10 Amazing Fall Hikes That (Almost) Anyone Can Do

Hawk Mountain, Kempton, Pennsylvania

Location: 90 minutes from Philadelphia
Trail Length: 4 miles (one way)

When it's time to head south for the winter, thousands of hawks and buzzards migrate past Hawk Mountain, a wilderness preserve for raptors. From the trail lookouts, you can see the hawks up close as they fly along the mountain's ridge. The 100-yard trail to the South Lookout is accessible for wheelchairs and strollers. Or take one of several more challenging trails to the North Lookout for great views.

Don't Miss: Weekend programs in the outdoor amphitheater. If you like boulder-hopping, try the River of Rocks Trail to the Golden Eagle Trail to the Skyline Trail, a favorite route of the TerraMar hiking and adventure club.

Stay: Hawk Mountain B&B and Pamela's Forget Me Not B&B are close to Hawk Mountain, in scenic countryside settings.

Walden Pond, Concord, Massachusetts

Location: Walden Pond State Reservation; 30 minutes from Boston
Trail Length: 2-mile loop

In the summer of 1845, former schoolteacher Henry David Thoreau moved to a one-room cabin at Walden Pond for an "experiment in simplicity" that inspired him to write Walden. Hike the pond's easy rim trail in fall, make a stop at the replica cabin nearby, and feel the urge to simplify, too. The throngs of summer swimmers will have dissipated, and the pond will be quiet. Gray squirrels and chipmunks will be busy gathering nuts from tall hickory and oak trees that blaze with color.

Don't Miss: Concord's historic and literary sites. At Minute Man National Historical Park, see where the American Revolution's first shot was fired. Tour Author's Ridge at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery or visit the homes of several influential American authors.

Stay: Suites at Concord's historical North Bridge Inn and Hawthorne Inn are named after local authors.

Elk Garden Trail, Whitetop, Virginia

Location: Mount Rogers National Recreation Area; 2 hours from Roanoke
Trail Length: 4.5 miles (one way)

Mt. Rogers is Virginia's highest point, and the crisp fall air helps keep perspiration at bay for those eager to claim bragging rights. It's a moderate climb, and the rewards along the Elk Garden Trail are many: stunning views across high-country meadows, rocky outcroppings, and hillsides covered in evergreens. In fall, the mountain balds are ideal for hawk-watching. You can also access the Appalachian Trail from Elk Garden.

Don't Miss: The Virginia Creeper Trail, a 34-mile former rail bed that begins in nearby Abingdon and stretches to the North Carolina state line. Bring your bicycle or rent one in Abingdon or Damascus.

Stay: Several B&Bs and inns in the charming historical town of Abingdon are within biking distance of the Virginia Creeper Trail.

Hurricane Hill Trail, Port Angeles, Washington

Location: Olympic National Park; 3 hours from Seattle
Trail length: 1.6 miles (one way)

It's a rare pleasure to take in sweeping views of the ocean and mountains all in one glance, and the 45-minute drive to the top of Hurricane Ridge affords gorgeous opportunities in fall. Near the ridge's visitor center, the Hurricane Hill Trail is an easy hike, with views over glaciers and across the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Canada. Pull on a warm jacket for this windy trek through the temperate Hoh Rain Forest, where colorful leaves cover the trail and moss-draped fir and cedar evergreens meet overhead.

Don't Miss: Mountain biking on the 130-mile paved Olympic Discovery Trail, which stretches from Port Townsend along the northern edge of the mountains to the Pacific.

Stay: A five-minute drive from Hurricane Ridge, the Olympic Lodge in Port Angeles has a big fire crackling in the lobby fireplace and a heated outdoor pool open year-round.

Ogle Lake Trail, Nashville, Indiana

Location: Brown County State Park; 1 hour, 20 minutes from Indianapolis
Trail Length: 1.5-mile loop

Nicknamed the "Little Smokies," southern Indiana's Brown County State Park indulges hikers with steep hills, lofty ridges, and deep ravines, a drastic departure from the flat northern two-thirds of the state. Especially in fall, with its climbs and scenic viewpoints, the park's moderate Ogle Lake Trail is a picture-perfect sample of the area's landscape. It was these rolling hills that inspired artists to create the Art Colony of the Midwest here more than 100 years ago.

Don't Miss: The village of Nashville, which is home to hundreds of artists and their studios and galleries. Pick up a latte at a cafe and stroll the boutiques set in historical homes and buildings.

Stay: Spend a night in the park's rustic Abe Martin Lodge. There are several historical inns and B&Bs in Nashville.

Mills Lake Trail, Estes Park, Colorado

Location: Rocky Mountain National Park; 2 hours from Denver
Trail Length: 2.8 miles (one way)

One of the most popular hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park, the Mills Lake Trail begins at the immense Glacier Gorge then gradually ascends through aspen and pine forests to Mills Lake, surrounded by mountain peaks. You'll cross swift creeks and pass a canyon waterfall before reaching the lake and its stunning backdrop. During fall, listen for elk bugling and watch for dustings of snow on Longs Peak and the Keyboard of the Winds pinnacles.

Don't Miss: Seeing Trail Ridge Road's views at 12,000 feet or crossing the Continental Divide. The Beaver Meadows and Kawuneeche visitor centers show a film with aerial footage of the park's high country.

Stay: Just outside the park's Beaver Meadows entrance are the affordable Alpine Trail Ridge Inn and the YMCA of the Rockies Estes Park Center, which runs family programs and activities.

Goldstream Visitor Centre Trail, Victoria, British Columbia

Location: Goldstream Provincial Park; 30 minutes from Victoria
Trail Length: 0.5 miles (one way)

Every autumn, up to 30,000 salmon return to the shallow Goldstream River just outside British Columbia's capital city to spawn and die. It's a spectacle that heralds hoards of people and wildlife. From late October through December, you'll see fins poke above the water as the salmon shimmy upstream. Smacking tails dig nests for eggs. Spawned-out fish carcasses pile up along the shoreline before more than 250 bald eagles and other birds of prey come to feast.

Don't Miss: The visitor center's warm fire, hot chocolate, exhibits, and interpretive programs. Climb to the top of the park's Mt. Finlayson for stunning views of Victoria, the Pacific Ocean, and the Olympic Mountains.

Stay: You can camp in the provincial park year-round. The Magnolia Hotel & Spa in downtown Victoria's Inner Harbour is ideal for city-goers.

Piestewa Peak Summit Trail, Phoenix, Arizona

Location: Phoenix Mountains Preserve; 20 minutes from downtown
Trail Length: 1.2 miles (one way)

An old horse trail originally blazed in the 1930s by an employee of the nearby Arizona Biltmore, this trail to the Piestewa summit sees anywhere from 4,000 to 10,000 hikers each week. It's a steep climb, but you're never alone, and the energy of fellow trailmates running or boot-camping their way to the top is inspiring. Switchbacks, benches, and cooler mid-70s temps make the 1,200-foot elevation gain doable, even if you're the opposite of an avid hiker. Watch for sunning lizards and rabbits along the way.

Don't Miss: The summit of Phoenix's Camelback Mountain. Another popular location for hiking and mountain biking is South Mountain Park, where you'll find ancient petroglyphs.

Stay: You can see the peak from the Phoenix Ritz-Carlton's mountain-view rooms and from some spots at ZenYard Guest House, between downtown and the Piestewa Peak Trail.

Basin Cascade Trail, Lincoln, New Hampshire

Location: Franconia Notch State Park; 2 hours, 30 minutes from Boston
Trail Length: 1 mile (one way)

Even after the autumn color begins to fade in New Hampshire's White Mountain National Forest, the Basin Cascade Trail sees steady streams of hikers. An easy trail with quick access from the highway, the Basin Cascade Trail follows a stretch of brook with several waterfalls and dozens of larger cascades. It's part of a trail network around The Basin, a cascade that pours into a large granite bowl and swirls around its walls.

Don't Miss: A walk through the raging Flume Gorge or a ride on the Cannon Mountain aerial tramway, both within the state park.

Stay: The Lonesome Lake Hut is one mile from the end of the Basin Cascade Trail. The state park also has a campground and an RV park. A five-minute walk from the Waterville Valley town square is the Silver Fox Inn.

Mirror Lake Trail, Yosemite Valley, California

Location: Yosemite National Park; 3 hours from San Francisco
Trail Length: 2.4-mile loop

This hike takes you about as close as you can get to the base of Yosemite's famous granite Half Dome. At the far eastern end of Yosemite Valley, the Mirror Lake Trail starts near the Ahwahnee Hotel and meanders through Tenaya Canyon to a pool in Tenaya Creek that swells in summer. It's an easy trail, mostly paved and with little elevation change. Swimmers en route to the popular swimming hole crowd the trail in summer, but the hike is serene in fall.

Don't Miss: Fishing on the Merced River in Yosemite. You can pick up a fishing license at the Village Sport Shop in nearby Yosemite Village.

Stay: From Curry Village's standard rooms and cabins, you can walk, rent a bicycle, or catch a shuttle that runs to the Mirror Lake trailhead.

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