The ‘Ber months are September through December and I want justice for November. It’s so often overlooked by October’s Halloween and December’s Christmas magic. November still gets you fall foliage in a lot of the country. You get Thanksgiving festivities. The days are crisp but not actually cold yet, and there are way fewer crowds everywhere you go.
I love traveling this time of year. These are the best places to visit in USA in November for late fall colors, crisp weather adventures, hikes, city escapes and more.
Quick Comparison Guide
Not sure what kind of November trip you want? Here’s a shortcut to the best places to visit in USA in November, sorted by what you’re actually after.
- If you still want fall foliage: Great Smoky Mountains, Yosemite National Park, Seattle, Napa Valley
- If you want warm and dry: Key West, Maui, Sedona, Scottsdale, Joshua Tree, New Orleans
- If you want national parks with nobody in them: Death Valley, Yosemite, Joshua Tree, Great Smoky Mountains
- If you want Thanksgiving Day energy: New York City, Chicago
- If you want early Christmas: Leavenworth, Seattle, Chicago, Park City
- If you want ski season opening weekend: Park City
- If you want cities at their best: San Francisco, New York, Chicago, New Orleans
- If you want a spa reset before the holidays: Scottsdale, Napa Valley
The Best Places To Visit In USA In November
I travel constantly and November is the month I actually protect on my calendar. Here are the best destinations to visit in November that I’d book myself again.
How I Picked The Best Places To Visit In USA In November
Every spot on this list earned it for a November-specific reason, not because it’s a nice place in general. Some are here because the fall color holds later than you’d think. Some are here because the summer crowds finally cleared out and you can get a table.
Some are here because the desert is finally cool enough to hike, or because the holiday season kicks off before the December pricing does. If a destination is better in another month, it didn’t make the cut.
1. Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee
I was just in Knoxville with family and we spent days driving around the Smoky Mountains, and I kept saying “oh my god, the fall foliage would be beautiful here” out loud, in the car, repeatedly. The whole range is covered in maple and oak, so you know it’s going to go orange and red and gold.
My aunt told me peak is usually the last week of October and the first week of November. The National Park Service backs her up: the most brilliant displays below 4,000 feet typically happen between mid-October and early November, and October is the single busiest month in the park. So November gets you the tail end of the color with a fraction of the traffic. That’s the whole pitch.
I’d come in through Gatlinburg on the Tennessee side, mostly because it’s an easy drive from Knoxville and you’re at the park entrance in under an hour. You can also enter from Cherokee on the North Carolina side, and if you do, drive the Blue Ridge Parkway on the way in, since it connects straight to the park and holds color at lower elevations longer than people expect. If you love a New England fall road trip, this is the Southern version and it runs two weeks later.
Once you’re in, do Cades Cove, the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, and Newfound Gap Road for scenic drives.
- Pro-tip: the park itself recommends the Foothills Parkway and quieter hiking trails like West Prong, Cosby Nature Trail, and Chasteen Creek if you want to dodge the crowds, and that advice comes from rangers rather than a blog. Stay at The Timber at Holly Branch in Gatlinburg, a boutique log-built spot walkable to downtown with an on-site restaurant.
2. New York City, New York
I’ve only been to New York City during the hot months and I’m dying to go when I’m not actively sweating. November is the perfect bridge between fall weather and Christmas in NYC, because there won’t be much foliage left but you get that crisp fall air, and then the whole city flips into holiday mode at the end of the month.
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is the obvious draw, but Central Park is the sleeper pick, especially the North Woods and The Ramble, where the last of the color hangs on longer than you’d think. By the last week of November the tree goes up at Rockefeller Center and the ice rink is open, which has been on my New York bucket list since I watched Elf.
Stay at citizenM near Times Square. I stayed here last year and I like CitizenM a lot because they’re consistent and the room layout works, plus you’re near most of what you want to hit as a tourist. Times Square itself is a get in, get out, call it a day situation.
- Worth it if you want the holiday kickoff without December pricing.
- Skip it if you hate crowds, because parade week is packed shoulder to shoulder.
3. Yosemite National Park, California
November may be the secret best time to visit Yosemite. I’ve written that before and I stand by it, because depending on when you go you can still catch fall foliage in the valley, but by November the crowds are almost all gone and the park is still open enough to widely enjoy.
I went a few years ago on November 3rd and was just in awe of all the fall colors along the Merced. It’s also dead quiet, so it feels like you have the place to yourself. On another November visit my friend and I hiked a brutal trail that was all up up up, and we both agreed we would have died of heat doing it in summer, so November is perfect temps for the harder hiking trails.
There’s also a November-only reason to go: the Grand Grape Celebration at the Majestic Yosemite Hotel. You can stop in for a free tasting or stay for a multi-course dinner, and we popped in during one fall visit and it was such a good break from hiking. As a WSET 2 wine nerd, I LOVED it.
Stay at The Ahwahnee inside the valley, which is where the wine event happens, or one of the Sierra Meadows tiny cabins outside the South Gate if you want something smaller and dog-friendly. These are all my favorite Yosemite area cabins if you’d rather rent.
Honest caveat: Tioga Pass and Glacier Point Road can be closed, not every restaurant is open, and daylight is short. One November visit started with snowfall and ended at 60 degrees and sunshine, so pack layers and carry chains.
4. San Francisco, California
I live here, so trust me on this one. November in San Francisco is usually really nice weather right before all the rain sets in, because Karl the Fog has moved on, the summer crowds are long gone, and you get those clear bright days that make the whole city look like a postcard.
Walk across the Golden Gate Bridge when you can actually see it, then wander Golden Gate Park, which is bigger than Central Park and mostly empty this time of year. Hike Lands End for coastal views, hit the Ferry Building Marketplace for lunch, and have dinner in the Mission.
If you want more color, California fall colors run later than most people realize here.
Stay at The Fairmont San Francisco on Nob Hill. It’s the first Fairmont ever built, it’s historic and beautiful, and the Tonga Room tiki bar in the basement has a literal indoor rainstorm, which is why I send every friend and family member here. Layer up regardless of what the forecast says, and wear flat shoes, because these hills are no joke.
5. Key West, Florida
Key West in November is one of the best places to travel to in November if you want to stay in the water. I haven’t made it here yet, so I’m telling you what the timing gets you rather than pretending I’ve eaten my way down Duval Street.
November is the start of dry season, with highs in the low 80s and lows around 70, under two and a half inches of rain for the whole month, and high season lodging pricing that doesn’t kick in until mid-December. It lands after Fantasy Fest and before the snowbird rush, which is the actual sweet spot. Stone crab season is open and the Key West Film Festival runs mid-month.
Old Town is where you’ll want to base yourself, since it’s walkable and holds most of the historic stuff. Stay at The Marquesa Hotel, which has hidden courtyards and multiple pools tucked behind restored Conch-style houses. Do the sunset celebration at Mallory Square once, then go find quieter water.
6. Albuquerque, New Mexico
New Mexico in November is criminally underrated, because the Balloon Fiesta crowds cleared out in October, the air goes crisp, and the whole state smells like roasting chile through the ‘Ber months.
Old Town Albuquerque was founded by Spanish colonists in 1706 and centers on San Felipe de Neri church, which has been in use since 1793, so it’s four flat blocks of adobe, galleries, and very good food. Día de los Muertos spills into early November with the Marigold Mile, and if you go late in the month you’ll catch Old Town getting decked out before the Holiday Stroll. Ride the Sandia Peak Tramway for the views, eat green chile stew at Church Street Café, and grab biscochitos at Golden Crown Panaderia.
Stay at Hotel Chaco, a 118-room boutique hotel designed by Gensler and inspired by Chaco Canyon, with Sawmill Market right across the way for food. This makes a great base if you want to add a day trip to Santa Fe or Taos.
7. Sedona, Arizona
Sedona is brutally hot in summer and perfect in November, because the red rock hiking weather is ideal, the light goes golden earlier, and the trailhead parking lots aren’t a bloodsport.
Hike Cathedral Rock for a short climb with a big payoff, or the easy Airport Mesa vortex near downtown if you want something you can do before dinner. West Fork trail is the one to prioritize this time of year since it’s best in autumn for fall colors along Oak Creek. If it’s too cold to hike, drive the Red Rock Scenic Byway and see most of it from the car.
Stay at the Amara Resort, which is one of my favorite hotels we’ve ever stayed in anywhere. The courtyard backs right up to a red rock formation, and the pool and hot tub area looks straight out at the rocks, and I remember sitting in that hot tub one evening and being able to see millions of stars above me.
Eat at SaltRock Southwest Kitchen on property, or the Hudson for views. There are also some very cool Sedona Airbnbs with red rock views if you want a house.
8. Scottsdale, Arizona
Scottsdale is my pick for the pre-Thanksgiving reset, and it’s the destination on this list where I’ve spent the most Novembers. It’s low season, which means you can stay at fantastic resorts for a fraction of what they cost in high season, and we visited in November once and it was mid-80s and perfect.
I loved CIVANA, a wellness resort up at the north end near Black Mountain, with tons of workout classes and full spa access but without all the pretentiousness that fancy wellness spots can have. It’s way out in the Sonoran Desert, so you can see alllll the stars. Book this before the holidays and you’ll show up to Thanksgiving as a functional human.
For a couple of weeks each November, the canal downtown is taken over by art for Canal Convergence, which is free, full of IG-worthy moments, and was one of my favorite parts of our fall trip. Hike the McDowell Sonoran Preserve at sunrise because Arizona sunrises tend to be pink and purple, then eat at Farm & Craft or Diego Pops.
Late in the month the Desert Botanical Garden luminaria nights start up.
- Heads up: CIVANA is about 30 minutes from Old Town and pricey to Uber, so rent a car or batch your in-town activities into one day. If you’re coming with a group, these are my favorite Scottsdale Airbnbs instead.
9. New Orleans, Louisiana
I’ve said in my own 3 day New Orleans guide that if you want a trip to run smoothly, aim for a regular week in late October or November. The swamp humidity finally backs off and the city is breathable again. We went in late May and Robin was covered in sweat the entire time, so learn from us.
Wander the French Quarter without melting, do a voodoo ghost tour after dark, and grab a to-go cocktail to drink on the steps at Washington Artillery Park while the steamboats chug by. Spend a full evening on Frenchmen Street, which was by far my favorite memory of our entire trip and easily one of the top 10 nights of any trip I’ve ever taken.
Get a muffuletta and a Pimm’s Cup at Napoleon House, book Commander’s Palace way earlier than you think you need to, and use my New Orleans food guide for the rest.
Stay at Hotel Monteleone in the French Quarter, which dates back to 1886, is haunted by friendly ghosts, and has the Carousel Bar spinning in the lobby. The whole 25-seat bar makes one full rotation every 15 minutes, which is roughly how long it takes to drink a cocktail. Order a Vieux Carré, since it was invented there.
10. Joshua Tree, California
The desert finally cools off in November and becomes the best version of itself. I do my Joshua Tree weekend trips in late autumn through early spring before the crazy heat sets in, because I’m not willing to hike in 120 degrees.
Hike Hidden Valley Nature Trail if you’re warming up, or Ryan Mountain for three miles and 1,050 feet of gain with high desert views at the top. Watch sunset at the Cholla Cactus Garden, then stargaze, because November nights are long and clear. Eat at Crossroads Cafe, grab charcuterie from The Dez for a park picnic, and book ahead at La Copine in Yucca Valley. I’m loyal to Joshua Tree Coffee Company and buy a cup every trip, sometimes twice a day.
Stay at the Cabin Cabin Cabin Airbnb, my top pick, which is a little bit boho and a little bit whimsical and has an outdoor soaking tub that’s perfect in cool weather. These are all my top Joshua Tree Airbnbs if you want more options, including cowboy tubs for stargazing soaks.
Add a day trip to Palm Springs for the colorful doors and modernist architecture, and bring a warm jacket because desert night temps drop suddenly.
11. Seattle, Washington
I always start craving Seattle around autumn, and something about that city in October and November and straight through Christmas just hits for me. The rain, the coffee, the fall foliage going gold and rust, the Christmas lights bouncing off wet sidewalks, the mountains sitting there in the background being enormous.
Go to the Washington Park Arboretum, 230 free acres run by the University of Washington, where the Woodland Garden holds one of the largest Japanese maple collections in North America and goes fully unhinged with color in November. Hit Pike Place Market at 7:30am instead of 1pm, and eat an everything bagel with lox at the counter with a view of Puget Sound. Get chowder at Pike Place Chowder and a guava ginger beer at Rachel’s one storefront over.
Here’s the November-specific reason: the Seattle Sauna Festival runs this month, and Wild Haus does Nordic sauna boats on Lake Union where you cold plunge straight into the lake. If you’ve followed me for any length of time you know I’m deeply into sauna and cold plunge culture, and I’ll do it anywhere someone lets me get very hot and then very cold in quick succession.
Stay at Palihotel Seattle, the most photogenic hotel in the city in my opinion, right across from the market.
Add Forks for lingering foliage and Twilight energy if you’ve got extra days, or use my Seattle weekend itinerary for the hour by hour.
12. Leavenworth, Washington
Leavenworth is a Bavarian-style mountain town in the Cascades, and November splits into two completely different trips depending on which half of the month you pick.
Early November gets you the tail of the fall foliage in the hills, quiet season pricing, and the village basically to yourself, so you can hike the Icicle Gorge trail or wander downtown shops without fighting anyone for sidewalk space. Late November is when the Christmas lighting kicks off and the whole town flips into full holiday mode.
Stay at Sleeping Lady Mountain Resort, which is where we stayed and I couldn’t have imagined our trip at any other hotel. It’s tucked a few miles outside town and integrated into nature, with trails and lake access right outside your room, and your room sits in a cluster on one side while the hot tub is on the other, so you wander through the trees to get there.
I fell in love with the place, especially that hot tub. Book a treatment at the Aspen Leaf Spa while you’re there, eat pretzels at München Haus, and taste wine at Icicle Ridge Winery for $10, which is much better pricing than Napa. It’s about a two hour drive east of Seattle, so pair the two, or cozy up in one of these darling Leavenworth cabins.
13. Chicago, Illinois
I grew up in the Midwest and November there is a coin flip, because some years it starts warm with cool breezes and some years I ended up trick-or-treating in a snowsuit. But Chicago gets brutal summer humidity, so I love autumn here when it feels balanced. Lake Michigan isn’t punishing yet and the wind hasn’t turned cruel.
November gets you two things summer doesn’t: the State Street Thanksgiving Day parade, and the Christkindlmarket opening in Daley Plaza in the back half of the month. Take an architecture boat tour while the season still allows it, walk Lincoln Park, and grab drinks at The Office, a sleek hidden speakeasy with killer cocktails and local edge.
Stay at the Pendry Chicago in the Loop for river vibes and that perfect urban fall energy, or Hotel Lincoln in Lincoln Park if you want a boutique neighborhood feel. Grab deep dish at Lou Malnati’s (non-negotiable) and coffee at Intelligentsia. Underrated gem for November city travel.
14. Napa Valley, California
I live in SF so I hit Napa 6+ times a year, and November is my quiet favorite. Harvest is over by now, but the vines are still turning gold and red across the valley, so you get classic fall scenery without the harvest-season chaos.
It’s much easier to get tastings this time of year, and a lot of wineries run sales leading up to Thanksgiving, so you can stock up on all your Thanksgiving and Christmas wine while you’re there. That alone justifies the trip. Base yourself in Yountville because it’s walkable and you barely need to touch the car.
Taste at Priest Ranch and Hestan Vineyards for Cabernet, get a ham and cheese croissant at Bouchon Bakery, and have dinner at Ciccio. These are the most beautiful wineries in Napa Valley if you want to build out a full tasting list.
Stay at Hotel Yountville, a luxe spot with Napa chic vibes steps from everything, so you can walk to tastings and dinner without sorting out a designated driver. A sunrise hot air balloon ride is chilly before takeoff in November, so bring a light sweater, but it warms up quickly once you’re under the burner.
15. Park City, Utah
I did a whole Utah fall colors road trip through Provo Canyon and Park City and I regret not booking our hotel in Park City, because it’s so cute and I wish we had more time to explore the city itself. November is when it transitions.
Park City Mountain opened around November 21 last season with Deer Valley following December 1, so late November catches opening weekend without full ski season pricing or crowds. Main Street also does a tree lighting and lines the street with life-sized snow globes made by local artists starting the last week of the month, so you get first tracks and holiday setup in one trip.
Stay at the Waldorf Astoria Park City, a beautiful luxury hotel that’s been on my bucket list for years, with mountain views, upscale rooms, and a pool and hot tub that sound magical after a day in the cold. If you’d rather be in the middle of everything, the Washington School House Hotel is a 12-room boutique in historic Old Town Park City.
Drive 20 minutes to Midway and swim in Homestead Crater, a 65-foot-deep mineral hot spring inside a limestone dome that stays 90 to 96 degrees year round, with tickets starting at $15 and timed one-hour slots you book online ahead. Grab dinner at High West Saloon. It’s under an hour from Salt Lake City, which makes the whole thing easy.
16. Death Valley National Park, California
Death Valley is the one on this list I haven’t been to, and it’s number one on my California list specifically because of November. I live here and I’ve somehow never made it (we had a trip planned in 2020 that clearly didn’t happen).
Here’s the deal on timing: the National Park Service says flat out that the best time to hike Death Valley is November through March, because summer temperatures at low elevation are dangerous, and mid-November to just before Christmas is the least crowded stretch of the entire year.
Ideal hiking weather plus almost nobody on the trails is a rare combination in a national park, which is exactly why it made my list of the best places to visit in USA in November.
Hike Golden Canyon to Red Cathedral, do Mosaic Canyon, walk out onto the Badwater Basin salt flats, and catch sunrise at Zabriskie Point. Stay at The Inn at Death Valley, the historic 1927 side of the resort with a spring-fed pool.
Days run 60 to 74 degrees and nights drop to around 40, so bring layers, carry far more water than you think you need, and download offline maps because cell service is nonexistent across most of the park. If you love California hot springs and swimming holes like I do, that spring-fed pool is a nice bonus.
17. Maui, Hawaii
November in Maui is the shoulder-season move, because pre-holiday pricing hasn’t spiked yet, the beaches aren’t packed, and humpback whales start arriving toward the end of the month, which turns every snorkel cruise into a whale-watching trip.
Drive the Road to Hana without bumper-to-bumper chaos and be on the road by 8:30am, 9am at the latest. Catch Haleakalā sunrise, and book that reservation at least six weeks out or you will be turned away at the gate. It’s 9,000 feet up and COLD, so bring a real sweater, because we saw so many people wrapped in blankets from their hotel rooms.
Snorkel Molokini, eat a Moco Loco, and buy a Maui Gold pineapple for about $7 instead of the $40 they cost on the mainland.
Stay at the Hyatt Regency Maui on Kāʻanapali Beach. We spent the back half of our trip here and slowed everything down, with a full day in a cabana, sushi at Japengo, and the resort luau, which was my first ever and did a great job educating the audience on Maui’s history.
I recommend splurging on the VIP luau tickets for better seats and faster food service, and arriving early to be first in line. We snagged front row, and you can’t beat that.
FAQs About Traveling In The USA In November
What Are The Best Places To Visit In USA In November?
Some of the best places to visit in USA in November include the Great Smoky Mountains for late fall foliage, Yosemite National Park for empty trails and valley color, New York City for the Thanksgiving Day parade and the start of the holiday season, and Scottsdale or Sedona for perfect desert hiking weather. If you want warm water, Key West and Maui are both in their shoulder-season sweet spot.
Is November A Good Time To Travel In The United States?
November is one of the most underrated months for travel in the US. Summer crowds are long gone, October’s foliage rush has cleared out, and holiday pricing doesn’t kick in until the very end of the month. National parks are quiet, hotel rates drop, and across a lot of the country the weather is crisp rather than cold.
Where Can You Still See Fall Foliage In November?
Lower elevations hold color the longest, so the Great Smoky Mountains below 4,000 feet often peak into early November, Yosemite Valley can still be gold in the first week, and Napa Valley’s vines turn through the month. Seattle’s Washington Park Arboretum and its Japanese maples are usually still going strong in November too.
Where Is Warm In The USA In November?
Key West, Maui, Sedona, Scottsdale, Joshua Tree, and New Orleans all deliver warm or mild weather in November without the summer heat. The desert spots are especially good, since temperatures finally drop into comfortable hiking range.
What Are The Best Cities To Visit In US In November?
New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and New Orleans are all at their best this month. New York and Chicago give you Thanksgiving parades and the start of the holiday season, San Francisco gets clear weather before the rain, and New Orleans finally sheds its humidity.
What Are Good Road Trip Destinations In November?
The Smoky Mountains scenic drives like Cades Cove and the Foothills Parkway are excellent, and the Blue Ridge Parkway through North Carolina still holds color at lower elevations. A California desert road trip linking Joshua Tree and Death Valley is another strong one, and Utah works well if you connect Provo Canyon, Midway, and Park City. Just check road and pass closures, since mountain routes start shutting down this month.
Is November Too Early For Ski Season?
Not everywhere. Park City Mountain typically opens in the back half of November, with Deer Valley following in early December, so you get opening-weekend energy, softer pricing, and a town that’s already decorated for the holidays. Snow coverage is early-season though, so expect limited terrain.
November Travel Is The Most Underrated Month Of The Year
November gets you the last of the fall color and the first of the holiday season, with almost none of the crowds that define the rest of the calendar. You can hike a national park alone, catch a parade, ski an opening weekend, and swim in the ocean, all in the same month.
These are my favorite places to go in US in November, and I’ll keep adding to this list because I’m on a mission to make people take this month seriously. Whether you want a road trip through the Smokies or a city that’s just starting to twinkle, one of these best places to visit in USA in November has your name on it.
If you have a favorite November spot I need to add, drop a comment below. I read every single one.
