Fall is here and it’s time to go wild! Or at least go to where nature’s brilliant hues of reds, yellows, and oranges are dotting our autumnal landscape: America’s national grasslands.
In fact, there are millions of square miles of these grasslands, and more than 16 million acres of them are managed by The Forest Service alone. While a lot of folks may not be aware of this, our 2017 theme of “Where the Wild Colors Are” is designed to let them know that fall is also beautiful in our National grasslands.
This year, we’re giving our grasslands the center spotlight by featuring seven of them in a unique story map that will crisscross the midsection of the nation. The tour starts near Chicago’s Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, continues west to Colorado’s Pawnee National Grassland, detours south to Oklahoma’s Black Kettle and makes it way to McClellan Creek National Grasslands, and beyond.
Fall colors tourism is always a boon to local and state economies, attracting visitors who flock to national forests and grasslands and the hotels and restaurants surrounding them. For example, in a typical fall season, the state of New Hampshire receives more than eight million visitors who spend nearly $1.5 billion. Many of them flock to the Kancamagus Highway, a scenic byway in the White Mountain National Forest renowned for its dramatic vistas.
And remember, as in years past, the Forest Service’s Fall Colors website is a great resource for those planning a colorful getaway this autumn to either a national grassland or forest. So get out there and use our map as your guide to Go Where the Wild Colors Are!
