For a couple of weeks each autumn, aspen forests across the American West and Midwest turn an almost unreal shade of yellow — then shed it all within days. That brevity is the whole appeal, and the reason timing matters more than destination. Backpacker has rounded up five trails that reliably hit peak color around mid-to-late September.

Colorado's Capitol Creek Trail near Aspen is the pick if you want Maroon Bells scenery without the crowds. A 6-mile hike through dense aspen forest leads to an alpine lake under 14,137-foot Capitol Peak, and primitive meadow campsites make it easy to turn into a weekend. Fit hikers can extend it into a 12-mile lollipop loop via the Capitol Peak Trail.

In Wisconsin, the Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest mixes wild and planted aspen groves for concentrated color from mid-September. The easy 2.4-mile Fallison Lake loop threads glades and wetlands, while the 8.9-mile Escanaba Loop passes more than a dozen lakes and ponds — with bald eagles, osprey, and beavers regularly spotted along both.

Michigan's Porcupine Mountains are among the first places color arrives in the state, with aspens deepening to yellow just as hardwoods blush orange and red. Lake of the Clouds is the classic view, but hikers can link the North Mirror Lake and North Country trails into a 13.2-mile route with three summits above 1,500 feet.

Utah offers the strangest standout: Pando, in Fishlake National Forest, a single clonal organism of roughly 47,000 genetically identical aspens sharing one root system — often called the world's largest living thing. Most of the year it blends in; in late September it erupts in gold. Base yourself at Doctor Creek Campground and wander the Forest Service roads southwest of the lake, or take the 16.4-mile Fishlake Loop for forest views reflected in the water.

Finally, Minnesota's Boundary Waters bring early fall to the far north. From the Caribou Rock and Mossy Lake trailhead near the Canadian border, a 13-mile chain of Duncan, Rose, Partridge, Birch, and Moss Lakes delivers lakeside views of yellow, red, and peach slopes — best lingered over from the cliffs above Rose Lake.

Timing is the trickiest part of any foliage trip, since elevation, latitude, and weather all shift the peak. Interactive tools like Explore Fall's foliage map and the Farmer's Almanac forecast help you narrow the window. For anyone who loves a hike with a deadline, this is one of the year's best excuses for a last-minute trip.