Northern Colorado city lands on list of top travel destinations for this fall

Do you want to make the most of autumn this year?

Head to Estes Park, which recently landed on the list of top fall destinations in USA TODAY's 10Best Readers' Choice Awards. Editors praised the town's wildlife-watching opportunities and variety of special events, from the Autumn Gold Festival to the Elk Fest. “It's an outdoor enthusiast's paradise,” the awards description reads.

The seasonal list was one of eight that included apple orchards, corn mazes, pumpkin patches, Oktoberfests, fall festivals, fall beers, fall color destinations and the best places to visit during the season, nominated by industry experts and reviewed by 10Best.

The best place to visit in autumn

1. Gatlinburg, Tennessee
2. Mackinac Island, Michigan
3. Allegany County, Maryland
4. Lafayette, Louisiana
5. Estes Park, Colorado
6. Saratoga County, New York
7. Loudoun County, Virginia
8. Columbus, Ohio
9. Cody, Wyoming
10. Branson, Missouri

Activities in autumn:Your Northern Colorado guide to pumpkin patches, fall festivals and more

The other Colorado community to receive a 10Best nomination was Vail, which hosts an Oktoberfest that narrowly made the Readers' Choice Awards' list of best Oktoberfests.