The Best Fall Hiking Trails in the U.S.
Is there anything better than fall hiking? The temperature is perfect, the leaves are changing, and as the foliage drops, you get clear views of the American countryside—from its majestic lakes to forest-covered ridges—while also getting a healthy dose of fresh air. From Acadia National Park in Maine to southern edges of the Appalachian Trail, here are 26 destinations primed for fall hiking, from east to west across the U.S. Remember to always research current trail conditions (as well as any COVID-19 restrictions) before you head out—then grab your mask and a couple layers to take in autumn's colors before winter hides them in white.
This article was originally published in October 2016. It has been updated with new information.
GettyAcadia National Park, Maine
One of the country's most-visited national parks, Acadia has no shortage of wonders worth seeing and experiencing—from South Bubble’s glacial erratic, a rock formation that seemingly clings to the mountain’s edge, to the near-vertical climbs of Champlain Mountain’s Precipice Trail. But one of the most stunning adventures might be simpler: a walk along the rocky shoreline of the Atlantic. The Ocean Path Trail hugs the shoreline for its entire 2.2 miles, with plenty of access points to outcroppings to take in the view.
GettyMount Monadnock, New Hampshire
Despite the fact that this 3,165-foot peak appears to stand alone high above southern New Hampshire, if you summit it—as 125,000 people do a year—you likely won’t be alone. Go anyway: A trip to the top gives way to sweeping, 360-degree multi-state views. Rangers say the most direct way up and down is via two-mile White Dot Trail, which is steep, but stunning.
GettyFranconia Ridge, New Hampshire
Seeing the White Mountains from the highway is one thing. Crossing them above the treeline along an exposed ridgeline with panoramas on either side is another. The namesake Fraconia Ridge Trail, a 8.5-mile loop, is popular—it’s little more than a two hours’ drive from Boston, after all—but challenging. Go on a nice day and wear sunscreen; much of the trail is exposed with little shade. Stop at the waterfall on the way down.
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GettyMount Mansfield, Vermont
It’s hard to say which is prettier: the northern Vermont forest of Mount Mansfield, popularly known as Stowe, or the romantic journey there—think country roads, streams (with steam rising off of them at the right time of day), and covered bridges. The Sunset Ridge Trail to the summit is mostly above the treeline, practically guaranteeing great views of the landscape below. Once you're up top, look west toward the colors of Lake Champlain.
GettyMount Greylock, Massachusetts
At 3,491 feet, Massachusetts’s tallest peak inspired minds like those of Nathaniel Hawthorne and Henry David Thoreau (look for a rock inscribed with some of Thoreau's writing at the summit). The Bellows Pipe trail reveals what all the fuss was about: The view at the top includes a lighthouse-looking structure (the Massachusetts Veterans War Memorial Tower) and in the distance, Vermont’s Green Mountains, the Catskills, and on a clear day, New Hampshire’s White Mountains.
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AlamyBlue Hills Reservation, Massachusetts
There’s something magical about spotting fall colors in a city. About 30 minutes from Boston, Blue Hills Reservation—a hiking, biking, and cross-country skiing destination come winter—affords views of the city skyline (look out for the iconic Prudential and John Hancock buildings) behind miles of yellows, oranges, and reds. The three-mile Skyline Trail loop winds up to Great Blue Hill, the highest coastal peak on the Atlantic south of Maine.
GettyCold Spring, New York
Thanks to the trailhead being close to its namesake Metro-North railroad stop, the three-mile Breakneck Ridge loop attracts a New York City crowd itching for an easy, car-free escape. But the steep, strenuous hike is one of the most common in the Northeast for more reasons than just its accessibility: Strategic rock scrambling is rewarded with panoramic views of the Hudson River Valley.
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JanaSheaWissahickon Valley Park, Pennsylvania
Philadelphians need not travel far for gorgeous natural spaces: The city’s 1,800-acre Wissahickon Valley Park is full of them. In fact, a simple stroll down the flat, seven-mile Forbidden Drive puts you right under a calm canopy of changing trees. Follow a peaceful creek and pass sites like Historic Rittenhouse Town, where the first paper mill in British North America was located. Just keep an eye out for cyclists whizzing by.
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GettyWhiteside Mountain, North Carolina
For just a $2 parking fee, hikers on this two-mile-plus loop are rewarded with majestic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. On clear days, you’ll see South Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia; on cloudier ones, the mountain fog guarantees a spooky feel. Look for the peregrine falcons that nest in the mountain’s cliffs.
AlamyGreenbrier River, West Virginia
A lazy river will flow beside you most of the way on this 78-mile trail that cuts through three West Virginia state parks. Depending on where you meet up with the river trail, you can expect to cross wood bridges and trestles, and travel through tunnels that still smell like coal locomotives. Stop in impossibly cute Mayberry-like towns with small train stations of yesteryear (make sure to visit Clover Lick depot).
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GettyMount LeConte, Tennessee
Straddling the border of Tennessee and North Carolina, the colorful peaks of the Great Smoky Mountains would make even diehard mountain-westerners swoon. It’ll take you the better part of a day to summit the range’s third-highest peak at 6,593 feet, but passing through a ‘cave’ that’s actually a concave bluff on the Alum Cave Trail will help pass the time.
GettyVogel State Park, Georgia
When the Blue Ridge Mountains turn into movie-worthy scenery of yellow, red, and golden hues, the already popular Vogel State Park (one of Georgia’s oldest) becomes buzzier than ever. DeSoto Falls is an easy family-friendly trail that will take you right past a waterfall.
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GettyShenandoah National Park, Virginia
Complete three miles of the Appalachian Trail on the short but rewarding Little Stony Man hike (a favorite of leisure hikers and photographers) that brings you to Shenandoah National Park’s second highest peak at 4,011 feet. There, the views are aplenty—the mountain town of Luray, the 50-mile long Massanutten mountain range, and your drive home, the Skyline Drive Scenic Highway through the Blue Ridge Mountains, are all visible.
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GettyCuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio
Stretched along the Cuyahoga River between Cleveland and Akron, Cuyahoga Valley National Park is an easy day trip full of sights. You’ll see a winding river, lush forests, rolling hills, and open farmlands. Hike “The Ledges”—a rock outcropping with unobstructed views across the valley—as it's only a two-mile loop, and sunset promises some seriously impressive photos.
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GettyAspen, Colorado
Stripped of its fancy downtown shops or luxury hotels, Aspen would still attract big crowds. Its prize possessions? Perhaps Maroon Bells, two 14,000-foot peaks high above the White River National Forest, home to hikes for every kind of nature enthusiast. The Crater Lake Trail will make you work with its round-trip journey offering a little bit of everything: high vistas (look down at the sights around you reflected in the lake), wildflowers, and yellow aspens galore.
GettySante Fe, New Mexico
Just before Santa Fe’s ski basin draws a winter crowd, its hillsides erupt in golden aspens, attracting photographers, hikers, and mountain bikers alike. Before they fade, see the sight for yourself by climbing the steep Aspen Vista Trail through ponderosa and aspen trees in the Sangre de Cristo mountains. New to hiking? Go slowly: you’ll be at about 10,000 feet in altitude.
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Brian Wolski/AlamyKenosha Pass, Colorado
Sometimes Colorado hikes can feel too adventurous for the casual hiker. Not this one: Kenosha Pass, just outside of Jefferson, Colorado, is smooth and easy-rolling, with rewards galore. Expect to see high alpine meadows, “13ers” (that’s 13,000-foot peaks) in the distance, and three streams.
GettySun Valley, Idaho
In Sun Valley, the journey to Pioneer Cabin, a ski hut built in the 1930s (now a popular picnic spot and camping location), starts at the end of Corral Creek Road. Leaf peep at lower elevations, then expect views and photo ops higher up on the 8.5-mile loop—namely, the snow capped Pioneers, and the words “the higher you get, the higher you get” written on the roof of the cabin. Bring water.
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GettyOak Creek Canyon, Arizona
Arizona might not scream fall sights but Oak Creek Canyon—a stunning red rock canyon just north of Sedona—provides its own kind of colorful rewards for hikers, changing trees included. Mostly shaded (a plus in the southwest heat), the six-ish mile West Fork Trail will bring you through a side canyon with multiple creek crossings (bring shoes you don’t mind getting a little wet). Just note: You likely won’t be the only one seeking refuge in the forest and creeks, as West Fork is often touted as one of the best trails in Coconino National Forest.
GettyRabbit Ears, Colorado
Because of erosion, the Rabbit Ears rock formation no longer resembles its namesake, but the six-mile out-and-back Rabbit Ears Peak Trail near Steamboat Springs still affords great views of the Continental Divide, fiery foliage in the valley below, and meadows of wildflowers.
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GettyKebler Pass, Colorado
Kebler Pass’s claim to fame is that it's home to the biggest aspen grove in North America. Every fall, hikers and photographers take to Dyke Trail—a six-miler that meanders through the pass's sea of yellow and crosses the rocky ridge from which it takes its name. (You can also drive or bike if you’d prefer.)
GettyGrand Teton National Park, Wyoming
On the roughly six-mile Taggart Lake and Bradley Lake Loop, you'll see a little bit of everything: the snow-capped peaks of the Grand Tetons high above sagebrush flats; a rushing creek; two glacially-formed lakes; wide-open terrain; and, of course, bright yellow aspen. Keep your eyes peeled for moose, deer, and horses, too—they’re allowed on the trail.
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Vader1088Park City, Utah
The foot-designated Silver Lake/Ontario hiking loop guarantees peace and quiet—in a land of mountain bikes, no one will be buzzing by on two wheels. Head up Bald Mountain on this 0.9-mile trail, where you’ll see wildflowers, aspen, and views of the Jordanelle Reservoir. History buffs, keep your eyes peeled for old mining equipment along the way.
GettyZion National Park, Utah
The iconic route of Observation Point Trail, in an equally notorious national park, is even more of a must-hike come fall: At the top—6,521 feet in elevation—you’ll have wide-open views of one of the widest parts of the canyon, with an amazing burst of yellow, orange, and red trees. It’s also great for those who have been sleeping on booking that fall trip. Since Zion isn’t sky-high in elevation, fall comes a bit later, which means you’ll still find autumn leaves in November.
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GettyMount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, Washington
Picture this: Walking for miles along a 6,000-foot ridgeway with two snow-capped peaks—Mount Baker and Mount Shuksan—in the distance; wildflowers (arnica, aster), and multicolored forests (when the bugginess dies down, too) in the foreground. Just about two-and-a-half hours north of Seattle, and open to hikers and llamas (!), you’ll forget how hard you’re working on the Skyline Divide Trail here—the views are non-stop in every direction.
GettyYosemite Valley, California
Yosemite Valley might be accessible by car year round, but the park’s High Sierra region is only open through November—and temps usually hover in the 50s and 60s (ideal for fall hiking) in autumn. Mist Trail isn’t easy, as it's a steep uphill trek, but it provides striking up-close views of both Vernal and Nevada Falls, and easy access to the giant sequoias of Merced and Tuolumne Groves.