The Valley ranked 6th in USA TODAY’s list and was the only Canadian region recognized

A scenic fall day in the Okanagan Valley, which cracked USA Today’s top-10 list of best destinations in 2019.(Photo: Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association)

Anyone who lives in the Okanagan knows first-hand how beautiful its fall season is each year. But as it turns out, the valley’s scenic fall – replete with colourful leaves and rolling hillsides – has a reputation beyond Canadian borders.

USA TODAY released its 10Best list for the category of Best Destination for Fall Foliage and the Okanagan Valley made the cut, ranking sixth overall and standing alone as the only non-American region.

Acquired by USA TODAY in January 2013, 10Best.com’s expert panel announced the nominees at the end of July and left the public to vote on their favourites to determine which fall destinations reign supreme.

The top spot belongs to Door County, Wisconsin, While White Mountains, New Hampshire received the second-most votes.

The Finger Lakes in New York, The Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula were ranked ahead of the Okanagan.

Catskills, New York; Hocking Hills, Ohio; Green Mountains, Vermont; and Jackson County, North Carolina all ranked below the Okanagan Valley.

“This level of exposure for the Okanagan Valley in fall is extremely exciting and we would like to thank everyone who took the time to vote,” said a spokesperson for the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association.

“It is so greatly appreciated and a fantastic opportunity to share the Okanagan Valley with the USA Today audience.”

The 1oBest sees an average of 5 million visitors a month – a level of exposure that’s nothing to sneeze at.

Now, lets see some more beauty shots of the Okanagan Valley (and be sure to tag #ThompsonOkanagan in your future landscape posts):

Brendan Shykora

Email me at Brendan.Shykora@vernonmorningstar.com