Fall might be the most underrated season in the outdoor calendar. Cooler air, fewer bugs, thinner crowds and foliage that turns whole valleys gold and red — it's prime time for hikers, paddlers, cyclists and campers alike. A recent roundup from Outside Online highlights four ways to make the most of the season, along with a few standout spots in the US worth building a trip around.
On foot, the pick of the bunch is Mount Greylock in Massachusetts' Berkshires. At 3,491 feet it's the state's highest point, and on a clear autumn day you can supposedly spot fall colour stretching 90 miles into the distance. Not keen on the climb? There's a scenic drive to the summit, so you can get the view without the workout. New England in general is hard to beat for foliage season, and apps like Gaia make it easy to scout routes before you go.
If water is more your thing, the Adirondacks in upstate New York are a serious contender for America's best paddling. Adirondack Park covers a whopping six million acres, laced with 30,000 miles of rivers and streams and more than 3,000 lakes. In autumn you get glassy water, empty boat ramps and fiery reflections along the shorelines. The practical advice: check wind and water conditions before launching, and keep your phone in a tethered drybag.
Cyclists get a nod too, with Gunnison County, Colorado flagged as a destination that does it all — gravel roads, singletrack and paved routes, many lined with golden aspens come September and October. Whether you're on a mountain bike, road bike or e-bike, two wheels simply maximise the miles-per-view ratio, and apps like TrailForks help you find new routes on the fly.
Finally, camping. Cool evenings, campfires and meteor showers make autumn the sweet spot, and there are plenty of free and low-cost dispersed sites across the US if you'd rather skip the busy campgrounds. For a late-season fix, the source points to Zion National Park in Utah — you can camp there year-round, but late October to early November brings peak foliage to the canyon country.
A fair chunk of the article is sponsored content for Verizon Mobile Protect, a phone insurance plan with open enrollment closing November 1 — the pitch being that cracked screens and dead batteries are the real hazards of an active autumn. Filter that out and the underlying advice still holds: plan routes digitally, check conditions, secure your gear, and tell someone where you're going.
Why does this matter for travellers? Because fall is when the US outdoors is at its most photogenic and least crowded, and the window is short. Whether it's a Berkshire day hike, an Adirondack canoe weekend, a Colorado gravel trip or a Utah canyon campout, the best weeks are roughly late September through early November depending on where you are. Pick one, book the time off, and go before the colours drop.
Story via Outside Online.
