Utah is one of the best places to see fall foliage, visit great attractions, events and festivals. The last two weeks of September are usually the ideal time to find the best fall leaves in Utah’s mountains. Leaves may be mostly green in the valleys, but fall colors typically peak around the third week of September in scenic canyons and on hiking trails – the very personification of a cure for sore eyes and tired souls. Seeing the beauty of nature firsthand, and the wonderful transformation it does on its own without human intervention will make you marvel at how great the universe is!
If you are one of those whose idea of a vacation is someplace quiet and crowd-free, Utah is the best place to be during the fall. Knowing fully well how crowds can really change a person’s perspective of an otherwise awesome experience, when you visit Utah in the fall you usually encounter less crowds.
With the coolness of the fall season, and the crowds gone, you get the place practically to yourself! You get those awesome pics without someone accidentally being caught in the frame. Whether you’re a local, new in town or just cruising through it, the town of Hurricane has loads of great tips and events! After your nature trips you can venture to the Saturday Market, or downtown’s Farmer’s Market or Red Acre Farm. Family camps are also available if you are up to the challenge.
What about dropping by to see Judd Pumpkin Patch in Paragonah? Get outside the city a bit and get a feel of the country by venturing into this place where you can find many varieties of pumpkin and even pick yours right off the vine!
The autumn season in Utah is perfect hiking weather! Moderate and comfortable, not too hot and definitely not cold! Autumn’s deep blue skies peeking through amazing natural bridges are a perfect backdrop to those great shots you can take during your adventure. You can try out the Hurricane Cliffs Trail System, or simply chill out in the State Park where the lake was so beautiful and serene, the water clear and just warm enough for a swim while kayaking.
Perfect for a family getaway, or even with your group of best pals, you will never regret choosing this place for your next great adventure! With the crowds gone and the tourist spots almost completely yours, you get to savor and really enjoy your vacation. Lower rates as the summer crowd has left will be the icing on the cake! Feast your eyes on the colorful hues of fall and enjoy this time with your loved ones!
And we’ve got the perfect roster of vacation rentals for you to choose from for your vacation. Check them out at Kabino.com and then enjoy your fall getaway to southern Utah!
From the moment you step foot on this beautiful land, you’ll immediately be mesmerized by the humbling grandeur of Sand Hollow State Park. Among its landscape attractions are warm, crystal blue waters, and a beautiful red rock landscape. Whether you’re interested in cycling, kayaking, horseback riding, or anything in between, Sand Hollow is the place for you.
Since its initiation as a part of the Utah Parks System in 2003, Sand Hollow has become one of the most visited parks in the state. Boasting 20,000 sprawling acres, you are bound to fall in love with the many offerings of Sand Hollow. With over 15,000 acres of dunes, ATV and off-highway vehicle enthusiasts will find this park perfect for their adventures. Plus – Zion National Park is within an easy driving distance, making for an absolutely perfect Utah vacation!
Sand Hollow State Park’s pristine reservoir waters are also a prime location for kayaking, canoeing, fishing, and boating, among other fun water activities. And, the reservoir is huge – over 1,322 acres!
Just past the main gate along the northwestern edge of the reservoir are the main boat ramp and Westside campground. Along the south end of the lake are the second boat ramp and beach area for day use. Just past the beach, following the southeast and east corners of the reservoir, are the Sandpit Campground and primitive campground areas for the most adventurous among us.
You can enter Sand Mountain through a tunnel on the south end of the reservoir. Here you will find the more than 15,000 acres of dunes for all-terrain and off-highway vehicle riding. The expansive dunes sprawl around the south and east ends of the reservoir.
For avid outdoor lovers – this park is a dream! ATV trails run over sand dune access to Sand Mountain in the park, and additional trails are located nearby. The most popular St. George ATV trails are located right here!
Need a quick bite to eat while you’re exploring the area? Check out some of our favorites:
- The Pizza Wagon: Need We Say More?! Delicious pizza awaits at this rustic spot that’s about a 15 min drive from the park.
- Main Street Cafe: Down-home American eats await at this local gem located in Hurricane.
- River Rock Roasting Company: The BEST coffee and tea around – and a delectable brunch menu.
- Muddy Bees Bakery: Hands down, some of the best bakery items you will ever eat.
And one of our favorite things about this stunning state park: the close proximity to Hurricane, Utah, and some of our favorite vacation Kabino’s. Discover this amazing area today and get ready for the getaway of a lifetime.
When you’re looking for your next insta-worthy photo, we’ve got seven can’t-miss spots in the Northwest to add to your vacation itinerary.
A mountainous area in Washington’s Olympic National Park, Hurricane Ridge offers some of the most stunning photographs of the Olympic Mountains. Popular for hiking, skiing and snowboarding, Hurricane Ridge offers year-round access to this gorgeous area.
Lake Crescent is strikingly beautiful, and folks love to photograph its majesty within Olympic National Park. A deep lake (624 feet at maximum depth), Lake Crescent is known for brilliant blue waters and extraordinary clarity. The water is missing nitrogen which inhibits algae growth thereby creating the deep, clear water. Lake Crescent is located in a recreational area where visitors will also find trails in abundance as well as “Devils Punch Bowl,” a swimming and diving area.
Mt. Hood is a potentially active stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc, formed by a subduction zone on the Pacific Coast. About 50 minutes east/southeast of Portland and Oregon’s highest mountain, a snow-covered Mt. Hood is an amazing photo as it reflects into Mirror Lake.
The North Cascades are home to Liberty Bell Mountain, about a mile south of Washington Pass on the North Cascades Highway. The peak, made from a mixture of granite and difficult rock, is well-known within the state for high-quality alpine climbing. Don’t leave your phone behind, because you’ll definitely want to hashtag some insta-worthy shots of this natural phenomenon.
The highest point in the San Juan Islands and second-highest mountain on an ocean island (in the contiguous 48 states), Mount Constitution is an Orcas Island treasure. A stone observation tower resembling a medieval watch tower is found at the summit of this breathtaking climb. The tower offers excellent panoramic views and photographs of the neighboring islands as well as the Cascade Mountains.
Northwest Wyoming is home to Grand Teton National Park, with 310,000 acres and some major peaks. Ten miles south of Yellowstone National Park, the protected areas of Grand Teton make up part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The Park itself is named for Grand Teton, the tallest mountain in the Teton Range. Folks from far and wide travel to see the natural beauty here and photographs, while nothing short of spectacular, rarely do it justice. But, it’s fun to try!
Haystack Rock, in Cannon Beach, is a 235-foot sea stack that can be reached by land. The spot is popular with tourists and the rock is adjacent to the beach, accessible by foot at low tide. The Haystack Rock tide pools provide a habitat for starfish, sea anemone, crabs, chitons, limpets and sea slugs. Additionally, the rock is a nice resting spot for sea birds, including terns and puffins. There are so many angles and reflections at Haystack Rock that it is really hard to take a bad picture.
Ready to head out to some of these and try your hand at photography excellence? Book your accommodations first (because it’s always good to know where you’ll lay your head), and plan your trip to get that perfect shot that lights up Instagram! We’ve got the perfect Kabino for you!
April showers bring May flowers! But also, the two months collectively provide lots of opportunities across the northwest for travel and entertainment. Planning a trip to the northwest? This might help you find festivals or events that you simply don’t want to miss!
Seattle in the Springtime
Enjoy the Northwest Art and Fine Craft Show April 13-14, 2019, with some 90 artists in various categories from jewelry, clothing and painting to glass art and sculptures. Held at Hangar 30 in Magnuson Park, there will also be food trucks. This show is also held in November.
The annual Cherry Blossom Festival is a fantastic way to celebrate Seattle’s friendship with Japan and its prized cherry trees gifted to the city in 1976. Come and find fun with Japanese art, dance, music, martial arts, and food at the Seattle Center from April 26-28, 2019.
May 16-June 9, 2019 brings the 45th Annual Seattle International Film Festival—America’s largest film festival. Top directors will be there along with actors and critics.
Of course you’ll need accommodations in the Seattle area, so be sure and spend some time choosing the perfect home away from home.
Jackson Hole/Tetons/Teton Village Events
April 1-16, 2019 is Spring Cycle Days in Yellowstone, where folks can enjoy the National Park before the roads open to motorized travel. Ride in the Park for free and spend a fabulous day (or longer) exploring by bike, on foot, or rollerblades (conditions allowing).
Jackson Hole offers a unique option for Memorial Day—Old West Days Celebration, held May 23-27, 2019. Visitors enjoy a parade, rodeo, Old West Brew Fest, Draft Horse Pull, Mountain Man Rendezvous, American Legion Memorial Services, Pipes for Peace, Single Action Shooting Match, and so much more! Check out area lodging for the best, most comfortable places to hang your hat.
Leavenworth, Washington Events
Good times are happening at the 13th Annual Leavenworth Ale Fest on April 13, 2019. Enjoy a great mix of breweries, cideries, music and all-around fun in Leavenworth’s beautiful alpine setting. New for 2019, the festival now serves as a benefit for local non-profit Icicle Creek Center for the Arts, helping to bring the arts to families and communities across North Central Washington.
May 18, 2019 don’t miss the 2019 Red Bull Pump Track World Championship—a 2nd Annual Qualifier race. There will also be a kid’s race for the little ones. And, speaking of kids, find your family-friendly vacation rental early for the best selection.
Whistler and Victoria, British Columbia, Canada for Fun Festivals
The World Ski & Snowboard Festival makes for five days of extreme fun April 10-14, 2019 in various locations around Whistler. This spring festival celebrates the Whistler mountain culture with winter sports, music, and the arts, including the world’s steepest ski and snowboard competition.
With hundreds of annual festivals and events, it’s always easy to find fun in British Columbia.
Victoria plays host to the 156th Victoria Highland Games & Celtic Festival on May 18-20, 2019 at Topaz Park. This year the event has expanded even more, celebrating Scottish and Celtic music, arts, and culture with a Tartan Parade through downtown, a pub crawl, and tons of performing arts activities. This event is sure to bring a weekend of fun so make your accommodation reservations quickly.
Check out Victoria’s SwiftSure International Yacht Race from May 23-27, 2019, the largest yacht race on the West Coast of North America with more than 200 race boats and 1400 race crew members.
Spring Festivals on Oregon’s Coast
Are you a foodie? This just might be your kind of festival—Beer & Cheese Festival on April 13, 2019 in Rockaway Beach, Oregon looks to be delicious! Join brewers and cheesemakers as they pair their goods for partakers. There will be food trucks serving locally-sourced foods or you can dine at the Pelican Taproom. Proceeds will go to Food Roots, which will be on-site selling local foods. Leave with a little souvenir also—a free tote and logo tasting glass.
Less than an hour from Cannon Beach in Astoria, Oregon you can find the 37th Annual Astoria Warrenton Crab Seafood & Wine Festival with great coastal cuisine, arts and crafts, wine tasting, and more! The Astoria-Warrenton Area Chamber of Commerce hosts the festival held on April 26-28, 2019. Start the planning by searching for the best accommodations to call your home base.
Fun in Park City, Utah
Join the fun for the 1st Annual Utah Latin Dance Festival. Enjoy the biggest salsa and bachata festival in Utah history on May 3-5, 2019 for an unforgettable weekend of fun. The event takes place at the Double Tree by Hilton in Park City (world-renowned destination and home of the SunDance Film Festival). Choose a nearby condo or hideaway for a true destination getaway, complete with all the comforts of home, which you’ll long remember.
The Tulip Festival in Mt. Hood, Oregon
Highly-regarded and tons of fun, the Tulip Festival is the prized event of Mt. Hood and takes place March 23–April 29, 2019. This extensive festival is jam-packed with everything tulips as well as hayrides, a children’s play area, a Cow Train, food vendors, crafts, balloons and a huge variety of other activities. Be sure and visit the website for a schedule of events for this amazing event and book a lodging spot today!
San Juan Islands and Orcas Island, Washington for Spring
Orcas Island Lit Fest is designed to bring folks together who share the love of reading books with authors who love to write them. Less than a half an hour drive from San Juan Islands, guests can find Washingon vacation rentals at both places and be near the event which takes place April 5-7, 2019 at the Orcas Center. Come and participate in this annual celebration of literature.
Tour De Lopez is April 27, 2019 and is a non-competitive bicycle tour of Lopez Island, beginning in San Juan Islands. Every year there are lots of return riders, which speaks to the fun of this beautiful getaway.
This is by no means a complete listing, but a sampling from each area. There’s a lot of fun travel in the northwest, and we invite you to be a part of it all this spring!