Labor Day typically marks the end of summer travel, but good times don鈥檛 have to all be in the rearview mirror just yet. If you have a few days and the curiosity to explore your own region, you can find a long weekend road trip worth taking. Besides, September often means cooler temperatures, fewer crowds, better deals, and seasonal perks like spotting fall foliage or catching the northern lights. For those of you who were caught off guard by the end of summer, here are four easy-to-plan road trips, broken down by region.听
Southeast
Hit the road bound for Asheville, North Carolina, an accessible fall getaway that鈥檚 three hours from Atlanta. The best leaf peeping in this area happens closer to late September or early October, but you may start to spot red and yellow leaves at higher elevations by early September. Make your home base the newly renovated (from $295), a six-room B&B owned by a former competitive cyclist who curates custom bike routes for his guests and rents a fleet of 3T racing bikes.
Take a walk or bike ride on the newly built trail system at , which has a new bike-skills park and about five miles of trails. Or go for a scenic drive on a section of the , a 469-mile roadway that connects the Blue Ridge Mountains to Shenandoah National Park, in Virginia, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park鈥攂oth of which see far fewer crowds come September.
To extend the journey, head less than an hour southwest to the town of Brevard, home to craft breweries and biking through . Start with a guided mountain-bike ride with and end with a beer in the taproom at . Red Wolf has a new three-bedroom (from $252) that鈥檚 on a pond and minutes from the trails.
Mountain West
From Denver it鈥檚 just an hour south to Colorado Springs,听where sandstone rock formations and 21 miles of trails at are worth pulling over for. leads guided rock climbing within the city-owned park (which is free to visit). Spend the night at (from $49), a new boutique hotel that opened this year with high-end bunk rooms, as well as a fourth-floor where you can pitch a tent (bring your own or rent one from the hotel) and take in the views of 14,115-foot Pikes Peak.
From there, detour three hours south to . The sand and air temperatures are cooler this time of year, so it鈥檚 an ideal season to go. If you want to slide down the dunes, before you arrive. (from $20), within the park, is open until late October.
End your trip in Salida, an hour and a half north, on the shores of the Arkansas River. From here you can climb a nearby fourteener, mountain-bike the legendary Monarch Crest Trail ( runs shuttles to the top), or soak in the . The (from $150) has stylish rooms and vintage Airstreams.
West Coast
The charming Sierra Nevada foothills town of Nevada City, California, less than three hours from San Francisco, makes for a great long weekend getaway. The runs there through Labor Day. Bring your mountain bike鈥攖he 1.3-mile , built five years ago, is a fun, flowy downhill located just outside town that connects to a network of other trails. Before or after the ride, , in downtown Nevada City, doubles as both bakery and brewery.
The 38-room (from $186), a historic property constructed during the gold rush and one of the oldest continuously operating hotels in the state, reopened this spring after a complete renovation. The hotel鈥檚 new restaurant, Lola, serves brunch and dinner. If you鈥檇 rather camp, the (from $40), a mile from town, has tent, RV, and glamping sites, as well as outdoor movies on Friday nights.听
It鈥檚 an hour drive down the scenic, historic Highway 49, along the Yuba River, to reach the tiny gold rush鈥揺ra town of Downieville, where mountain bikers, hikers, and anglers will find plenty to keep them occupied. The (from $105) has revamped cabins and rustic camping huts along the river.听听
Midwest
For a lakeside escape, check out Port Austin, on the tip of Michigan鈥檚 thumb along Lake Huron and less than a three-hour drive from Detroit (or six from Chicago). Visitors come here for a sight of Turnip Rock, a unique stone island just offshore. If you want to see it, you鈥檝e got to go by water, since the land around the rock isn鈥檛 public: rent a kayak from and paddle the seven miles there and back on the Point aux Barques water trail.听听
Start your day at and end it with patio beers brewed on-site at the . The Saturday farmers鈥 market, the largest in the state, runs through the middle of October.
The best time to visit the area鈥檚 is at night. This Dark Sky Preserve is one of the best stargazing spots in Michigan, and September marks a good time to catch the northern lights. Camp or rent a geodesic dome or cottage (from $33) at the park. Or stay tuned for news on the new , a revamped motel property near the state park that鈥檚 slated to open soon.