With only 50 states alone, it can be difficult to narrow down the list of places to visit in the United States for a trip of just a week or two. Even a month doesn’t give you enough time to do anything. So when you go, you want to make sure you make the most of your time.
If you go in September, especially around Labor Day, there are plenty of things to do in the United States. To help you choose what’s right for you, here are the 15 best places to visit in September in the US.
1. Moab, Utah
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If you like an active vacation, Moab is a great place to visit. It is not very hot here in September and there are not many tourists here.
Some of the most popular things to do in Moab are visiting some of the national and state parks. There’s Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Crown Arch, and Deadhorse Point State Park.
If you want a bit of history with your outdoor adventures, there are even petroglyphs in the area, namely Sego Canyon, Gut Man, and Bartlett Pictographs. There are also traces of dinosaurs near Kalinaya Road.
2. Oahu, Hawaii
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April and September are generally considered the best months to visit Aahu, particularly Honolulu. It doesn’t rain very often at this point, and it’s outside of most tourist seasons, so the crowds aren’t as massive.
Most things are a bit cheaper during this time, which means you can travel and visit most places. For example, the Pearl Harbor National Memorial is located in Honolulu. But there are also many places for hiking.
Also, September is the time for the week-long Mokihan Festival. Here, Hawaiians celebrate their culture through music, food and education.
3. Glacier National Park, Montana
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September in Montana is nice and cool, but not cold yet. Glacier National Park. There is an airport near the entrance called Glacier International Airport, so you don’t have to go very far.
There are lakes to swim in, places to camp under the stars, and trails for hiking and wildlife watching.
4. Las Vegas, Nevada
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If you want to see more city sights and less trees, Las Vegas is worth a visit. Not only is it a place to try your hand at gambling, but the Strip is also full of great restaurants and plenty of magic and live entertainment.
There are even tons of museums to visit and learn about the history. There’s the Las Vegas Neon Museum, the Mob Museum, historic casinos, organized crime museums, and more. You can easily spend your entire vacation without ever leaving Las Vegas and never getting bored.
If you want to branch out and see the natural sights, there are plenty of places to visit within an hour’s drive or less. For example, Red Rock Canyon is a popular destination.
5. Bar Harbor, Maine
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In September, Bar Harbor, Maine is just starting to cool down for fall and winter. The city is small, but full of interesting things to do. Nearby is Acadia National Park, which is full of wildlife.
There’s also Cadillac Mountain, which you can hike to the top of or drive up to if you want the views without the work.
The town itself, although small, is home to a large lobster fishery. If you like to eat seafood, especially lobster, you should visit several restaurants in the area.
Also, in September, most deciduous trees in the US begin to change color. If you’re feeling up to it, take a drive through some woodlands to see the bright reds, oranges and yellows of all the leaves.
If you go near the end of September, Bar Harbor also hosts a festival called the Acadia Night Sky Festival. During this event, people can watch the stars, listen to music, participate in workshops and have many interesting experiences.
6. Adirondack Region, New York
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If you want to see a forest of changing leaves, the Adirondack region is a great place. The area is free to visit and you can take a car, so you can see thousands of trees in a relatively short time.
Many people who go to see the leaves choose more touristy destinations like Tennessee and North Carolina. However, the Adirondack region is a hidden gem with plenty to see.
If you want to do something else while stopping to enjoy the leaves, there are plenty of wineries and breweries to hop around while taking in the sights. There’s even a gondola so you can see the region and the trees from the air.
There are also several lakes in the area where you can swim or go boating.
7. Sanibel Island, Florida
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Fall and winter are perfect times to visit Florida. The weather is cooler, so you won’t feel like you’re melting in the summer heat.
Sanibel Island in particular is a place you won’t want to miss. In September, the island is usually quiet and places are often cheaper.
Of course, being on the island, there are many beaches for swimming. The beaches are wonderful, full of shells and sand. You can also take a boat to some of the other nearby islands, such as Cabbage Key and Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge.
If you get bored on Sanibel Island, Florida, there are many other islands and places to visit that are less than an hour away. For example, Fort Myers is only a thirty minute drive away and is full of many different historical sites.
8. Big Sur, California
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California, like most places, stops receiving large numbers of tourists around the end of August. Nevertheless, pleasant and mild temperatures persist in September.
Big Sur is a great area for whale watching. You can see all kinds of whales, including orcas, humpbacks and blue whales. If wildlife is your thing, there are plenty of other animals and plants to look at. Wildflowers seem to magically bloom in the area all year round and many sea otters can be seen here.
There are also camping sites, lodges for more relaxed camping, restaurants, gift shops and art galleries, so you never have to leave the grounds. If you’re into architecture, there are even bridges to drive over and admire.
9. Burlington, Vermont
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Vermont is another area for those who love the outdoors and want to see lots of fall colors. Lake Champlain offers great views of the Adirondack Mountains. There are also cruises that will take you along the coast and show you all the colors of autumn.
You won’t get bored with several walking routes and then you can stop in town at the end to visit the markets. With many farms nearby, you can truly live the farm-to-table lifestyle for a while.
Many brewers also make Burlington their home, so you can find unique fall beers and ciders to try throughout the area.
10. Grand Canyon, Arizona
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The Grand Canyon is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World and should never be overlooked. In the summer there are many tourists who want to admire the views. For this reason, September is one of the best times to visit.
In early fall, you can hike the South Rim area of the Grand Canyon. But if you’re a driver, don’t worry, there are plenty of places to stop and enjoy the view.
A solo trip can easily take four hours or more, so you can spend days exploring the Grand Canyon. There is also hiking and the opportunity to ride a mule. If heights don’t scare you, you can take a helicopter ride.
Due to the size of the Grand Canyon, there are several major cities you can also visit along the way, including Phoenix, Arizona, and Las Vegas, Nevada.
11. Seattle, Washington
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Seattle has a lot of cloudy days. Out of 365 days in a year, an average of 226 of them are overcast and cloudy. However, September often has less rain and more sun than other months, making it an ideal time to travel.
Around Labor Day weekend, Seattle also hosts a festival known as Bumbershoot. Bumbershoot is considered one of the best international music and arts festivals in the country.
If you miss the Bumbershoot, there’s also the Lake Union Wooden Boat Festival. It takes place at the end of September and offers free boat tours, historic boats and information about anything nautical.
Oktoberfest is also a very popular attraction that takes place in September. It’s time for a big beer festival where all the craft breweries celebrate their craft.
There are also activities that are not seasonal. You can always go and see the ocean as it is within walking distance. The Space Needle is another fun place to visit, as well as the Skyview Observatory, Pike Place Market, and even the ferries.
12. Colorado Springs, Colorado
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Colorado Springs and the surrounding area is a great place to vacation in September. Cripple Creek, about an hour away, is full of casinos and mountain views. During the ride, you can join the “leaves” to see the aspens begin to change colors.
Colorado Springs is often cited as one of the best places to vacation in America in September. It’s also an affordable place to live. While Cripple Creek is about an hour’s drive west, Denver is just an hour and a half north of Colorado Springs.
The temperature in September is usually quite pleasant and stays around 50-60. This is a good time to take advantage of all the walking routes in and around the towns. Popular spots include Garden of the Gods, Pikes Peak Highway and Barr Trail.
13. Flagstaff, Arizona
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Flagstaff, Arizona is another place full of fall colors. There are many nearby small towns that can easily be visited in a day, full of unique shops and antique shops, as well as markets.
You can also go to the Arizona Snowbowl ski resort, although they may not be open yet in early September.
There are also many beautiful rock formations and hiking trails, such as Walnut Canyon National Monument, Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument, and Wupatka National Monument.
14. Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts
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Martha’s Vineyard is a small island south of Cape Cod. It is about 70 miles from Boston. You can get to the island by ferry.
Most tourists leave after Labor Day, which means it’s much more open to the public. It is a lovely island full of interesting and unique places to visit. For example, there is a museum to learn specifically about the island.
Another fun place to visit is Gingerbread Cottages in nearby Oak Bluffs. It is considered a historical landmark. There are 34 acres and over 300 different cottages, all designed with unique themes, patterns and colors.
There are also lighthouses on the island, originally built back in 1799.
15. North Cascades National Park, Washington
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North Cascades National Park in Washington has a little bit of everything. There are the North American Alps, mountains, snowfields, glaciers, waterfalls, grasslands and more.
The park stretches from Washington to Canada. It goes south to Lake Chelan and is full of wildlife, including bats, elk, deer, squirrels, pike, marmots and more.
Although you can visit this park throughout the year, tourism tends to die down after September, and you can also enjoy the fall colors and have more sunny days in September than the rest of the year.
