping friendliness, TripAdvisor reviews, Instagram interest, and fall weather, as reported by ABC4 Utah. According to the outlet's report, higher study scores indicated longer peak foliage seasons, greater forest coverage, stronger outdoor amenities, and more positive traveler interest.
Colorado took the top spot with a score of 47.72, backed by 13 scenic drives, four national parks, 2,362 Instagram leaf-peeping hashtags, and a camping-friendliness score of 52.64, the report notes. Utah followed close behind with a score of 44.54, buoyed by its nine scenic drives, five national parks, and a camping-friendliness score of 55.25 — actually higher than Colorado's. Idaho rounded out the top three with 44.51 points, posting the highest camping-friendliness score in the study at 56.08 and leading all states in TripAdvisor leaf-peeping mentions, with 80.16% of relevant reviews referencing the season. California landed fourth with 43.10 points, citing nine national parks and eight scenic drives, while West Virginia claimed fifth at 42.58 points thanks to 78.05% forest coverage and 70.46% of relevant TripAdvisor reviews mentioning leaf peeping.
Why Utah's Terrain Gives It an Edge
Maaltalk experts said travelers seek landscapes changing from green to red, orange, and gold each fall, and Utah's dramatic elevation swings help stretch that experience across weeks rather than days. Fall foliage in Utah moves systematically by elevation, with high-elevation zones above 9,000 feet beginning their color transformation in mid-September before peak foliage moves into lower canyon corridors and valley floors through late October, according to a report from KSL 5 TV. Maples typically turn red first in mid-September, followed by golden aspens in October, the station's report notes.
That elevation gradient plays out vividly at Cedar Breaks National Monument in southern Utah, a fall photo spot, per Cat Country 107.3. Farther north, the Nebo Loop National Scenic Byway climbs through the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest beneath Mount Nebo, which stands at nearly 12,000 feet as the tallest peak in the Wasatch Range, according to World Atlas.
A Famous Grove and a Marathon Through the Leaves
Utah is also home to Pando, a 106-acre organism near Fish Lake. Pando is one of the largest living things on Earth.
Utah's foliage season doubles as an athletic backdrop too. The Big Cottonwood Marathon and Half Marathon includes a September downhill course from Guardsman Pass through Big Cottonwood Canyon, as detailed by Vacation Races. Guardsman Pass connects Big Cottonwood Canyon with Park City, giving racers a scenic descent through changing leaves.
Protecting the Views and Powering the Economy
Keeping those forests intact takes active management. Forest stewardship initiatives like the Upper Provo Stewardship Project treated 3,873 acres in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest through conifer thinning and aspen enhancement, improving forest health along the Mirror Lake Highway, according to The Times of India. Treated areas reportedly helped buffer against the 33,000-acre Yellow Lake Fire, the outlet notes.
The scenery isn't just a backdrop for hikers and racers — it is also part of Utah's tourism economy.
Nonresident travel contributes to Utah's tourism economy. Zion National Park remains a draw beyond leaf-peeping season, as do Utah's Mighty 5 parks.
Whether the appeal comes from Colorado's higher overall score or Utah's slightly longer scenic-drive list, Maaltalk experts said fall travel has no single way to be experienced. For Utah, that seems to mean visitors can chase color from 10,000-foot amphitheaters down to canyon floors without ever leaving state lines.
