North Cascades boasts fall color

Bellingham — One of the best places in the U.S. to see foliage this September is just a short drive from Bellingham, according to a new study.

Gunther Volkswagen of Coconut Creek, a Florida-based car dealership conducted an online survey with 3,000 respondents, to find the best spots in the country for foliage viewing in the early days of fall. Two spots in Washington made the list, including one in the top ten.

North Cascades National Park, parts of which are located in Whatcom County, received the seventh most votes. The study noted its “golden larches and vibrant maples” that start to change color in mid-September. North Cascades was the highest ranked spot in the western U.S. and the only place on the West Coast to crack the top 30.

This isn’t the only survey to point out North Cascades’ colorful fall leaves. Travel website The Travel ranked the park among the the best cheap national parks for foliage viewing, while Forbes published an article naming it among the best foliage destinations as well.

Other top places for fall foliage

In the Gunther Volkswagen survey, North Cascades fell one spot behind the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest in Georgia, while Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee took the top spot. Here’s the rest of the top ten:

• Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tenn.
• Shenandoah National Park, Va.
• Catskill Mountains, N.Y.
• Mount Rogers National Recreation Area, Va.
• Mohawk Trail, Mass.
• Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest, Ga.
• North Cascades National Park
• Pocono Mountains, Pa.
• Apalachicola National Forest, Fla.

Mount Rainier was listed at 40th.