Photos show the best places in California to see fall foliage

Turn around, bright eyes. Come mid-October, a major celestial event will be viewable from major swaths of the Western Hemisphere. Or maybe just look up – with the proper eye protection, that is.

From the deserts of Arizona to the rocky coastline of Maine, from the sandy shores of Florida to the peaks of Colorado, the United States offers a breathtaking range of natural landscapes. The new National Geographic book Great Outdoors USA: 1,000 Adventures Across All 50 States reveals how to hike, raft, climb, surf, and bike through some of the best of them. Here are 50 of its top picks, one in each state.

A burger and fries by the beach in San Diego, California. (Photo Credit: sophia_ross/iStock Editorial/Getty Images Plus)

Touring New England in search of autumn’s changing colors has become so popular it has sprouted its own subculture of “leaf-peepers.”

The year’s supermoon bonanza may be behind us, but the sky has a host of stargazing treats in store this October. Get ready for two meteor showers, bright planet sightings, and arguably the most anticipated astronomical event of the year: the annular solar eclipse come mid-month.

If the thought of another year crawling to a close has left you feeling a little low, November is the perfect time to give yourself a travel-fueled lift, with an array of destinations primed for exploration during the penultimate month of the year.

For decades, authors, artists and presidents have all been drawn to the Hudson Valley in New York.

North Carolina is home to famed landscapes ranging from craggy peaks in the west – popular with advanced hikers – to coastal plains in the east – a popular destination for families. But no matter your skill level, the Tar Heel state is filled with pathways, marshes and densely packed forests to tramp.   

A train journey is an ideal way to appreciate fall foliage. Many train lines in the US wind along the same dazzling forests, lakes, and mountains as scenic byways built for cars. But passengers on board a train have the luxury of cozying up and losing themselves completely in the colorful views, without needing to worry about surrounding traffic.

Heat domes, droughts, smoky skies, tropical deluges: After a record-breaking summer of extreme weather events, dare we dream of crisp nights, cozy sweaters and the colors of fall?

Every passing month highlights a new facet of New York State, drawing millions of visitors to its hills, islands, forest, lakes and festivals.

Bold, big and beautiful, Arizona has plenty to brag about. Framed by New Mexico, Utah, Nevada and California, and with Mexico at its southern reaches – the state gets more than 300 days of sunshine a year and has four distinct seasons, so you can bask in summer, hike and bike in spring and fall and ski in winter.