Where To Go Hiking This Fall in the US and Canada

One of the most underrated spots for outdoor adventure in the US? Arkansas. The Ozark-St. Francis National Forests offer well over 1 million acres (404,685 hectares) of opportunities for hiking, swimming, scenic driving, and more through dense groves of hardwood and pine. And as a mixed forest, come autumn, the seasonal reds and golds pop against an emerald-pine backdrop.

A great spot for an autumn hike here is Mount Magazine State Park, about two hours from Little Rock. It’s just 1.5 miles (2.5 kilometers) up to Signal Hill, Arkansas’ highest point at 2,753 feet (839 meters). From up here, it’s nothing but fall technicolor in all directions.

Insider tip: For another not-too-long hike with scenic Ozark rewards, it's 2.1 miles (3.3 kilometers) to the cool mists of Hardy Falls.

Just five hours from NYC, Adirondack Park has a little-kept secret—t’s the largest expanse of wilderness in the Lower 48. (Yep, three times bigger than Yellowstone.)

Obviously, you’ve got loads of worthwhile options here, but the Six-Mile Creek Trail—part of the “Cranberry Lake 50”—stands out. Weaving through the Five Ponds Wilderness, this moderate hike takes its wanderers through it all: streams, forests, ponds, wetlands, meadows, gorges, and waterfalls. Even better, the hike comes lined with sugar maples, turning your views aflame in oranges and red come autumn. And as part of a 50-mile (80-kilometer) trail, you can go for as long (or as little) as you like.

One of the most accessible hikes on this list—with an incredibly high effort-to-reward ratio—the 0.4-mile (0.6-kilometer) Peat Bog Trail on Miscou Island, New Brunswick, sends its travelers along a boardwalk and through a sea of cranberry reds. The province’s endless peat bogs—which cover nearly half of the 11-mile-long (17.7-kilometer-long) island—turn scarlet in autumn, contrasting wonderfully with the sandy beaches on the coast, particularly near the Miscou Island Lighthouse. From here, pair your short hike with a wander down the beach, taking in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

Most die-hard Yosemite fans tend to agree that autumn in the national park is far more enjoyable than summer. Not only have the crowds dissipated, but the skies get bluer, golden hour lengthens, and the landscapes take on those warm fall tones.

With foot traffic getting less and less, now’s the time to hike the easy-to-moderate Valley Loop Trail. Take it from anywhere from 0.1–13 miles (0.15–21 kilometers), using the shuttle to hop on and off as you like. Along the way, you’ll catch views of most of the park’s icons, including Cathedral Rock, Sentinel Rock, and El Capitan.

About an hour north of waterfall-rich Greenville, South Carolina, Caesar’s Head State Park protects a dramatic region of the Blue Ridge Escarpment—and its cliffs, forests, and waterfalls. With temps falling in autumn, head out on the 4-mile (6.5-kilometer) round-trip Raven Cliff Falls Trail to catch views of a national-park-level gem: the 420-foot (128-meter) Raven Cliff Falls. (For reference, Niagara Falls clocks in at 325 feet, or 99 meters.)

To go a bit farther, turn it into a 6.6-mile (10.6-kilometer) round-trip hike that includes a walk over a suspension bridge—it crosses a creek above the falls, offering stellar aerial views.

Portions of Kananaskis Country—five provincial parks, four wildland provincial parks, one ecological reserve, and several provincial recreation areas—used to be part of Banff National Park, if that gives you any indication of the level of scenery we’re talking about here. While there are enough hikes to last you a lifetime in this neck of the woods, one spectacular pick is Ptarmigan Cirque, a moderate 2.2-mile (3.5-kilometer) loop that wanders through delicate meadows to fabulous mountain views. It’s just like Banff, without the crowds.

Arethusa Cirque, about 90 minutes from Calgary, holds a similar wonder: fields of blazing golden larches. The trek here is about 2.8 miles (4.5 kilometers), a lollipop trail that leads to a serene alpine lake and those effervescent larches framed against snow-capped peaks.

A 20-minute ferry ride from Vancouver, Bowen Island sits a world apart from the city, a maze of forests, coves, gentle mountains, and beaches. At just under 20 square miles (50 square kilometers) and with a population of 3,000, time slows down here. The hiking adventures do anything but.

You can’t throw a rock without hitting a trailhead here, but one that tops most visitors’ lists is the Mt. Gardner Loop Trail. You’ll get to the island’s highest point at around the 3-mile (4.8-kilometer) mark, grabbing views of Howe Sound, the Sunshine Coast, West Vancouver, and the Burrard Inlet. From there, you can either head back or, if you want to make the hike longer, you certainly can—Mt. Gardner has another 10 miles (16 kilometers) of trails to wander.

Protecting the “Edge of the Earth” (aka the Gaspé Peninsula), Forillon National Park’s sea cliffs, boreal forests, and pebble beaches make quite the scenic panorama. But let’s not forget where we are: Quebec, famed for its maple syrup—which comes from trees that absolutely blaze come autumn.

For some 5-star Forillon views, head up to the Mont-Saint-Alban tower—there are three trailheads that will get you there, each between 4.5–5 miles (7.2–7.8 kilometers). The trailhead at Petit-Gaspé beach offers the gentlest ascent; meanwhile the Cap-Bon-Ami trailhead offers access to the Cap-Bon-Ami lookout, where you can watch for whales and seals, depending on the season.

Acadia has three sides: the busy side, the quiet side, and the sleepy side. It has nothing to do with views—the sleepy side is simply the farthest from Bar Harbor. And in autumn, you’ll chance getting the sleepy side to yourself.

The “sleepy” area around Bass Harbor has all the iconic sea cliffs and Acadia splendor you’ve come to expect from this national park—hop on the Ship Harbor Trail to see for yourself. It’s a quick 1.4 miles (2.3 kilometers) on a figure-eight to the coast, with nature so pristine you’d swear you’re in Alaska. If time allows, make the quick jaunt over to Bass Harbor Lighthouse, where a moderate scramble over volcanic, wave-lapped boulders gets you one of the most-photographed vantage points in the US.