By Michael Lanza
The imminent end of summer always feels a little melancholy. After all, it marks the close of the prime season for getting into the mountains. But it also signals the beginning of a time of year when many mountain ranges become less crowded just as they’re hitting a sweet zone in terms of temperatures, the lack of bugs, and fall foliage color. Autumn also stands out as an ideal season for many canyon hikes, with moderate temperatures and even some stunning color.
From Yosemite to the White Mountains (lead photo, above), Grand Canyon to Grand Teton, the Great Smokies to the Olympics, and more, here are 10 of my favorite backpacking trips that are best served up in fall.
Mark Fenton above the Lyell Fork of Merced River Canyon, Yosemite National Park.
No. 1 Yosemite National Park
Want to know the hardest thing about backpacking in Yosemite? Getting the permit. Well, okay, the hiking itself can be tough at times. But the competition for backcountry permits in this flagship park is stiff, especially for popular trailheads in and around Yosemite Valley and Tuolumne Meadows. That’s why backpackers in the know go after Labor Day. While early-season snowstorms occasionally slam the High Sierra in autumn, nice weather often lingers through September and well into October—my favorite time in the High Sierra.
With the population pressure eased up in late summer and autumn, you can often score a walk-in permit—without a reservation—for a five-star hike of almost any distance, hitting top Yosemite summits like Clouds Rest and Mount Hoffmann, the incomparable Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne River, even the uber-popular Half Dome, plus remoter areas like Red Peak Pass, the highest pass reached by trail in Yosemite. Then the only hard aspect of the hike will be… yea, the hike.
See my stories “Best of Yosemite, Part 1: Backpacking South of Tuolumne Meadows,” “Best of Yosemite, Part 2: Backpacking Remote Northern Yosemite,” “Ask Me: Where to Backpack First Time in Yosemite,” and “Ask Me: Where Can I Hike in Yosemite in Late Fall?” and all of my stories about Yosemite National Park and California national parks at The Big Outside.
Show up and hike. See my story “How to Get a Last-Minute, National Park Backcountry Permit.”
A backpacker at Toleak Point, Olympic National Park.
No. 2 Olympic Coast
The longest stretch of wilderness coastline in the contiguous United States—the 73-mile strip of Olympic National Park hugging the Pacific—preserves one of America’s most unique and scenic backpacking trips. And the Pacific Northwest’s typically glorious summer weather can last into October, when temperatures remain moderate on the coast. With a weather window of two to three days, you can knock off a section of the coast.
The northern coast attracts more backpackers and dayhikers, but the 17.5-mile, two- to three-day hike along the southern coast, from the Hoh River north to La Push Road, features similar scenery and fewer people. And what a hike it is: giant trees in one of Earth’s largest virgin temperature rainforests; sea stacks rising up to 200 feet out of the ocean; boulders wallpapered with sea stars, mussels, and sea anemones; sightings of seals, sea otters, whales; and rugged (and sometimes muddy) hiking on overland trails, with rope ladders to climb and descend very steep terrain.
See my story “The Wildest Shore: Backpacking the Southern Olympic Coast.”
You deserve a better backpack. See my picks for “The 10 Best Backpacking Packs”
and the best thru-hiking pack.
Mark Fenton enjoying the view from Bondcliff in the White Mountains, N.H.
No. 3 White Mountains
If ever there were mountains that screamed to be explored in fall, these are those. New Hampshire’s rocky and steep White Mountains are where I wore out my first several pairs of hiking boots, and I still return every year for their awe-inspiring brand of suffering. While the fall colors that usually peak in early October are beautiful throughout the Whites, my top two picks for fall backpacking trips are a 32-mile loop around the Pemigewasset Wilderness and a 24-mile traverse from Crawford Notch to Franconia Notch (lead photo at top of story), mostly on the Appalachian Trail.
The 32-mile Pemi Loop from the Lincoln Woods Trailhead on the Kancamagus Highway (NH 112) crosses eight official 4,000-foot summits, including the alpine traverse of Franconia Ridge—with its constant 360 encompassing most of the Whites—and a walk along the rocky crest of remote Bondcliff, in the heart of the Pemigewasset. Crawford to Franconia overlaps some of the Pemi Loop’s highlights, while adding killer views of Crawford and Zealand notches. (Tip: Definitely take the short side trip to the overlook at Zeacliff, shown in the photo above.) And you can add on the summits of Bond, Bondcliff, and West Bond by tacking on an out-and-back side trip that adds several miles.
See my stories “Still Crazy After All These Years: Hiking in the White Mountains,” “Being Stupid With Friends: A 32-Mile Dayhike in the White Mountains,” about dayhiking the Pemi Loop, and “Ask Me: What Are Your Favorite New England Hikes?”
Be comfortable on your hikes. See my review of “The 5 Best Rain Jackets For the Backcountry.”
Backpackers and wildflowers, Death Canyon Shelf, Grand Teton National Park.
No. 4 Grand Teton National Park
Like Yosemite and Grand Canyon, Grand Teton is a park where securing a backcountry permit reservation requires being on top of the process months in advance; after May 15, no reservations are accepted for the rest of the year, and only walk-in permits are issued, up to a day in advance of a multi-day hike. But the park also sets aside about two-thirds of available campsites for walk-ins. While demand is huge for those during July and August, as with other parks, it tails off steadily after Labor Day.
The combination of relatively high elevations and a northerly latitude brings a slightly higher probability that snow will fly in the Tetons in late summer or early fall. But beautiful summer weather, with pleasant days and crisp nights, can extend into late September and even October, a season when you’ll see aspens turn golden and hear rutting elk bugling. And few backpackers show up at park offices seeking a permit—you can walk in, grab one, and go.
See my stories “American Classic: The Teton Crest Trail” and “Walking Familiar Ground: Reliving Old Memories and Making New Ones on the Teton Crest Trail,” and all of my Ask Me posts about Grand Teton National Park.
Hi, I’m Michael Lanza, the creator of The Big Outside, recognized as a top outdoors blog by USA Today and others. I invite you to get email updates about new stories and gear giveaways by entering your email address in the box in the left sidebar, at the bottom of this post, or on my About page, and follow my adventures on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Noland Creek in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
No. 5 Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Unquestionably one of the East’s premier backpacking destinations, the Great Smokies have two peak seasons: spring, when about 1,600 species of flowering plants—more than found in any other national park—come into bloom; and fall, when dry air and moderate temperatures settle in, insects have mostly disappeared, and the forest paints itself in the brilliant hues of autumn foliage. While you’ve probably seen many photos of the classic vistas from Great Smokies summits of overlapping rows of blue, wooded ridges fading to a distant horizon, I’ve found that much of the park’s magic resides in its rocky streams tumbling through cascades, and a diverse forest where you may hear only the sound of birds.
On a 34-mile hike in the park last fall, beginning near Fontana Lake and traversing a stretch of the Appalachian Trail, I enjoyed a grand tour of this half-million-acre park, including 6,643-foot Clingmans Dome and the park’s highest bald, 5,920-foot Andrews Bald. I also found a surprising degree of solitude, even in the popular fall hiking season.
See all my stories about Great Smoky Mountains National Park and hiking and backpacking in western North Carolina, and watch for my upcoming feature story about backpacking in the Smokies last fall, which I’ll publish soon at The Big Outside.
The Big Outside is proud to partner with sponsors Backcountry.com and Visit North Carolina, who support the stories you read at this blog. Find out more about them and how to sponsor my blog at my sponsors page at The Big Outside. Click on the backcountry.com ad below for the best prices on great gear.
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My family backpacking in Chimney Rock Canyon, Capitol Reef National Park.
No. 6 Capitol Reef National Park
Spring and fall are the seasons to backpack in the desert Southwest, mostly because the blazing heat of summer has dialed back to a temperature range that humans can survive. In Capitol Reef, with its somewhat higher and cooler elevations, the fall hiking season stretches from early September well into November. And consider this fact: While many of the Southwest’s best backpacking trips require applying for a permit months in advance, so few people backpack in Capitol Reef that you can show up at the visitor center’s backcountry desk, grab a free permit for a multi-day hike, and hit the trail immediately—no reservation needed.
And Capitol Reef’s soaring red cliffs and white beehive formations, broad river canyons and narrow slots certainly compete with southern Utah’s four other national parks in the splendor department. I’ve backpacked with my family in Spring Canyon—where easy hiking and water availability were much appreciated with young kids—done an overnight camping on the rim above Upper Muley Twist Canyon, and made a stunningly beautiful and adventurous, mostly off-trail, three-day traverse of the park’s signature feature, the topographical maze of cliffs and canyons known as the Waterpocket Fold.
See my stories “The 5 Southwest Backpacking Trips You Should Do First,” “Plunging Into Solitude: Dayhiking, Slot Canyoneering, and Backpacking in Capitol Reef,” “Ask Me: Where Should We Backpack in Capitol Reef National Park,” and “The Most Beautiful Hike You’ve Never Heard Of: Crossing Utah’s Capitol Reef,” and all of my stories about Capitol Reef National Park and hiking and backpacking in southern Utah at The Big Outside.
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David Ports hiking the Tonto Trail in Salt Creek Canyon, Grand Canyon National Park.
No. 7 Grand Canyon National Park
You already know that spring and fall are the prime seasons for backpacking in the Grand Canyon. But while weather can be unstable in either season, in spring you’re aiming for a window between when snow and ice melt off the rims in April and when the scorching temps hit the inner canyon in May. In fall, though, you’ll enjoy dry trails, a surprising amount of color in the sparse desert vegetation, and pleasant temperatures often lasting into November (which was when I backpacked there with my daughter).
Backpacking permits for the corridor trails—the South and North Kaibab and Bright Angel—are in high demand. Sure, grab those campsites if available; but if not, I recommend the 29-mile hike from Grandview Point to the South Kaibab Trailhead or the 25-mile hike from Hermits Rest to the Bright Angel Trailhead—or even combining or overlapping them. Both feature sublime campsites, stretches of flatter hiking along the Tonto Trail with views reaching from the Colorado River to the South and North rims, and crossings of deep side canyons with flaming-red walls shooting straight up hundreds of feet.
See my stories “Dropping Into the Grand Canyon: A Four-Day Hike From Grandview Point to the South Kaibab Trail,” and “One Extraordinary Day: A 25-Mile Dayhike in the Grand Canyon” (photo above and lead photo at top of story), and all of my stories about South Rim backpacking trips.
I can help you plan the best backpacking, hiking, or family adventure of your life. Find out more here.
Jeff Wilhelm backpacking Gnarl Ridge on the Timberline Trail, Mount Hood.
No. 8 Timberline Trail, Mount Hood
A multi-day hike with views around almost every bend of a towering volcano draped in snow and ice, where you pass through forests of ancient, big trees—sounds like the classic Wonderland Trail around Mount Rainier, right? Actually, it’s the 41-mile Timberline Trail looping Oregon’s 11,239-foot Mount Hood, and it competes with the better-known Wonderland for scenic splendor, waterfalls, and wildflower meadows, while delivering a higher degree of excitement and challenge with its full-value creek crossings. Although the wildflowers are obviously past bloom in fall, the creek crossings become reassuringly easier, the crowds thinner, the air crisper, and the views no less stunning.
Granted, the year’s first snowfall can certainly happen at Hood in September or October. That said, autumn delivers many days of glorious weather in the Pacific Northwest, and the Timberline is less than half the distance of the Wonderland, making it easier to knock off with a decent weather window. (Plus, unlike the Wonderland, the Timberline involves no permit hoops to jump through.) If the forecast promises a string of three to five reasonably nice days, aim your compass for the Timberline Trail.
See my story “Full of Surprises: Backpacking Mount Hood’s Timberline Trail.”
Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve, Colorado.
No. 9 Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve
Not many natural features produce their own kind of music. But that’s exactly what happens when you walk along the crest of giant sand dunes—which are often as narrow as the peak of a roof, or barely the width of your boot: Sand cascades down the dune’s very steep sides, creating squeaking and booming sounds described as “singing.” If that’s not magical enough, the night sky riddled with stars and the vivid colors of the dunes—exaggerated in morning light—make this one of the most unique backpacking trips in the country.
Too hot throughout summer—and absolutely waterless, meaning you have to carry all you’ll for an overnight exploration—Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve is best in spring or fall. November brings quite pleasant days and often a frost that sparkles on the frozen sand in early morning.
See my story “Exploring America’s Big Sandbox: Colorado’s Great Sand Dunes.”
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The Saddle Creek Trail in Hells Canyon, Oregon.
No. 10 Hells Canyon
I know this place probably isn’t on your radar, but it should be. The deepest gorge in North America—deeper than the Grand Canyon by more than half a mile—Hells Canyon is a place defined by extremes of scale, solitude, and grandeur. It extends for 70 miles along the Idaho-Oregon border, and 8,000 vertical feet separate the Snake River from the highest summits of the Seven Devils Mountains on the Idaho side. (I know it pretty well: I’ve hiked from the river to the summit of the He Devil.) I’ve seen summer-like days hiking in March, a snowstorm on the Fourth of July, and weather typical of all four seasons—from fresh snow to shorts-and-T-shirt sunshine—over the course of a four-day hike.
Nowhere have I seen herds of elk as large as here, and you might also spot bighorn sheep, bald eagles, black bears, and rattlesnakes. You’ll hike past the ruins of cabins and ranches of early-20th century settlers who tried to carve out a life in this harsh and very remote canyon—and run into more ghosts than people. It amazes me that a place so beautiful and wild attracts so few backcountry travelers.
See my story “Hell Hath No Fury: The Stark Beauty, Solitude, and Surprises of Hells Canyon,” about a 56-mile, rim-to-river-to-rim hike on the Oregon side of the canyon. On the Idaho side, check out the Idaho Snake River National Scenic Trail, which runs for about 28 miles through the bottom of the canyon from Granite Creek to Pittsburgh Landing.
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