What fall looks like in every state

Across the US, fall is synonymous with football season, both for college and professional leagues. From tailgating to drinking hot apple cider, the fall is an exciting time to yell, "Roll Tide!"

Fall in northern Alaska brings the famous aurora borealis, or the northern lights, which can start in mid-September in the northernmost US state. A fall adventure to Denali National Park might mean spotting a surreal light show in the sky.

Though Arizona stays mostly true to its desert climate and doesn't experience a dramatic season switch come autumn, its White Mountain region is known to be a scenic spot with opportunities to see beautiful fall foliage, the Phoenix New Times reported.

The season also brings the beginning of the annual Arizona State Fair in Phoenix, filled with quintessential carnival foods and rides. 

Known as Hawksbill Crag or Whitaker Point, this Arkansas rock formation is a popular photo spot. During the fall, the geological wonder comes alive, surrounded by colorful leaves. 

Día de los Muertos, or the "Day of the Dead," is a holiday with origins in Mexico and Central and South America that commemorates relatives and loved ones who have died.

Across the US, families celebrate life by building "ofrendas," or decorated altars, to honor their relatives, while in some cities, they host parades, like the one pictured above in Los Angeles. 

Pumpkin patches and corn mazes are quintessential fall activities and in Colorado, pumpkin-picking often comes with a gorgeous mountain view.

Connecticut may be the third-smallest state in the US by square miles, but it's the New England state with the longest-lasting fall foliage season, per the Connecticut Office of Tourism.

The state's fall colors can be spotted in river reflections and along tree-lined streets.

At Fifer Orchards, you can reserve a spot to try out the corn maze, which changes in theme every year. Visitors can also pick their own pumpkins and apples, drink apple cider, and grab lunch and ice cream at the Farm Kitchen.

Florida has experienced record-breaking storms this fall, and the Atlantic hurricane season will continue through November 30.  

And while other US states see changing leaves and crisp fall breezes, temperatures in Florida typically stay warm — in the 70s or 80s, depending on the region — throughout the season.

The Georgia State Fair at the Atlanta Motor Speedway was open this year from September 27 through October 6. Fairgoers enjoyed live music, pig races, circus performers, and plenty of fair food.

Hawaii is another US state that doesn't see the typical orange and red fall foliage.

Instead, the islands of Hawaii get amazing beach weather through autumn and are big spots for outdoor and aquatic events, like the Ironman Women's World Championship, which takes place in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, each October. 

As fall weather moves into Idaho, one of Boise's most-loved trails, the Greenbelt, becomes even more picturesque with vibrant leaves that line the pathway. The 25-mile route is a perfect path for bikers and pedestrians to enjoy the city before winter creeps in.

The Scarecrow Weekend in St. Charles, Illinois, took place earlier this month, with scarecrows spread out across town. To support local businesses, scarecrows were paired with restaurants and shops offering Scarecrow Stroll deals and special prizes.

One of Indiana's most unique spots is the Indiana Dunes National Park, where beautiful fall leaves dot the landscape from late September through October, the National Park Service reported.

According to the city's website, a favorite local pastime in Keokuk, Iowa, is searching for geodes, or magnificent crystallized rocks, in the Keokuk Creek. In Iowa's peak fall foliage season, which is during mid-October, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources reported, hunting for a geode in the water is even more idyllic.

In Kansas City, the Central Avenue Betterment Association hosts plenty of festivities for Día de los Muertos. There is face painting, food, and art vendors, and, of course, a big parade held every year on Central Avenue. 

Described as the horse capital of the world, Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky, hosts an annual October horse race and sometimes other championships, such as the Breeders' Cup, which has been held at the famed Kentucky track in the past.

New Orleans' annual Oak Street Po-Boy Festival celebrates its take on what people in other regions of the country may know as a "sub" sandwich or "hoagie." The festival brings more than 60 varieties of the po'boy to the streets of New Orleans, along with artists and music, for a lively event that is just one of many fall festivities in the colorful city.

Orchards around Maine attract pickers with their juicy apples from the end of August through October, the Maine Pomological Society reported.

Landscapes throughout Maryland begin to bloom with colorful leaves in mid-September.

Spending time in one of the state's forests and parks is a common way to cherish the fall months alongside activities like watching the skies and rivers for birds that are migrating south for the winter.

Fall in Massachusetts means it's prime time for harvesting cranberries. Cranberry bogs take up 13,000 acres in southeastern Massachusetts, according to the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers' Association.

There's nothing more fall-esque than sipping on apple cider on a crisp afternoon.

In Michigan, apples are the largest and most valuable local fruit crop, The Produce News reported, so it's no wonder Michigan locals pride themselves on their state's local apple ciders and historic cider mills, such as Uncle John's Cider Mill, which has been around since the early 1900s.

Nearly 300,000 people flock to the city of Shakopee for the Minnesota Renaissance Festival, one of the state's longest-running fall traditions, the festival reports. The festival, which starts in August and runs through September, usually includes jousting, music, and ancient forms of art like glassblowing and paper making.

Mississippi is another Southern state filled with big-time fall football pride.

Fans of Mississippi State are known to not only cheer for their favorite players but also wave cowbells, many of which are bedazzled and decorated. The quirky but iconic cowbells can be seen (and heard) throughout the state as a symbol of school spirit.

Missouri's leaves typically change color over a four- to six-week period, with the peak occurring in mid-October, per the Missouri Department of Conservation.

In the Ozarks region, Missourians can find themselves surrounded by a breathtaking array of red, orange, and yellow leaves all set against rivers and mountain backdrops.

Early fall is said to be an ideal, less-congested time to drive along Montana's famous Going-to-the-Sun Road, travel blog Well Planned Journey wrote.

The road is a 50-mile, two-lane highway that spans Glacier National Park, passing through landscapes of all sorts, including picturesque glacial lakes, forests, and tundra areas.

Fall in Nebraska can be enjoyed during a hike in one of the state's parks. The state's capital, Lincoln, is also a picturesque autumn destination.

Beautiful in every season, Lake Tahoe is a famous destination for outdoor enthusiasts in all types of weather. During the fall, Lake Tahoe is in its offseason prime and is less congested with tourists, who flock to the area in summer and winter.

The Keene Pumpkin Festival brings together thousands of kids to carve jack-o'-lanterns and display their artful gourds in the city's downtown square.

The festival, which is usually held in mid-October, is also a philanthropic event that supports local charities, and in 2013, the gathering earned world record status for having 30,581 pumpkins lit at the same time.

New Jersey comes alive in autumn with the annual Autumn Lights Festival, held in West Milford, New Jersey. The event, which features light displays, craft vendors, and food trucks, draws more than 35,000 attendees annually.

Spectacular fall colors aren't only found on the trees.

In Albuquerque, the International Balloon Fiesta happens every October for nine days, filling the sky with hot-air balloons and drawing thousands of visitors each year. As the sun sets, some balloons illuminate the dark sky in what the festival calls its twilight balloon glows.

Among a plethora of autumn festivities in New York, a well-loved fall tradition is the Tompkins Square Park Halloween Dog Parade, where dogs (and their owners) flock to the Manhattan park, sporting comical canine costumes.

Described as one of the most picturesque fall road trip routes in the US, the foliage-filled Blue Ridge Parkway passes through some of North Carolina's hot spots, like Asheville and Great Smoky Mountain National Park. 

North Dakota's Theodore Roosevelt National Park is one of the state's most picturesque natural landscapes. It's home to herds of bison, or buffalo, among other creatures like bobcats, beavers, and longhorns, per the National Park Service.

At the Ohio Valley Giant Pumpkin Growers Weigh-Off, just one of many annual pumpkin competitions that happen in the US, giant gourds are the stars of the show, and farmers compete to see who can claim the winning title.

Oklahoma City's Bricktown district is a lively neighborhood that illuminates in the crisp fall weather. With shops, restaurants, and string light-filled scenery, it's a popular area to spend time in when the weather is chilly but not too cold.

The Columbia River Gorge in Oregon is a major fall destination with amazing views, whether driving around the region or going for a kayak expedition on the water.

There's something quintessentially fall about spending an afternoon at an apple orchard. Pennsylvania ranks fourth in the nation for apple production, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, and is filled with orchards for apple picking and other fall activities.

Rhode Island's stunning coastal views don't end when the weather gets cooler. During the fall, as the sun sets earlier, the state's wineries and lighthouses come to life.

South Carolina's summer humidity typically doesn't stop at the technical first day of fall, but that doesn't mean locals aren't in the autumn spirit. Greenville, South Carolina, is known to be a beautiful fall foliage destination with robust bike paths.

South Dakota is famous for its national parks. Though the state's nature areas might not make for the typical foliage views, locals and visitors alike can find beauty in the fall golden hour's light shining on the sandstone ridges of the Badlands and the sculpted rocks of Mount Rushmore.

From mid-October through early November, fall colors found in the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee are at their most vibrant.

The famous mountain range is filled with different species of trees, from maples to hickories, that make for unparalleled autumn views.

The State Fair of Texas is among the state's most coveted events for a month each fall, starting in September and ending in October.

Attendees gather in Dallas to celebrate the spirit of Texas and indulge in unique local foods, from fried taco cones to bayou fruit bites.

Among Utah's natural wonders that shine in the fall is Bryce Canyon National Park, which is home to the world's largest concentration of "hoodoos," or irregular columns of rock, per the National Park Service.

Whether kayaking down the Waterbury Reservoir or strolling through one of the state's 30 other parks, Vermont in the fall offers beautiful views, cold lakes and streams, and opportunities to enjoy the outdoors before winter creeps into the Northeast.

For the past 50-plus years, Virginians have kicked off fall at the Bluemont Fair, a festival that takes place at the end of September at the foothills of the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains. 

Known as Washington's Bavarian Village, the town of Leavenworth has rows of charming Tudor-style buildings and is surrounded by stunning snow-capped mountains.

In the fall, the unique village comes alive with vibrant red and orange hues and celebrations for Oktoberfest and Halloween.

Washington, DC, may be a well-known spot in the spring for the Cherry Blossom Festival, but its stunning fall leaves also make for memorable landscapes that contrast the city's traditional architecture.

During autumn, leaves transform and dot DC's most famous areas, from Georgetown to Capitol Hill, with reds, oranges, and browns.

One of West Virginia's most notable fall events is its annual Bridge Day, where BASE jumpers (people who jump off bridges, skyscrapers, cliffs, or other fixed structures) soar almost 900 feet in the air above the New River Gorge Bridge.

According to the event's website, it has been a tradition since 1980 and now welcomes hundreds of jumpers from states across the nation and around the world.

Wisconsin's Door County is known for its vibrant fall foliage, making it one of the state's most idyllic autumn destinations.

With chillier weather comes colorful trees along the state's Lake Michigan and Green Bay coasts, plus troves of farmers' markets, ghost tours, and corn mazes.

From the beginning of September through mid-October, Wyoming's Grand Tetons are a visually incredible fall destination thanks to huge areas of deciduous trees, or trees that turn yellow, orange, and red.