As chilly weather approaches and the leaves turn, it’s time to swap out staying in your favorite camping tent in favor of a hot-spring resort or cabin.

As a self-proclaimed hot-springs addict, I’ve been on the prowl for seven years for the most gorgeous, steamy soaking pools across the globe. Having lived in the geothermal meccas of California and Colorado for years, I’ve experienced the good, the bad, and the muddy when it comes to naturally fed soaking ponds. I’ve trekked to remote warm springs in the Sierra Nevada and the Rocky Mountains, in Iceland and even Antarctica, and stripped down to splash into every single one of ’em.

Even though I love a solid hike-in hot spring, my favorite way to enjoy geothermally heated pools is on a splurge-worthy weekend trip to a lodge or a resort with private cabins, where I can soothe my tired muscles in peace, without crawling into a sleeping bag in a van or tent afterwards. Here are a few of my all-time favorite U.S. hot-springs resorts.

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1. Ojo Caliente, New Mexico

Nearest town: Taos
Prices from: $239 for rooms per night, $40 for camping

Tucked away between Santa Fe and Taos sits the vibrant , a gaggle of adobe-style suites, retro cottages, and a historic hotel, surrounded by hiking paths, bike trails, and loads of soaking ponds.

The resort at Ojo Caliente opened in 1868, and it’s been revered as a healing sanctuary ever since, offering mineral pools rich with soda, lithium, and iron. These minerals are said to aid digestion, boost moods, and bolster your immune system, respectively. The resort’s high-end spa offers a huge variety of treatments, from sound healing to blue-corn-and-prickly-pear-sea-salt scrubs. But this retreat is not all soaking and spa time–in between baths, you can treat yourself to a yoga class, hike the or chow down on piping-hot tortilla soup and chicken mole at the on-site Artesian Restaurant and Wine Bar.

2. Esalen Institute, California

Nearest town: Big Sur
Prices from: $540 (for three days/two nights)

has long been a haven for holistic hippies and New Age types looking to embark on week-long or weekend escapes filled with meditation, clean eating, therapeutic workshops, and oceanfront hot-springs access.When I stayed at Esalen a few years ago, I skipped the institute’s famed expert-led workshops and booked a self-guided weekend exploration with my partner, so that we’d have ample free time.

We still attended a wide variety of open classes, from ecstatic dance to yoga to the study of native plant botanicals. This approach allowed us tons of time to hike among the coastal redwoods at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park and spend our nights soaking in the property’s outstanding Slate Hot Springs, which overlook the wild Pacific Ocean.

3. Mount Princeton Hot Springs Resort, Colorado

Nearest town: Nathrop
Prices from: $243 a night

Unlike many hot-springs retreats, which brand themselves as adults-only relaxation hubs, offers family-friendly pools, cabins, and lodge rooms, with a seasonal waterslide and an infinity pool overlooking the sky-high Mount Princeton and Mount Antero.

Guests can choose between minimalist lodge rooms, log cabins, and motel-style cliffside stays with epic mountain views. I heartily recommend the luxe Creekside Suites, complete with kitchenettes, balconies, and fireplaces, where my partner and I stayed this fall for a hike-and-soak couples’ retreat. Not only are the suites close to the natural-stone warm pools along Chalk Creek, they’re tucked back behind the main lodge and pools for maximum serenity. When you aren’t getting pruney fingers in the springs, indulge in a CBD massage (my favorite treatment) at the spa or a Rocky Mountain elk filet at the on-site restaurant.

4. Quinn’s Hot Springs Resort, Montana

Nearest town: Paradise
Prices from: $269 a night

Situated a mere hour from the outdoorsy mecca of Missoula, serves up elevated, mountain-chic lodge rooms, cozy riverfront cabins, and naturally fed springs with water temperatures up to 106 degrees, which is steamier than your average hot tub.

The soaking pools at Quinn’s are open year-round and offer vistas of forested hillsides, which, in winter months, are topped with snow. The site’s Canyon Cabins boast the most direct access to the springs, but its River View Cabins, set on the banks of the Clark Fork, offer outstanding views. When you’re not taking a dip or casting a line for native westslope cutthroat trout, enjoy hearty Americana fare like bison carpaccio and wild-game meatloaf at Harwood House Restaurant, which won a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence in 2024.

5. Breitenbush Hot Springs, Oregon

Nearest town: Detroit
Prices from: $112 for camping / $117 for rooms

Following a devastating fire back in 2020, Oregon’s is back in action, with three newly built Grove Rooms, plus mushroom yurts, glamping tents, and vehicle-friendly campsites.

This off-grid, clothing-optional sanctuary is a mere two-hour drive from Portland and is open year-round. It’s a designated substance- and device-free space, so travelers can unwind and unplug while connecting with community members. Natural rock-bottom hot-spring pools and clawfoot tubs adorn the forested property, and organic vegetarian meals can be added onto any booking, including day passes.

Not keen on soaking all afternoon? Spend some time cruising the West Cascades Scenic Byway or hike the .

6. Chena Hot Springs Resort, Alaska

Nearest town: Fairbanks
Prices from: $20 for camping / $200 for rooms a night

Want to kick back in a remote hot spring while the green tendrils of the Northern Lights dance above your head? At , a retreat center in Alaska’s rugged interior, this far-flung dream can become a reality.

Choose between the hotel-style Moose Lodge Rooms, the cozy budget-friendly Fox Rooms, woodsy cabins, camping yurts, and RV-friendly campsites, then relax. With an average water temperature of 106 degrees, this soaking site is prime for year-round visitors, no matter how gnarly the Alaska weather gets. Aromatherapy and hot stone massages are also available in an adorable cabin near the main Pool House. Spend your days cuddling sled-dog puppies, touring the ice museum, or dog sledding, and when the sun sets, bundle up for an .

7. Avalanche Ranch Cabins and Hot Springs, Colorado

Nearest town: Carbondale
Prices from: $135 a night

With day pass rates of $32 and lodging starting at $135, the clear, uncrowded pools of have become a Colorado favorite, with overnight guests often having to book four to six months out.

I first heard about Avalanche Ranch back in 2019, when a canceled flight out of Aspen gave me a day to kill near Carbondale. Lucky me. Because it was a frigid weekday, I was able to make a last-minute day reservation and warm my post-ski bones with a view of snowy Mount Sopris and its rounded twin summits. It was as close to a perfect day in the mountains as you can imagine, but next time I head to Avalanche Ranch, I’ll spend a little extra to bed down in one of the property’s colorful, pet-friendly log cabins. Overnight guests can use the springs 24 hours a day; day passes allow four-hour access from 9:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M. or 1:00 to 5:00 P.M. (The pool closes Wednesdays for cleaning.)

8. Burgdorf Hot Springs, Idaho

Nearest town: McCall
Prices from: $150 a night

Accessible by regular vehicles all summer long and by snowmobile in the winter months, and its historic cabins look more like a rustic ghost town than a real-deal soaking resort. However, this off-grid haven is a slice of paradise for those who don’t mind booking a cottage without electricity and running water, and are willing to bring their own bedding.

Intrepid wanderers will be rewarded with steaming pools of up to 113 degrees, with gravel bottoms and split log sides. Nestled in the conifer-dense Payette National Forest, Burgdorf is a hiker’s heaven, with awesome nearby hiking trails like Deep Lake, Ruby Meadows and Josephine Lake (don’t forget the bear spray). Just be sure to return to the springs in time for a dreamy, post-trek sunset soak.

9. Hot Springs Resort and Spa, North Carolina

Nearest town: Hot Springs
Prices from: $45

*Hot Springs Resort and Spa was damaged in recent flooding resulting from Hurricane Helene. Please see this page. Check back in early 2025 if you plan to visit and support this small town.

Though the East Coast isn’t revered for its hot springs, a handful of all-natural warm springs have kept travelers coming back for decades. North Carolina’s is one of the rare destinations where tent campers and RVers can enjoy both nature and the option to book a in a modern, jetted hot tub. The place has also become a favorite stopover for thru-hikers coming off the Appalachian Trail.

Campers can choose from among a myriad of options, which range from primitive tent sites to spacious group sites on the banks of the French Broad River. Not so into roughing it? Check out the resort’s deluxe cabins, complete with kitchenettes.

10. The Country Inn of Berkeley Springs, West Virginia

Nearest town: Berkeley Springs
Prices from: $130 a night

First opened in 1933, this historic colonial-style hotel in the eastern panhandle of West Virginia boasts 70 guest rooms and an that offers everything from mineral baths to sugar scrubs and hot-stone massages.

The tiny hamlet of Berkeley Springs, less than two hours from Baltimore and Washington, D.C., is revered as one of the nation’s first warm-spring wellness retreats, with famous patrons like George Washington frequenting the area. Rooms at are adorned in elegant furnishings, but also provide modern amenities, like flatscreen TVs, mini-fridges, and high-speed Wi-Fi. Don’t miss live music at the Inn’s restaurant on Saturday nights.

11. The Gideon Putnam, New York

Nearest town: Saratoga Springs
Prices from: $229 a night

This elegant New York retreat is set a short 35-minute drive from Albany, in the centuries-old wellness haven of Saratoga Springs, which was once visited by the likes of Oscar Wilde and Susan B. Anthony. Today, with updated East Coast colonial-style rooms, some of which are pet-friendly, guests can kick up their feet with modern conveniences like air conditioning, HDTVs, and Wi-Fi.

What truly sets , though, is that it’s the only hotel located inside Saratoga Spa State Park. This National Historic Landmark features two different golf courses, a large swimming-pool complex, and miles of nature trails that transform into a cross-country ski paradise in winter. Be sure to check out the Gideon Putnam’s luxurious Roosevelt Baths and Spa, named in honor of President Franklin D. Roosevelt for his role in helping preserve the Saratoga Springs area, and book yourself a mineral bath and a Muscadine Moonshine Sea Salt Scrub while you’re at it.

Emily Pennington is a national-parks expert and self-proclaimed hot-springs addict who’s also a longtime contributor to șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű. To date, she’s visited every U.S. national park and hiked on all seven continents. Her book, Feral, Losing My Way and Finding Myself in America’s National Parks, was published in 2023. When she’s not frantically typing at her keyboard, you can find her exploring every hot spring known to humanity in her new home state of Colorado.

For more by this author, see:

I Visited Every U.S. National Park. My Favorite Might Surprise You.

The Best New Hotels with Easy Access to U.S. National Parks

These 10 National Parks Will Have Timed-Entry Reservations This Year

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1. Yosemite, California

Why Now: Summer’s sweltering temps turn blissfully mild here in October, or “Rocktober,” as climbers sometimes refer to it. The cooler, dry conditions are just right for scaling the park’s world-famous granite walls. Warm days (which can see temperatures from the high sixties to the low eighties) also make hiking idyllic, and crisp nights (from the fifties to the low thirties) allow for comfortable camping.

Fall is a photographer’s dream as well. Yes, most of the trees are evergreens, but the aspens in the high country on Tioga Road and across Tuolumne Meadows turn golden, and the maples in the Valley and around Yosemite Chapel glow a brilliant red. Cloud formations soften the light for optimal shooting at midday, not just twilight. The waterfalls will be trickling rather than gushing the way they do in spring, but you still have a strong chance of spotting the park’s iconic black bears—and even better hopes of seeing mule deer, coyotes, and bighorn sheep.

șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Intel: has been operating since the 1960s. Climbing lessons (from $205) cater to all levels, and guided climbs (from $400) include various options, among them ascending El Capitan (from $7,000). The outfit ends its climbing season October 27. runs half- and full-day rock-climbing outings on Fresno Dome through October 1 (from $425).

Anglers can fish the park’s trout-rich lakes, rivers, and streams through November 15. The pros at Yosemite Fly Fishing Guide can help you hook a brownie in the Merced River (half-day from $500; ). Get a California fishing license first ($62, ).

Pro Tip: Foresta Road, which leads into Yosemite from the west, is the favorite e-bike ride of Chris Van Leuven, founder of Yosemite E-Biking. “It’s also amazing hiking for families who want to see Foresta Falls and dip into swimming holes,” he says.

Where to Stay: Your chances of scoring a site in one of the park’s 13 campgrounds dramatically increase in fall, but you’ll still need to make a at least a week in advance. Camp 4 is coveted by climbers for its history and proximity to El Capitan, and for bouldering routes like world-renowned Midnight Lightning and nearby Bachar Cracker. The new glamping retreat Wildhaven Yosemite (from $139) is located in the charming town of Mariposa, 34 miles from the Arch Rock entrance to the park, and offers safari-style tents and cabins, live music, and yoga classes.

2. Puglia, Italy

Why Now: My first trip to Puglia, which forms Italy’s boot heel, was in early November, and in packing I made two mistakes: I left out a bathing suit and bike shoes. I didn’t anticipate that the southern latitude would bring late-summer temperatures. I arrived to see umbrellas shading folks on the rocky beaches and bicycles outnumbering cars. I chose the region hoping it would deliver the food, wine, and culture of Tuscany, but with fewer crowds and better prices. So it did, and also surprised me with a bounty of outdoor playgrounds, including two national parks, 16 state reserves, three marine protected areas, many fantastic cycling routes, and an incredible network of limestone caves.

In early autumn, Susumaniello grapes are plucked from the vines; toward the end, olives get harvested from ancient, gnarled trees. Attractions, like the whitewashed city of Ostuni, are quiet, and there’s rarely a wait at popular restaurants like Il Cortiletto this time of year. Be warned, though: after trying the region’s famed burrata cheese, you’ll never settle for mozzarella again.

șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Intel: rents out carbon-fiber road bikes (from $38) and e-bikes (from $49), and offers one- and seven-day guided trips (from $429) and five- and ten-day self-guided trips (from $1,169). During a of the Caves of Castellana ($27), you’ll don a helmet and headlamp to visit parts of the grotto system that are off-limits during the day.

Pro Tip: Antonello Losito, founder of local tour operator Southern Visions, says that “one of the most exciting ways to view Alberobello, home to 1,500-plus Unesco-listed trulli, is via a tandem paraglide flight with Aeroclub FlyWay.” The 15-minute excursion costs $130.

Where to Stay: Tucked away in the hamlet of Pezze di Greco, less than ten minutes from Torre Canne beach, is an ancient cave settlement turned 15-room, family-run eco-hotel (from $235). At , just outside the village of Locorotondo, you can sleep in the trulli the resort is named for, 18th-century conical-roofed stone huts (from $249).

3. Mad River Valley, Vermont

Why Now: Vermont lives up to its reputation as the quintessence of fall-foliage perfection. The state’s diverse hardwoods create a dazzling autumnal palette. Leaf peepers from Boston, New York, and elsewhere rubberneck on the easily accessible roads to the south, but Mad River Valley, in the heart of the Green Mountains, is worth the travel time. The 36.5-mile Mad River Byway, a Norman Rockwell–worthy section of various state routes, winds past showy maple, ash, and birch trees, as well as covered bridges, country stores, and storybook towns like Warren and Waitsfield.

I prefer to ditch the car and cycle for stretches, or take in the colors while hiking or running the trails. The valley is nirvana for mountain bikers, who can ride singletrack at Sugarbush Resort or trail systems like the . Need a down day? The Mad River Glen ski area’s famed single chair is open for foliage rides three weekends in September and October, or grab a sandwich at the historic Warren Store and visit the region’s celebrated microbreweries.

șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Intel: Hikers after a rewarding challenge should trek the , an 11.6-mile slice of the from Lincoln Gap to Appalachian Gap with 8,000 feet of ups and downs.

Pro Tip: Sean Lawson, founder of Lawson’s Finest Liquids, a brewery in Waitsfield, recommends exploring the trails of Stark Mountain. From the Mad River Glen base area, a 2.5-mile work road climbs 2,036 feet to the summit. Back at the base you can enjoy a good meal and frosty beer at Stark’s Pub, open Wednesday through Sunday in the fall.

Where to Stay: , a new 24-room base camp with a flow trail off its doorstep, has a bike shop for mountain and gravel rentals and repairs, and sauna huts to soothe weary legs. Creekside tents are available through October. (Rooms from $139 and tents from $99.)

4. Northern Michigan

Why Now: Michigan has the longest freshwater shoreline in the world, and its beaches are prized summer destinations. When the water gets chilly, vacationers leave, but the cool months are a local secret: prime time to hike, pedal, and paddle in Petoskey State Park and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. With the leaves ablaze, the 20.3-mile Tunnel of Trees Scenic Heritage Route, from Harbor Springs to Cross Village, is at its most spectacular, and best appreciated by bike.

Harvest season in the region’s bucolic interior means pumpkin patches, , and corn mazes at family-run spots like Friske Farm Market. Time your visit during Traverse City Beer Week, typically early November, or register for the Iceman Cometh Challenge, a 30-mile cross-country mountain-bike race through Pere Marquette State Forest, held the first Saturday of November.

șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Intel: in Glen Arbor rents bikes (from $32), kayaks (from $68), and paddleboards (from $76), and will deliver equipment for $20.

Pro Tip: From downtown Traverse City, bike seven flat miles along the paved to Farm Club, a massive, cedar-clad barn housing a bakery, market, restaurant, and brewery that pours excellent lagers.

Where to Stay: Located along the Tunnel of Trees, on a hillside above the waters of Lake Michigan, the recently renovated (from $275) has 31 mid-century-modern rooms and a general store stocked with picnic supplies. The rustic , in the northern district of Sleeping Bear Dunes, has 23 tent sites available until the last Sunday in November; reservations are required until October 15 (from $10; park fee also required).

5. Hokkaido, Japan

Why Now: Most people associate Hokkaido, the northernmost of Japan’s main islands, with the mythic dry, deep snow known as Japow. While skiing and snowboarding still reign supreme here, cycling is fast catching on. Spring through fall, resort towns like Niseko open their trails and lifts to mountain bikers. The region’s roads, which have wide shoulders for all the great snow, make for roomy road riding once it melts. And Japanese drivers are remarkably courteous to cyclists, giving them a wide berth and passing slowly with a wave.

Routes wind through a changing landscape of sparkling lakes, fertile farmland, rugged coastline, and high mountain passes. Hokkaido’s six national parks are laced with trails, and I submit that the amber gingkoes and crimson maples are just as pretty as Japan’s famed cherry blossoms. Steamy onsens abound for soaking sore muscles, and local kaiseki meals and savory bowls of ramen feature seasonal ingredients like salmon, long yams, and pumpkin.

șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Intel: runs six-, seven-, and nine-day hiking trips among caldera lakes, alpine wetlands, and the dramatic peaks of Daisetsuzan National Park (from $2,197). Last year I joined Cycling Japan guides on a four-day tour from Lake Toya to the Sea of Japan (from $1,130) that was just as delicious as it was scenic, with stops at out-of-the-way restaurants like Udon Nonosan that I’d never have found on my own.

Pro Tip: All cyclists must stop at intersections with stop signs, and before any designating lines there, notes Ayaka Yoshikawa, cofounder of șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Hokkaido. According to police, penalties range from up to 50,000 yen ($320) to a three-month prison sentence.

Where to Stay: Set at the foot of Mount Yotei (Hokkaido’s Mount Fuji), 24-room (from $210) has both Western- and Japanese-style accommodations, some with private saunas and tubs that feed from hot springs. There are also communal soaking baths, a terrace with a foot bath, and multiple dining options, including a teppanyaki counter.

6. Churchill, Canada

Why Now: Known as the polar bear capital of the world, this northern Manitoba port town attracts earth’s largest concentration of the massive white bruins each fall. From mid-October through November, an estimated 1,000 bears congregate along Hudson Bay, waiting for the ice to form so they can use it as a platform for seal hunting. The tundra takes on vibrant crimson and golden hues—a striking backdrop for photographing the majestic mammals, along with Arctic foxes and snowy owls.

You also have a strong chance of catching the natural world’s best light show: Churchill averages more than 300 nights of auroral activity throughout the year.

șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Intel: The carbon-neutral travel company has been running polar-bear-viewing tours here since 1989. Groups of up to 16 visitors join biologists, climatologists, and other experts in custom Polar Rover vehicles to explore the full range of the Churchill Wildlife Management Area (six-day trips, from $7,795). Seeking something slightly less involved? offers day tours in 40-seat Tundra Buggies ($400).

Pro Tip: While onshore, “the bears are really active, as they know it’s not much longer before they return to the sea ice,” says Court Whelan, chief sustainability officer of Natural Habitat șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍűs. “They prowl and interact with one another—a rare occurrence anywhere else.”

Where to Stay: For a DIY trip, the simple, 31-room (from $349) is conveniently set in the heart of Churchill, and its pub has a sensational menu; try the veggie burger with yam fries.

7. Grand Valley, Colorado

Why Now: Located on the Western Slope of the Rocky Mountains, around 230 miles west of Denver, the Grand Valley is the ultimate autumn playground. Both an agricultural haven and a geological anomaly, it has vineyards and farmland reminiscent of those in Sonoma, California; storied singletrack to rival Moab, Utah’s; and the second-largest concentration of natural arches in the world, behind that of Arches National Park. Moreover, it’s home to Colorado National Monument, often heralded as a mini Grand Canyon.

In fall, the vistas glow with gold, the broiling summer heat (average daytime temperatures in July and August are in the nineties) subsides, and with school back in session, you might not pass another hiker or biker on the trail. After a full day outdoors, I like to hit the funky towns of Fruita, Palisade, and Grand Junction for a delicious meal at locavore-focused spots like Tacoparty and Cruise Control.

I was once skeptical of the Colorado wine scene, but it’s legit, and this area is the epicenter. Harvest gets underway in September and coincides with the Colorado Mountain Winefest, a one-day event (this year on the 21st) that will school you in high-elevation varietals like viognier, Riesling, and mourvùdre.

șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Intel: One of the country’s longest and gnarliest singletrack trails for downhillers is the . The route, considered challenging, starts at the top of Grand Mesa and descends 32 miles and over 6,000 feet. offers drop-offs through October 8 ($38) and rents mountain bikes (from $90).

For something mellower, the East Orchard Mesa Loop between Grand Junction and Palisade is a 25-mile cycling path that passes a dozen wineries (like Colorado Cellars) and farm stands while offering views of the Grand Mesa, the world’s largest flat-top mountain. (Located within 60 miles of Grand Junction, it has great hiking.)

Pro Tip: Patric Matysiewski, winemaker at Sauvage Spectrum Estate Winery and Vineyard, loves the carrot margarita at Fidel’s Cocina and Bar in downtown Palisade. “It’s the best way to end your day,” he says.

Where to Stay: The biking- and food-obsessed owners of the 17-room in Palisade (from $144) are happy to recommend their favorite singletrack trails, tasting rooms, and restaurants. In Grand Junction, ’s tiny homes, Airstreams, and RV hookups are steps from the Colorado River within Las Colonias Park (from $35).

8. Costa Rica’s Southern Caribbean Coast

Why Now: Fall is widely considered the rainy season in Costa Rica. Don’t be put off. These are the greenest months, when the jungle is lush (in the dry season, from December to April, it can look withered and brown), the rains (heaviest from May to November) fade, and travelers can score serious deals on hotels. On the Caribbean coast, which is less trodden than the Pacific side, September and October are the driest months.

Head to the province of Limón to discover the region’s rich Afro-Caribbean culture and protected natural areas—including Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge, a rainforest-meets-beach setting with rare mangrove oyster beds and endangered manatees and ocelots. The nearby Cahuita National Park is home to the largest coral-reef system in the country, and in autumn the waters are calm and clear for diving and snorkeling. By November the surf picks up, and Salsa Brava, arguably Costa Rica’s biggest barreling wave, becomes a proving ground for skilled wave riders.

șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Intel: In addition to offering surf lessons and hosting surf camps, guides SUP and kayak trips on the Punta Uva River (from $65 for 2.5 hours) and boat trips to snorkel the reef of Cahuita National Park ($90 for three hours).

Pro Tip: Spend some time at the in Puerto Viejo; it offers classes in numerous styles, and has a vegetarian restaurant with jackfruit tostadas and beetroot-hummus toast.

Where to Stay: The mother-and-daughter-owned has 15 boho-chic rooms nestled on a forest-fringed beach in Puerto Viejo (from $287). I’m a fan of the free bikes and snorkel gear, and applaud the property’s commitment to hiring and sourcing locally.

9. Tasmania, Australia

Why Now: About half of this island province is reserved land, including national parks and a Unesco World Heritage wilderness, rich with distinctive flora and fauna and webbed with more than 1,700 miles of trails. Down Under, September ushers in spring, which means Tassie’s daffodils, cherry blossoms, and tulips are popping, and wombats and pademelons may be active.

Longer daylight hours combine with milder temperatures to provide optimal conditions for hiking the many coastal trails, such as the Bay of Fires, a 31-mile, multiday route in the northeast that runs from Binalong Bay to Eddystone Point. And austral spring marks the annual and biannual migration of southern right and humpback whales, respectively, so keep an eye out for spouts and breaches.

șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Intel: Tasmania has 19 national parks and countless bushwalking options. Off the east coast, Maria Island is nicknamed Tasmania’s Noah’s Ark, due to its astounding diversity of wildlife. On a four-day trek with , I ticked off sightings of kangaroos, Tasmanian devils, wallabies, and wombats, and stayed in the company’s private bush camps just steps from the beach (from $1,940).

Pro Tip: Hobart’s Sunday Farm Gate Market is a must. At its center, you’ll find a collection of street vendors serving everything from Chinese bao to Sri Lankan curries.

Where to Stay: , one of Australia’s most famous bush treks, finishes on the doorstep of , a 1930s hydroelectricity station turned adventure base at the southern end of Cradle Mountain–Lake St. Clair National Park (from $402). Choose from stylish bell tents or bunk rooms at , which is minutes from surf breaks and mountain-bike trails (from $150).

10. The Scottish Highlands

Why Now: Tourist season here ends with summer, and in the fall you’ll find solitude on the trails and stellar lodging deals. In September, the hillsides are still carpeted in lilac-hued heather, and the pesky midges are withdrawing. By October, the deer grass on the moors turns a moody russet, and the glens echo with stag calls and the clatter of antlers amid the annual rut. The Cairngorms, which make up the UK’s largest national park, are similar in latitude to Alaska and Norway.

In late September and October, reduced daylight combined with the park’s clear skies increase the chances that the aurora will be visible. In the pubs, menus showcase the seasonal bounty: lamb, beef, and venison, damsons (plums), and native Scottish oysters. Fall’s best pairing, however, is a roaring fire and a dram of local whisky.

șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Intel: Offered in September and early October, ’s ten-day Highlights of the Highlands group hiking trip averages two to four hours of hill walking per day around Glencoe’s glacier-scoured peaks and the silvery moors of Cairngorms National Park (from $7,335). Guests stay in cushy accommodations, like lochside Monachyle Mhor, and a boat trip up the west coast promises minke whale and porpoise sightings. October is prone to cold spells and rain, so pack layers and rain gear.

Pro Tip: In Cairngorms National Park, indulge at a locals’ favorite: Nethy House CafĂ©, with its locally sourced seasonal menu and homestyle baking.

Where to Stay: The maintains a network of these traditional bare-bones lodgings for adventurous hikers. Check for closures in hunting season, much of which typically wraps up in mid-October.

11. Shenandoah Valley, Virginia

Why Now: Once the summer humidity subsides, Shenandoah National Park becomes a paradise for hikers, who have more than 500 miles of trails—including 100 miles on the Appalachian Trail—to explore. The fall colors are truly mesmerizing. Most leaf peepers ogle the views along Skyline Drive. This sole road through the park can be driven or biked, and spans 105 miles from Front Royal in the north to Waynesboro in the south, with 75 overlooks along the way. Fair warning, traffic can be bumper-to-bumper, so hit the road early.

Some of the best treetop panoramas are found along gravel-bike-friendly fire roads in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests on the sides of the valley and on farm roads heading out of the towns of Luray and Stanley. The farms sprout pumpkin patches and corn mazes, and orchards sell freshly pressed apple cider.

șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Intel: ’s five-day gravel tour of the valley bases out of the hip in downtown Harrisonburg. On day four, you’ll climb nearly 4,000 feet in 23 miles to reach Reddish Knob, one of the highest peaks along the Virginia–West Virginia border. From the summit you’ll enjoy 360-degree vistas of foliage (from $1,999).

, founded over 30 years ago, takes newbies up climbs on crags set 3,000 feet above the valley floor (from $140).

Pro Tip: “The park’s best-kept secret is its South District,” says Andy Nichols, director of programs at Shenandoah Mountain Guides and School. “The mile-loop is one of the best sunset hikes in all of the East.”

Where to Stay: Page Valley is nicknamed the “cabin capital of Virginia.” Some gems on Airbnb include three-bedroom Whispering Woods (from $328) near Luray, just a half-hour from Skyline Drive, and Bearloga, a four-bedroom cabin with a sauna and hot tub set on 75 acres in Stanley (from $400).

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Autumn is an inflection point for hikers: As the leaves fall, we bid goodbye to summer’s balmy temperatures and long days and start thinking more seriously about the cold. We trade up our lightweight bags for heavier ones, find ourselves planning out our clothing strategy, and try to remember what R-value our pads are (and ČčČÔČâ·ÉČčČâ).Ìę

I struggle with that seasonal transition every year, just a little bit. It’s not that I hate camping in the cold (I don’t) or that I forget how to layer (I live in Colorado—I’ve gotten snowed on in August). But fall is a time of constant change, when you can encounter summer-like warmth or early-season snow in a single day, so there’s no single surefire strategy to prepping for a trip. Still, there are a couple of rules that can as the temperatures drop. We asked Backpacker’s editors to share their hard-won lessons about what not to do during the third season.

Bringing a Warm Coat When You Need a Warm Sleeping Bag

Especially when you’re hiking in an area that’s high-altitude or dry (or, like where I live, both), autumn temperatures can dip drastically at night, dropping from balmy to freezing. Does that mean you should pack an and ? Not necessarily. It’s easy to forget when you’re staring down that weather forecast, but most backpackers are wrapped up and cozy in their tents long before that overnight low hits. Unless your route takes you across a mountain pass or some other high-altitude terrain where you could face unpredictable and dangerous weather, consider bringing a more modest midlayer, eating an early, high-calorie dinner, and getting into bed before the mercury nosedives.

One thing you don’t want to skimp on? A warm sleeping bag. While you’ll probably survive spending a chilly autumn night wrapped up in a summerweight bag or quilt, you’ll likely be shivering too hard to sleep much. Invest in a lightweight three-season bag like the , and unless you know you sleep warm, resist the urge to push the temperature rating.

Forgetting the Gloves

One thing you shouldn’t leave at home: the gloves. Your fingers are one of the first parts of your body to get cold, as your circulatory system automatically diverts warm blood to your torso in response to chilly conditions. Losing feeling in your fingers can quickly spiral from a nuisance into a safety issue as you begin to fumble with your gear. You don’t need to carry a set of heavyweight ski mitts: A pair of heavyweight liners or light fleece gloves like the Outdoor Research Vigor, or even a light pair of fleece mittens if you contend with poor circulation, should be more than enough for most backpackers.

Leaving the Sun Protection at Home

Everyone knows you have to sunscreen up during the peak days of summer, and most of us have learned that we need to make sure we’re protecting our skin during the snowiest months of winter. But while it’s true you may not be in the same danger of sunburn during fall’s shorter days as you were in the dog days, we have sad news for you: You can still get scorched during shoulder season. If you haven’t cultivated a year-round sun-protection habit, now is a good time to start. Keep a solid mineral sunscreen handy, but if you don’t want to remember to lather up, fall is also a great time to add a UV-protective long-sleeve layer like the into your rotation.

Going Stoveless

So you decided to go for it, leaving your stove at home and dedicating yourself to for the summer? Well, part of making a smooth transition to fall is knowing when to dig that Pocket Rocket out again. While you can still cold-soak during the chillier months, it’s an advanced-level move that we’d only recommend to the most masochistic of ultralighters. As a 20-something, I learned that the hard way after bringing only cold food on a shoulder-season trip in central Argentina’s Sierras de CĂłrdoba. Now, I tote a canister stove and make something to warm myself inside and out. For best results, .Ìę

Not Double-Checking Water SourcesÌę

Assuming that a water source that runs in summer is still firing in fall is an unforced error that too many backpackers make. By October or November, creeks and springs that have been flush since the spring melt may be starting to run dry, especially in the desert. If you’re counting on them to refill your bottle, you may be in for some . Even in 2023, the best solution to this problem is still the most old-school one: Ask someone who knows. Call up the park service, your local ranger station, or a nearby hiking group and ask them for the beta on any seasonal water sources along your route. (We’ve occasionally had luck checking recent comments on sites like AllTrails, but your mileage may vary, especially with routes that don’t see a lot of visitors.) Summer springs all dried up? Plan on carrying a little extra H2O.

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This fall is packed with new outdoor media releases: books on calving glaciers and the surprising biology of asphalt, documentaries that will take you from the summit of Mount Everest to the hollers of Appalachia, and podcasts that offer thrilling tales and life lessons from outdoor mishaps. Here are our top picks for what to read, watch, and listen to between your adventures this season.

Books

The Quickening: Creation and Community at the Ends of the Earth, by Elizabeth Rush ($30)

For a chunk of ice containing enough meltwater to raise the oceans two feet, not much is known about Antarctica’s Thwaites Glacier. That is why, in 2019, Elizabeth Rush joined an international group of scientists on the first expedition to its calving edge. “I wanted to stand alongside that massive glacier,” she writes in The Quickening, “wanted to witness freshly formed bergs dropping down into the ocean like stones, so that I might know in my body what my mind still struggled to grasp: Antarctica’s going to pieces has the power to rewrite all the maps.” The journey takes place as Rush is about to start a family, and she grapples with the idea of bringing a child into our climate disaster-in-progress. Rush, whose previous book, , was a Pulitzer finalist, writes with urgency and humor about this consequential world of ice—and the life that will soon be growing inside her.

The Race to Be Myself, by Caster Semenya ($30)

Birth is, of course, central to the story of South African runner Caster Semenya, the two-time Olympic gold medalist subjected to invasive gender testing after winning the 800-meter event at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin. In her memoir, due out in October, Semenya recounts how she was accepted as a tomboy in her rural village, only to later experience humiliating speculation about her body when her test results, which revealed elevated testosterone levels and some physical characteristics of both sexes, were leaked to the press. Forced for years to take estrogen to continue her career, in 2018 she was effectively barred from competition by stricter testosterone rules. Since then the conversation about gender has only grown more urgent as questions linger about the treatment of her and other female African runners with naturally high testosterone levels. Her ordeal, she writes, “has affected me in ways I cannot describe, although I will try.” In this defiant, moving book, she succeeds.

Crossings: How Road Ecology Is Shaping the Future of Our Planet, by Ben Goldfarb ($30)

“Like most people, I at once cherish animals and think nothing of piloting a thousand-pound death machine,” writes Ben Goldfarb in this way-more-fun-than-it-should-be book about asphalt, out in September. The author of , Goldfarb has a lot to say about our national compulsion to pave a path from everywhere to everywhere else, cutting off migration routes and turning cars into superpredators. He finds hope in innovative wildlife crossings that have created a new bridge-and-tunnel crowd of coyotes, toads, and elk herds. Whether he’s tracking pronghorn antelope through Wyoming or tossing off asides about hedgehogs (“small, plodding, nocturnal 
 practically designed to be roadkill”), a road trip with him is worth every fascinating mile.

True West: Myth and Mending on the Far Side of America, by Betsy Gaines Quammen ($27)

The dangerous myth of the West as an endless frontier is still alive, writes historian Betsy Gaines Quammen in True West, out in October. But today it draws a new kind of freedom seekers, from adventurers eager to “rip, shred, bag, and slay” its peaks and rivers to anti-vaxxers determined to raise a middle finger to the feds. Quammen, author of , has spent years investigating a region that “has become ever hotter, drier, angrier, and more politically polarized,” from the Idaho origins of the Oath Keepers—whose members stormed the U.S. Capitol in 2021—to the billionaire recreationists holed up at Montana’s Yellowstone Club. But Quammen treats all her subjects with empathy, and she doesn’t look down on anyone. “The West is more than a playground or a storage site awaiting resource extraction,” she writes. “It’s more than a second home or a selfie. It’s a land of many cultures. It’s a place of countless generations.”

Sun House, by David James Duncan ($35)

Perhaps all is not lost on the frontier. In this big-hearted “eastern Western,” cult favorite David James Duncan explores what might happen if we dished up some karmic payback to the white-guy corporations looking to “divvy up, privatize, cage, clear-cut, dam, drain, mine, frack, and detonate” every last acre. This is Duncan’s first novel since his bestsellers (1983) and (1992). It’s a cosmic trip that braids together a dozen lives that cross and gurgle like the fictional Elkmoon River. Do we object that it isn’t until page 363 that these freethinkers begin to converge on Montana’s Elkmoon Range? We do not. Do we care that the text is 764 pages, not counting an extensive bibliography? Indeed we do, but in a good way, because it allows us to ride this magic bus as long as we can. Stoke the cabin fire and pour some whiskey over a chunk of glacial ice. You’re not coming out until you’ve finished this one.

Films

Pasang: In the Shadow of Everest

The inspiring, ultimately tragic story of Pasang Lhamu Sherpa is a lesser-known chapter in mountaineering history. Pasang perished while descending Everest in 1993, after becoming the first Nepali woman to summit. Director Nancy Svendsen first met Pasang’s daughter, Dawa Futi Sherpa—an executive producer on —a dozen years ago. Together they deliver a subtle, sensitive tracing of Pasang’s life against the backdrop of Nepal in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Those were pivotal years in the country’s quest for democracy and in the development of modern commercial climbing on Everest, which is powered largely by the hard work and heroism of unheralded, underpaid teams of Sherpas. Pasang was an uneducated Sherpa woman from a small village; her vast ambition and determination were truly singular and not always appreciated. What emerges is an incredibly timely story. In Pasang’s quest to empower Sherpas in the climbing industry, and both women and Sherpas in Nepali society, she was a trailblazer. Limited theatrical release in September; streaming on Amazon by November

Explorer: Lost in the Arctic

The Northwest Passage has lured adventurers for centuries, but the prospect of a sea route above the North American continent has remained mostly a deadly fantasy. In the overheated present, dwindling summer ice pack has now made the journey feasible, though hardly easy. In June 2022, writer and adventurer Mark Synnott assembled a team—including filmmaker Renan Ozturk—and set out from Maine aboard Synnott’s 47-foot sailboat. Their goal was to retrace a famously failed 1845 British expedition led by Sir John Franklin, whose two ships and 129 crew members vanished after their ships became stuck in the ice near King William Island. It’s a mystery that has long fascinated polar historians, and Synnott and crew go to great lengths to solve it, culminating in a search for Franklin’s rumored grave. The voyage is full of tribulation—bad weather, equipment failure, unreliable maps, and, in a dire historical echo, a close call with becoming icebound themselves—and the result is a worthy follow-up to Synnott and Ozturk’s collaborations for National Geographic’s Explorer series, Lost on Everest and The Last Tepui. Streaming now on Disney+ and Hulu

King Coal

You may think you know the story of coal in Appalachia, but Elaine McMillion Sheldon’s subtle and affecting tribute to her home region mixes closely observed documentary reporting with imaginative, poetic material to arrive at something new, though no less heartbreaking. Sheldon, the daughter and granddaughter of coal miners, is well positioned to dive into the human stories that show what coal has given and taken from Appalachian communities. is an ode to a place that sees beauty amid the harshness, but isn’t blind to the scars on the land or the damage that has carried through the generations. Environmental docs can feel stripped of nuance, all stridency and condemnation, but Sheldon uses every tool in the filmmaking kit—from sound design to music to the casting of several endearing young locals—to successfully connect her audience to the beauty and tragedy of her home. Theatrical release August 11; available on Amazon, Google Play , and iTunes in mid-October

Full Circle

Director Josh Berman invites us into the lives and worlds of Barry Corbet and Trevor Kennison, two men left paralyzed by spinal injuries that resulted from snow-sports accidents. Each narrative is inspirational—the film’s subtitle is —but Berman doesn’t shy from the harsh realities of life as a paraplegic. Corbet built an impressive climbing and skiing rĂ©sumĂ© in the 1950s and 1960s; one of North America’s most famous ski runs, Corbet’s Couloir in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, was named after him. In May 1968, he was paralyzed from the waist down after a helicopter crash while filming in the Aspen backcountry. Kennison’s pre-injury experience was shorter, but he found the same joy in the mountains, and suffered a similar spinal injury while snowboarding in the Colorado backcountry in 2014. Corbet refused to slow down, making films and learning to kayak; for Kennison, the discovery of sit-skiing gave him back the sense of purpose Corbet found on the river. In a post-injury triumph that Corbet, who passed away in 2004, would’ve been proud of, the film opens with Kennison dropping into Corbet’s Couloir on a sit-ski during the Kings and Queens of Corbet’s contest in 2019. Nationwide theatrical release in late October; streaming release in early 2024

Podcasts

FOGO: Fear of Going șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű

Ivy Le is a self-described indoor person, and her reluctance to host this unusual nature show from Spotify Studios is evidenced by the many sighs, screams, and ughs she sprinkles into her attempts to understand the appeal of the whole outdoors thing. Le takes friends and experts out on educational adventures, which include learning to camp (season one) and learning to hunt (season two). There’s a trip to REI with her friend Jeff Zhao that’s narrated like a nature documentary; a hike with outdoor activist Rocío Villalobos; and an archery lesson in which Le silences her doubters and hits a target while doing an Asian squat. Whether you’re new to outdoor recreation or a seasoned pro, the podcast is a delight thanks to Le, a charmingly vulnerable asker of deep questions about communing with nature. For example: What’s the difference between walking and hiking? “Hiking is sexier,” outdoor educator Diane Carrico tells her, “and it feels like you’re bragging.”

Thru

Whether he’s fighting off a nasty bout of norovirus or encountering a mystery animal on an early-morning hike, podcast producer Cody Hofmockel is never truly alone during his preparation for and through-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail. Hofmockel started on April 23, 2022, and recorded a remarkable amount of his experience to create a nearly day-by-day audio documentary. Produced by QCode and Spoke Media, the podcast consists of brief episodes that take us into the ups and downs of trail life: making friends, devising silly games to pass the time, and no small amount of what happens when that virus hits his stomach. Hofmockel, who recovered from substance-abuse issues in 2020 and “reconnected with his newly sober mind” during the hike, also ponders the reasons for walking 2,653 miles and gives colorful fellow through-hikers plenty of mic time. Listening to Thru feels like getting deftly produced voice notes from a friend who’s somewhere between Mexico and Canada.

Women’s Work

Ashley Ahearn spends much of the first episode of Women’s Work—a production of Boise State Public Radio—getting dirty looks from an extremely pregnant ewe named Babette. Ahearn, an environmentalist and chronicler of life in the West, gets right into the middle of things for an on-the-ground look at how our food systems should be reformed. As cattle rancher Cory Carman tells her: “Our limitation is not that we can’t feed the world, it’s that we can’t imagine what it’s going to take.” From Wyoming to eastern Washington, Ahearn visits women ranchers who are rethinking how to manage land and livestock. Kelsey Scott of the Cheyenne River Sioux tribe champions food sovereignty with grass-fed beef, and 14-year-old Maloi Lannan learns the ropes of regenerative ranching while helping out at her family’s sheep farm. Each offers ideas for making food production more just and sustainable—and shows how some ranchers are already fighting for a better future.

Wilder

So many children grew up devouring Laura Ingalls Wilder’s autobiographical Little House on the Prairie books—only to look back and find that the series doesn’t always hold up. In Wilder, host Glynnis MacNicol reckons with the legacy of the most well-known young-adult depiction of the late-19th-century American West. The show, produced by iHeartPodcasts, is nothing short of comprehensive. In the first, nearly hour-long episode, MacNicol visits a Little House fan meetup in a town where many Hmong immigrants found a home, thanks in large part to their love of the books, and discusses the books’ racist depictions of Indigenous people with Debbie Reese, founder of American Indians in Children’s Literature. MacNicol embarks on an ambitious journey—hitting all the places Wilder lived, in six states—digging into her own memory of the books and attempting to understand the relevance of the series in the 21st century. As her friend and coproducer Jo Piazza puts it: “The many ways that Laura seems flawed are also the many ways that America is flawed.”

Lost Hills: The Dark Prince

New Yorker staff writer Dana Goodyear is the bard of Malibu, California, explaining the swanky town’s dark underbelly over three seasons of Lost Hills. The latest introduces the famous and controversial surfer Miki Dora, who dazzled and terrorized the city’s shores from the 1950s through the ’70s. “His nickname was Da Cat,” says surfer Denny Aaberg, “because he had feline grace on a wave and not because he was a cat burglar, but I guess he was that, too.” From a neglected childhood to multiple crimes that put him on the run for seven years, Dora’s story is by no means a simple hero’s journey. Goodyear delves into the misogynistic and xenophobic nature of his territorial surf philosophy, and calls on a who’s who of surfing—from Kelly Slater to Kathy Kohner-Zuckerman—to talk about the life and times of a man who embodies a legendary era in the sport, along with its worst impulses.

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Nothing beats a mountain slope ablaze with fall color. I know there’s a scientific explanation for the phenomenon—chlorophyll production stops, carotenoids take over—but I believe the leaf transformation is Mother Nature’s greatest magic trick, when she turns a canvas of green into sparkling hues of red, orange, and yellow.

Living in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge mountains, I am a lifelong leaf watcher, and have found nine mountain towns that are smack dab in the middle of the magic. Each gives you easy access to scenery and adventures, but also offers good food, comfortable digs, and a chance to make the most out of the season—think brisk fall hikes, pumping bike rides, and Oktoberfests.

1. Blowing Rock, North Carolina

Named after a cliff overlooking a gorge where wind seems to blow upward, the small, tourist-centric town of Blowing Rock is sandwiched within the lush slopes of the Southern Appalachians, which are incredibly green in the summer but come alive with color in fall as the hardwoods show off in reds, oranges, and yellows. The small town has a walkable, quaint village vibe, but is surrounded by some of the most rugged peaks in the East.

Peak Season: Blowing Rock sits at around 4,000 feet, and fall color tends to peak in mid to late October here, although you’ll still find color in early November. Sugar Mountain Ski Resort hosts an the weekend of October 7 to 8, and the annual , which has a caterpillar race that prophesies the length of winter, runs October 21 and 22.

What to do in Blowing Rock

Cruise the Blue Ridge Parkway: Running for 469 miles between Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina, the Blue Ridge Parkway is a bucket-list destination for a scenic drive or epic mountain pedal. I think one of the prettiest sections of the two-lane paved road is near Blowing Rock. Whether you’re pedaling or driving, plan to traverse the , a 1,234-foot- bridge that hovers along the edge of Grandfather Mountain, delivering epic long-range views. From Blowing Rock, make a 20-mile loop by heading south on the Blue Ridge Parkway for 10 miles, crossing the viaduct, and taking Highway 221 north back to town.

Hike Grandfather Mountain: The five-mile out-and-back journey on is a mix of hiking, rock scrambling, and ladder climbing as you make your way up and over three distinct 5,000-foot peaks along the mountain. It’s a vertical adventure and one of my favorite trails in the South. In just over two miles gaining 1,500 feet, you’ll get unmatched views of the surrounding 5,000- and 6,000-foot peaks of North Carolina’s High Country.

Stay: Treat yourself with a room and some hands-on relaxation at , a resort and spa operating out of a historic Greek Revival mansion on a 42-acre mountain top outside of Blowing Rock. (From $250 a night, with a three-night minimum during leaf season.)

Don’t Miss: The southern fair at , a casual restaurant and bottle shop on Blowing Rock’s Main Street that focuses on home-grown ingredients. Try the Cilantro Trout Nachos.

2. Salt Lake City, Utah

OK, Salt Lake is a city (population 200,478), but it’s a mountain city, with access to eight canyons dropping off the adjacent Wasatch Mountains and loaded with white-trunked aspens with leaves that turn bright yellow during fall. The leaf peeping begins right in the heart of town, where parks hold stands of old-growth trees, but you want to spend most of your time exploring the tree-lined gorges that descend from the mountains east of the valley.

Peak Season: Hit it from mid-September through mid-October to see the aspens pop. Snowbird Resort hosts an ongoing celebration, complete with lederhosen and beer steins, every weekend from August 12 to October 15. You can also try to catch a football game at the University of Utah’s Rice Eccles Stadium.

What to do Around Salt Lake City

Pedal Big Cottonwood Canyon: The 15-mile-long State Road 190 climbs through the heart of Big Cottonwood Canyon, ascending almost 4,000 feet from Salt Lake to Brighton Ski Resort. It’s a popular scenic drive in the fall when the aspens are popping, but also a badass road-cycling route with plenty of long-range views and rest stops at picnic areas. You’ll contend with some 13 percent climbs, but remember this is an out-and-back, so anything you climb, you get to bomb, including the dramatic “S Curve” switchback in the middle of the route. Keep an eye out for moose.

Run the Wasatch Crest Trail: This high-alpine singletrack has near-constant 360-degree views as it rolls between 7,000 and 10,000 feet from Big Cottonwood Canyon all the way to Park City. It’s one of the most popular mountain-bike trails in Utah, but tackling it as a trail run might give you more opportunity to soak in the big views. You can form a loop from the top of Millcreek Canyon via the Big Water Trail, Desolation Lake Trail, , and Red Pine Trail that will take you through a number of aspen groves before and after topping out on the Crest.

Stay: The evo Hotel, in the Granary District, a now thriving former industrial zone, doesn’t just have comfy rooms but a bouldering gym, yoga classes, and regular film nights. From $163 a night.

Don’t Miss: is also located in the Granary District, and specializes in lagers perfect for drinking on a crisp fall afternoon. They have a Bavarian-style Helles on tap all year long, but I say go all in on the seasonal schtick with their Bavarian Dunkel Lager, a malty, dark beer with notes of chocolate.

3. Stowe, Vermont

Stowe is best known for its winter activities—mainly alpine and nordic skiing—but this picturesque village at the base of Mount Mansfield absolutely sings with activity and color in the fall. Most of the forest surrounding the town of 5,000 consists of hardwoods, dominated by sugar maples that turn fire red, with beech and birch trees in shades of yellow and orange.

Peak Season: The hardwoods begin turning in the middle of September and typically peak in mid-October. The Trapp Family Lodge, of the famed musical von Trapp family from Austria, hosts an on September 16 this year, while the annual in which people build catapults and hurl pumpkins for distance, will be on October 1.

What to do in Stowe, Vermont

Hike the Mansfield Traverse: This has you climbing up Stowe Mountain Resort’s Haselton Trail to the top of Mansfield’s Nose before zipping along the ridgeline and descending the Long Trail into Smugglers’ Notch State Park. The climbing is arduous, but you earn 360-degree views of the Green Mountains in their fall splendor.

Mountain Bike Cady Hill Forest: For an easy pedal, stick to the 5.5-mile Stowe Recreation Path, a paved greenway that cruises along the West Branch of the Little River through the farm country north of town. For singletrack, veer off the Stowe Rec Path and head to , where 11 miles of purpose-built trails flow through a canvas of technicolor leaves. The nearly mile-long descent on Florence, with its banked turns, rollers, and tabletops, is the standout trail in the forest.

Stay: There’s no shortage of quality lodges and resorts in and around Stowe, but I like the vibe at , designed with adventure in mind. It offers bike storage, a yoga room, and direct access to the Little River and the Stowe Rec Path. (From $150.)

Don’t Miss: The apple cider. Fall means more than just pretty leaves in Vermont. It means ripe apples. , a working cider mill, has become a destination for those who want to see how cider is made while also sampling the goods. There’s a restaurant on site, too; get a grilled panini with local cheddar and cider jelly.

4. Taos, New Mexico

Don’t let the high-desert location fool you; there are plenty of hardwoods in these hills. The Sangre de Cristo Mountains are packed with stands of aspen trees turning yellow and orange in the fall, sticking out like splotches of paint against the backdrop of evergreens. Go lower in the valley, and the cottonwoods are turning yellow. I spent a weekend fly fishing streams around Taos one fall several years ago and was blown away by the color surrounding me. Meanwhile,Ìę restaurants, such as a local favorite called the Love Apple, make the most of autumn harvests, while the brims with apples, greens, gourds, and nuts.

Peak Season: Leaves begin to change in the middle of September, and color will peak in mid-October, lingering into November. Get your timing right and you can hit the annual in nearby Red River (October 6 to 8), which is complete with German food and music.

What to do in Taos, New Mexico

Raft the Rio Grande: There’s some serious whitewater nearby as the Rio Grande rages through the Taos Box Canyon, but there’s also serious foliage to be seen on the mellow stretches of the famous river. Sign up for a of the Orilla Verde section of the Rio Grande ($65 per adult) where the water meanders past stands of cottonwoods in full glory. Trips run into the middle of October.

Take a Scenic Drive: Highway 64, an 80-mile byway from Taos to Tierra Amarilla, features a number of pullouts overlooking the Brazos Cliffs, which are flanked by golden aspens. Also be sure to stop at Garcia Park, inside where a high-elevation meadow is ringed by aspens, and the higher peaks of Wheeler Peak Wilderness Area dominate the skyline.

Stay: has a handful of cabins and tipis on a 40-acre farm north of Taos (from $119 for tipis; from $129 for cabins). The goji berries for which it is named are harvested in the summer, but the farm also features pumpkin patches and apple orchards, not to mention barrel saunas set beneath the hardwoods.

Don’t Miss: Angel Fire Resort runs a on weekends in the fall ($20 per adult), carrying you to the top of the 10,677-foot peak of the same name, for views of the entire Moreno Valley and Wheeler Peak beyond. From the top, you can take your pick of hiking trails down.

5. New Paltz, New York

This vibrant college town (go SUNY Hawks!) sits on the edge of the Shawangunk Ridge within the Catskill Mountains, just 90 miles from New York City. The terrain is a mix of rocky crags, steep mountains, and Hudson River farmland, most of which is shrouded in tufts of hardwoods that turn it on each fall. Much of the land surrounding this town of 7,500 is protected as either a state park or preserve and open to the public.

Peak Season: The colors tend to peak between early and mid-October, as the red oaks, maples, and dogwoods shift into bright reds, oranges, and yellows. September and October are prime apple-picking season as well. Pick your own (and pumpkins too) at .

What to do in New Paltz, New York

Climb in the Gunks: The Shawangunk Ridge, aka the Gunks, is a collection of quartz conglomerate cliffs inside the ($20 entry fee) in the Catskills Mountains that offer some of the best trad climbing in the country, with hundreds of high-quality routes, mostly one to three pitches. September and October, thanks to the cooler weather, are stellar climbing season. The scenery ain’t bad either, as the hardwoods that dominate the valley below the Shawangunks are ablaze with color. Try the classic two-pitch High Exposure, an amazingly airy 5.6 with a roof crux that will have you questioning the grade.

Bike the carriage trails: Minnewaska State Park has an extensive system of double-track carriage trails that are perfect for your gravel bike. Knock out a of the system, and you’ll loop around Lake Minnewaska and top out on outcroppings with dramatic views of the area.

Stay: The rooms at aren’t cheap (from $995 a night), but the massive historic building sits on its own lake and the prices are all-inclusive, including three meals, afternoon tea and cookies, and access to 85 miles of trails on the property. You can even borrow fishing rods and bait to fish in the lake.

Don’t Miss: The hard cider. The Hudson Valley has a longstanding tradition of apple growing, and a number of cideries have popped up in recent years. grows the apples on its own farm, just east of New Paltz, for its dry and semi-sour ciders. Try the raw cider, which is unfiltered and wild-fermented.

6. Leavenworth, WashingtonÌę

Tucked into the Cascade Mountains, the Bavarian-styled village of Leavenworth is partially known as a ski town thanks to its access to Stevens Pass, 40 minutes away. But I’d argue that Leavenworth truly comes alive in the fall, amid the glow of the aspens and cottonwoods that surround the Wenatchee River as it winds through town, while the restaurants and breweries that line Front Street double down on German fare. Bonus? The mountains surrounding Leavenworth have stands of Larch trees, pines whose needles turn golden yellow during the fall.

Peak Season: Leaves start turning in the middle of September and typically peak in mid-October. The small town hosts one of the largest in the country, with events that span three weekends (September 29 to 30, October 6 to 7, and October 13 to 14).

What to do in Leavenworth, Washington

Boulder in Icicle Creek Canyon: Bouldering on the river rocks along the edge of Icicle Creek will put you in the thick of some of the best foliage in the area. Boulders with established problems can be found throughout the canyon along the road. There is no shortage of options, but head to the for the biggest selection at all grades. Breadline, a V0 with gentle layback moves and a clean landing, is the best entry problem to the area.

Hike to Colchuck Lake: This aqua-blue alpine lake sits beneath two of the tallest peaks in Washington: Dragontail and Colchuck Peak. It’s a pretty scene any time of year, but downright magnificent in the fall when the thick forest of larches on the edge of the lake go golden. It’s a tough , but one of the most brilliant foliage hikes ever. Make sure you have cash for a parking pass at Colchuck Lake Trailhead ($5 a day, or purchase an annual which covers all day-use fees for $30).

Stay: Bed down at LOGE Riverside, which has eight recently renovated one-bedroom cabins along the Wenatchee River. In addition to views of the river, the cabins feature a communal outdoor area with hammocks, fire pits, and an open-air kitchen. (From $143 a night.)

Don’t Miss: A brat at . You’re in Bavaria, right? So you order a brat, put some sauerkraut and locally made mustards on it, sit in a beer garden next to a fire pit, and eat it.

Ìę7. Crested Butte, Colorado

You know Crested Butte Resort offers insanely good skiing, and you may know that downtown Crested Butte has a fun, Wild West vibe thanks to the multi-colored facades of the wooden buildings that line Elk Avenue, many of which date back to the late 1800s. But you might not know that those mountains that turn white in winter will shimmer with golden aspens in the fall. September and October are shoulder season in this ski town, which means you won’t have to fight the crowds that line up for the powder come winter.

Peak Season: The aspens should peak in the middle of September and fizzle out by the first of October. Show up on September 9 for the and you can sample bowls of the good stuff from amateurs and professional chefs alike.Ìę

What to do in Crested Butte, Colorado

Hike Kebler Pass: Colorado is known for its aspens, and even has a pretty famous town named after the tree. But the largest aspen grove in the state sits at Kebler Pass in It’s more than 100 acres, holding an estimated 47,000 trees. Hike the easy from Lost Lake Campground near the summit of the pass, for a three-mile jaunt through the yellow trees.

Bike Strand Hill: Kebler Pass has no monopoly on aspens in the Crested Butte area.

is an intermediate-friendly mountain-bike trail that cruises through broad meadows with epic views of Teocali and Whetstone Mountains before delivering you into thick groves of aspens. The singletrack is more flowy than technical, such that the trail stands out amid Crested Butte’s notoriously gnarly mountain biking.

Stay: , in a renovated historic saloon, isn’t huge; there are only six bedrooms, but it’s the common spaces that make this lodge sing. The place is outfitted with an indoor saltwater pool, rooftop hot tub, steam room, and gear lockers, and it even boasts an oxygen-enriched air system to help you combat altitude fatigue. (From $1,080 a night, two-night minimum.)

Don’t Miss: The rum at . Head to the tasting room in downtown Crested Butte for samples of their American-made rum and other cocktails. Order the Hot Flash, a pineapple-and-habanero-infused rum with house-made apple cider.

8. Eureka Springs, Arkansas

Eureka Springs is just plain pretty. The whole town, which is built into the side of a mountain, is on the National Register of Historic Places for its lovingly restored Victorian-era architecture. In the fall, those ornate buildings are completely enveloped by technicolor hardwoods. Need more enticing? The town has 13 cold natural springs, which people have been visiting for their healing properties since the late 1800s. Meanwhile, the mellow Ozark Mountains roll away from main street in every direction.

Peak Season: Mild temps and lower elevation means a later bloom, so expect the leaves to peak late in October.

What to do in Eureka Springs, Arkansas

Bike Lake Leatherwood: This city park protects 1,610 acres of surprisingly steep slopes on the edge of Lake Leatherwood, which is why pro trail builders targeted the park for the , a series of downhill-mountain-bike trails. The spot has now become the state’s most coveted downhill park. There’s something for all skill levels, but DH2, a black diamond, is the standout, beginning with lots of flow before finishing with a quarter-mile of steep, rocky bliss.

Paddle the Kings River: Kings is a free-flowing river running north through the Ozarks into Missouri, passing a series of dramatic rock bluffs and dense forest on its 90-mile journey. Canoe the mellow eight-mile Rockhouse to Trigger Gap, which passes through a preserve owned by the Arkansas Nature Conservancy, and is full of rocky beaches and flanked by foliage. Rent canoes and arrange for a shuttle with ($80 a day).

Stay: Complete your tour-de-trees by sleeping in them. The are six elevated cabins in a canopy of colorful leaves in a 52-acre forest. Each treehouse comes with a fireplace and hot tub. (From $249 a night.)

Don’t Miss: The seasonal menu at . It’s a set, multi-course affair that changes monthly or weekly depending on the chef’s mood and what’s available. Last October had fall-inspired twists like lamb-and-pumpkin pot pie and pear-and-cider sorbet.

9. Stanley, Idaho

There’s “small,” and then there’s Stanley, with a year-round population of fewer than 75. Summer is high season in this outpost tucked into the Sawtooth Valley, at the base of the rugged Sawtooth Mountains, so fall takes on a relatively sleepy vibe. That’s just fine by us, because you’re here for the foliage, not the crowds. Yellow and gold cottonwoods line the rivers, and aspens decorate the mountain slopes. As for recreation, you’ve got fishing and hiking galore, not to mention a bevy of natural hot springs for soaking.

Peak Season: Show up in late September or early October for your best chance at peak color. Also note that a lot of businesses shut down by the end of October.

What to do in Stanley, Idaho

Bike the Sawtooths: The 116-mile Sawtooth Scenic Highway (highway 75) makes for a foliage-filled jaunt. You can take it easy in a car or earn your views by pedaling a portion of this highway. The Galena Summit Overlook (8,701 feet) at the top of Galena Pass makes for a good turnaround point, as it offers a broad view of the entire Sawtooth Valley, highlighted by the headwaters of the Salmon River and the rocky peaks of the Sawtooth Mountains. It’s a big, 60-mile out and back, but you’ll get your fill of foliage and scenic views.

Hike the Redfish Lake Area: The 1,500-acre Redfish Lake, south of Stanley, is a hub of recreation in the Sawtooth Valley, hosting a number of trailheads with paths leading into the higher elevations of the Sawtooth Mountains. The lake is also a hot spot for fall foliage, as the banks surrounding the water are filled with aspens glinting in the sun. Hike the 4.4-mile out and back (Trail 186), from the Redfish Trailhead, for an easy stroll through a tunnel of these sparkling trees.

Stay: has inexpensive rooms in the heart of town. Those rooms also have incredible views of the Sawtooths, and access to the resort’s private hot springs. (From $119.)

Don’t Miss: The hot springs. There are 130 different hot springs in Idaho, several of which surround the small town of Stanley. You have many options, but , with its waterfall and separate natural pools, might be the most scenic.

Graham Averill is șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű magazine’s national-parks columnist. He loves all seasons, but after this incredibly hot summer, is really looking forward to fall. He’s ready to ride bikes through falling leaves and drink malty lagers next to a campfire.

For more by this author, see:

The Creepiest Unsolved Mysteries in U.S. National Parks

The 10 Most Beautiful Hikes in U.S. National Forests

The post The 9 Best Mountain Towns to See Fall Foliage appeared first on șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online.

Holiday season is here. șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű editors spent November preparing our Holiday Gift Guide, publishing longform features about recovery through psychedelics, what happened to pro skier Angel Collinson, the lives of ski patrollers, and the mystery of the “Man In a Can,” and diving into some of our best recent print features on the șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Podcast. We also immersed ourselves in music inspired by birds, some of the latest streaming series, a film about lava, and a classic text from 70s counter-culture. Here’s what we loved this month.

November Featured Pick: For The Birds: The Birdsong Project

There’s something uniquely compelling about the space where nature and music meet. Even strumming basic chords on a guitar hits different when you’re sitting on a screened porch or by a fire, accompanied by an ensemble of environmental sound. Spend enough time outside, and you’ll start to hear musical patterns all around you—perhaps most clearly in birdsongs.

, released in installments throughout 2022, brings together 172 pieces of music and 73 works of poetry inspired by birdsong. It is truly an all-genre project, featuring folk, indie rock, hip-hop, classical, experimental, and everything in between. About a dozen of my favorite artists, whose names I never expected to see next to each other, appear on the project. You’re sure to be a fan of someone .

Despite the eclectic mix, I was surprised to find that the collection flows naturally. Giving each contributor the same prompt led to a cohesive vibe that made changes in style less jarring. There are many traditionally structured songs with lyrics about birds, and plenty of field recordings and bird samples, of course. But some of the most interesting works feature musicians and producers experimenting, without the added pressure of packaging and selling what they record. While many performing artists lost a primary source of income during the pandemic, they also had an opportunity to slow down and take inspiration from the natural world. It’s clear that inspiration made its way into these recordings. Many are peaceful and contemplative, while some are more challenging and thought provoking, and all feel of a time.

The Birdsong Project is not just a compilation of music and poetry, though—it was created to benefit the and draw attention to the threats birds and bird habitats face. 100% of streaming royalties go to the Audubon Society, and if you buy the 20LP box set (which seems very cool, if you can spare $400), 20% of the cost will go to Audubon. I recommend listening through all five volumes on a sunny weekend. —Jonathan Ver Steegh, digital production manager

What We Read

Be Here Now, by Ram Dass

This month, I readÌęBe Here Now,Ìęby Ram Dass, which took me on a delightfully strange journey. After listening to the last track of Jon Hopkins’ Music for Psychedelic Therapy—a nine-minute long ambient track with a short meditation read by Dass—enough times for it to earn a place in my top five songs of the year, I ordered a copy of . The bulk of the book is printed vertically and comes with line-drawings that range from explicit to psychedelic to simply cute (one of my favorite pages includes a large, detailed drawing of a butterfly). It’s his manifesto, equally influenced by Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, and large doses of psychoactive drugs, in which he argues for a deeply present, blissed-out way of being. It’s fascinating and fantastic, even if you don’t ascribe to his beliefs. For spiritual wanderers, artists, poets, musicians, or anyone curious about other realms of existence, this is a worthwhile read. —Abigail Barronian, senior editor

What We Watched

Chefs vs. Wild

In this Hulu original (which Briana RiddockÌęwrote about forÌęșÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű a couple months ago), two chefs are each matched with a survivalist and compete to see which pair can forage and then prepare the best elevated (read: bougie) three-course meal. Each team has two to four days to collect oysters, berries, moss, and other wild ingredients, while sleeping in self-made shelters, before they meet in host Kiran Jethwa’s outdoor kitchen and cook head to head. The survival aspect is a bit cheesy—we aren’t talking about Alone-style 75 days of moose hunting in the snow here—and each chef is given the main protein, whether it be elk ribs or a goose. But it’s entertaining to watch the chefs get creative: one chef makes candied mushrooms and another features sea urchins in a dessert. And the shots of crisp lakes and dense Canadian forests makeÌęChefsÌęvs. Wild the perfect palate cleanser after a long day at the office. —Abigail Wise, digital managing director

Fire of Love

The star of this film is lava.ÌęLavas,Ìęplural: bubbling, buckling in scales and plates, shooting sky-high, or rolling and steaming underwater; simmering and curling back; shooting up and cascading in clots. Glowing in hummocks or red-and-charcoal flows, lines and lattices.ÌęHow did they film all this? you keep wondering of the “volcanologists” (a new term on me), the married French scientists Katia and Maurice Krafft, who traveled the world to study and document.

The answer to the above question is that the two went closer and closer to the fire, accepting risk. What in the end killed them reminds me of an aspect of mountaineering. It was not so much what they did that day, but that in spending such a multitude of days out, they were exposed to more possibilities.

I did find some of the film’s machinations, like the junk about how they met on a blind date, or maybe they didn’t, slow. I also sometimes found the two—especially Maurice, a big personality—to pull out the schtick. “It’s hard for volcanologists to live together!” he says in an interview. “It’s volcanic! We erupt!” (I loved the quiet, slender Katia, who tilted her head in sincere laughter as he spoke.) The time he goes out in a rubber dinghy in a steaming acid lake seemed ludicrous showboating (sorry), and the film’s claims for how many lives they saved were not substantiated, nor did we receive much of an analysis of the explosion in Japan in 1991 that took them. But the two really loved volcanoes and each other, and strongly raised awareness of evacuation necessity, and I have never seen anything before like the cinematography. I urge anyone to see this film on the big screen. —Alison Osius, senior editor

Ken Block’s Electrikhana

As an outdoor journalist, I have very complicated feelings about motorsport. The United States’ addiction to the fossil fuel-guzzling personal automobile is both contributing to the ongoing, possibly-terminal climate meltdown and reinforcing the kind of car-first urban design that kills cyclists and pedestrians and disenfranchises anyone who relies on public transportation. On the other hand, fast cars are cool in the most visceral way; they just are. Few people make them look quite as cool as Ken Block, the rally driver and DC Shoes founder who’s spun, slid, and jumped a parade of them in his 14-year old video series Gymkhana.

The latest installment in the series, Electrikhana, let me get my hit of adrenaline while giving my guilty conscience a bit of a reprieve. Set in Las Vegas, the nine-and-a-half-minute video is the first one to feature an all-electric car, an Audi S1 e-tron quattro dubbed the Hoonitron. Watching Block pull a reverse entry in front of the Mandalay Bay or turn doughnuts in a casino lobby while a bunch of craps players cheer him on lit up the basest pleasure centers in my brain in a way that few other things can. We may need to imagine a future without the internal combustion engine, but it’s nice to know we don’t have to imagine one without this. —Adam Roy, executive editor, Backpacker

The Vow: Season 2

I am a voracious consumer of all pop-culture projects focused on cults and wackadoo religious sects. Yes, I have been busy. In recent years, filmmakers, writers, and podcast producers have served up a dizzying tonnage of content on cults, fromÌęÌęandÌę, to theÌęÌęsect in northwest Oregon, toÌęÌęandÌętheÌę. One challenge that all cult projects face is trying to explain to the viewer at home how they—a seemingly normal person—might fall under the command of a charismatic guru like David Koresh or L. Ron Hubbard. HBO’s recent series, The Vow, accomplishes this better than any project I’ve ever seen.

The Vow charts the rise and fall of the Albany, New York-based cult NXIVM and its cherubic leader Keith Rainere, who in 2019 was convicted on charges of sex trafficking, racketeering, and posession of child pornography. Prosecutors showed how Rainere brainwashed female NXIVM members into becoming kept sex objects of his, and convinced an inner circle of them to brand his initials into their flesh. How, on Earth, does a rational person end up in this situation, especially after so many examples of cults gone wrong? The Vow takes great pains to explain the sometimes decades-long process that followers underwent in NXIVM to get to this point, with grueling and non-judgemental detail.

NXIVM marketed itself as a self-help group, and its Executive Success Program (ESP) attracted tens of thousands of seemingly normal professionals looking for a boost of confidence in their personal and professional lives. The Vow’s opening season shows why NXIVM’s tenets were so attractive, and how scores of rational people saw immediate results from adopting its rules on personal development. I found myself nodding while listening to former cult members describe their early experiences with Rainere and NXIVM’s co-founder Nancy Salzman, and thinking to myself that yeah, I probably could have gotten into NXIUM’s preachy philosophies, too. In my eyes, the NXIVM teachings felt like therapy sessions with a good counselor, and were similarly aimed at helping people identify their own emotional responses.

As the series unfolds, directors show how these initial teachings laid the groundwork for some followers to fall under the spell of Rainere and his coterie of deputies, sometimes over the course of years. These unlucky few became those who Rainere abused. Behind the curtain, Rainere steered NXIVM as his personal machine for grooming sex partners and siphoning millions out of their pockets for his own gain. He’s now serving 120 years in federal prison. —Frederick Dreier, articles editor

The post ‘The Birdsong Project,’ and Everything Else Our Editors Loved in November appeared first on șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online.

Nothing beats running trails in the fall. Yellow, red, and orange leaves flutter in the wind and settle on the ground, creating a layer of softness. The sound of crunching leaves underfoot syncing with the sound of my steaming breaths on a cold, crisp morning is enough to make me raise my arms mid-run and yell, “Isn’t this amazing!?!” to whoever I’m running with, even if it’s just my dog. But, fickle fall weather means you have to dress right: warm enough to keep from freezing when you head out or when the wind blows in a snow squall, but breathable enough that you’re not overheating a mile into the run.

As a longtime gear tester, I have the luxury of running in some of the best shoes and apparel without wrecking my bank account. Armed with the knowledge from putting myriad pieces of apparel through their paces, I’ve pulled together my recommendations for the ideal fall trail running kit. These items all excel in their category and are great picks for assembling a fall running kit. They also serve as examples of what you should look for in fabrics, features, and silhouettes for running when the weather gets brisk.

Black Diamond Lightwire Tech Tee ($55)

In early October, I wore this tee on four long, stinky, sweaty days in a row running hut-to-hut on the Appalachian Trail. I’d air the tee out each night, then pull it on in the mornings. Once back home in Colorado, I continue to wear it regularly, on its own on warm days and under layers in cooler temps. It’s thin enough to layer easily, and I love its ability to breathe well and dry quickly—it’s made of stretch recycled polyester knit with a “Quick Dry” finish. I also love how it moves with me, whether I’m flailing my arms around on a wild descent or climbing a steep slope using trekking poles. I chalk that mobility up to the fabric’s four-way stretch construction and the gusseted underarms. And, about those four days in a row: the recycled fabric held off stink pretty dang well, as far as I could tell. (Hut-mates might disagree…but it must have been them, not me.)

Tracksmith Off Roads Long Sleeve ($98)

Merino wool is the coziest fabric to pull on for cool runs. Its natural ability to breathe while providing just the right amount of insulated warmth is fantastic. This long sleeve shirt from Tracksmith blends merino with Tencel. The combination of these two natural fibers creates an antimicrobial, sweat-wicking, durable top that works in a range of weather. I love the long cut of the sleeves, and the thumb holes, as I prefer to pull sleeves over cold hands at the start of a fall run instead of wearing gloves, which I have to ditch or stash when I get warm. This shirt is also cut with a dropped hem on the backside, which provides a little extra, much-appreciated, warmth and coverage over capris.

Stio Glide Crop Tight ($119)

I find capri-length tights ideal for fall runs when tights would make me too warm, and shorts might make me freeze. Those few inches of exposure on my legs are essential for regulating my body heat.The Glide Crop Tights’ price point may be higher than a 60-minute massage, but the soft, stretchy, not-too-thin nylon/spandex material feels fantastic against the skin. I also love the wide waistband that eliminates any discomfort around the midsection, and the spacious, horizontal pocket on the backside that allows me to stash everything from gloves to a headband and not have them bounce obnoxiously. Two side pockets along the upper thigh provide quick access to my phone, gels, or keys.

Janji Revo Rover Pullover ($124)

When I’m seeking a little extra warmth, I throw this piece over both the Black Diamond Lightwire Tech Tee and the Tracksmith Off Roads Long Sleeve. (In cool to cold temps with no precipitation, I often find layering shirts more breathable and versatile than layering a jacket.) The loose, mock neck styling provides coverage and warmth without strangling—or annoying—me, and the long-cut arms and thumbholes keep my hands cozy. The material is a blend of wool and volcanic ash-enhanced nylon, an that helps remove sweat vapor before it becomes liquid and soaks the wool. The interior has a French terry face that is super buttery soft, feels fantastic, and wicks sweat admirably. This versatile layer will keep me comfortable through winter.

Patagonia Houdini Jacket ($109)

Patagonia’s Houdini Jacket has been a staple in trail running circles for years. The 100% recycled nylon ripstop shell is extremely lightweight and packable while providing a protective shield from biting winds and light precipitation. (Steady rain requires a more waterproof jacket.) I rarely head out on a long run without this jacket shoved in my pack, and I love how much warmth pulling the hood over my head provides on summits or descents—just by blocking the wind. This season’s Houdini is updated with a PFC-free durable water repellent (DWR) finish to minimize the use of chemicals.

Smartwool Athlete Edition Run Print Crew Socks ($27)

I wore these socks for days in a row while negotiating the giant granite boulders of the Appalachian Trail. I’ve also worn them on steep trails in Boulder. My point: They stay put no matter how off-camber or wild the footing, which, to me, means it’s a great-fitting sock. Smartwool’s fit system—with targeted areas of durability, breathability, cushioning, and seamlessness—works, as does its blend of merino, nylon, recycled nylon, elastane, and polyester. I also love the above-the-ankle length of these socks that keeps trail junk from irritating my feet while also adding a bit of lower-leg warmth when paired with capris or shorts. And the fun, vibrant prints rock.

Smartwool Thermal Merino Reversible Headband ($22)

I’m a big fan of wearing trucker hats on trail runs for sun protection and keeping brow sweat out of my eyes. But sometimes, cool to cold fall temps call for headwear that’s warmer than a trucker hat or traditional running cap, but not as warm as a beanie. This headband, made out of 100% soft merino wool, has been a go-to piece for early morning cold starts and outings in cloudy, foggy conditions or other low light. It wicks sweat, keeps my crazy hair from flailing about, and warms my ears while allowing heat to escape from the top of my head. When I heat up enough that I don’t want to wear it anymore, it stashes away easily, packing up to fit within theÌę palm of my hand. Or, I can wear it (loosely) around my wrist. Bonus: It’s reversible.

Arc’teryx Soria Long Line Bra ($70)

I was skeptical that this bra would fit comfortably—at first glance it reminded me of a corset. It extends down to mid-torso and rises higher up on my neckline than most sports bras, and has crisscross back straps. As it turned out, the bra proved comfortable for hours on end. I ended up appreciating the high neck for its extra coverage from the sun or the cold when worn under a scoop-neck tank or shirt. The longer-cut torso also adds a bit of warmth around the core. I may be too modest to wear a sports bra on its own, but I’d be tempted with this one—it provides a good amount of coverage and looks good, to boot. Sweat-wicking, breathable material—a nylon knit with elastane for stretch and an anti-odor finish—and the thin, removable pads add to this bra’s functionality.

The post I Found the Perfect Running Kit for Fall’s Variable Weather appeared first on șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online.

șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű editors were busy in October. We launched our Winter Gear Guide, published long reads about spiders, FKTs, and ponies, and organized a Q&A with acclaimed science writer David Quammen. In our free time, we kept up with the latest fantasy series, read contributing editor and Tough Love columnist Blair Braverman’s first novel, and combined our love for Halloween and the outdoors with our featured pick, forest horror film Significant Other. Here are all of the films, shows, and booksÌęwe enjoyed this month.

October Featured Pick: Significant Other

Over Halloween weekend, my fiancĂ©e and I were looking for something to watch that was scary but not too scary. We stumbled upon , an outdoorsy alien thriller streaming on Paramount+ starring Jake Lacy and Maika Monroe. It’s got all the tropes of “forest horror,” which contributing editor Tom Vanderbilt succinctly laid out in his recent ode to scary movies set in the wild: “The protagonists of the film, after first driving from some crowded urban setting, will soon find themselves on quieter roads. They will sing along to old songs on the radio. They will stop for gas or supplies in some greasy, fly-specked dive, where they encounter a cantankerous clerk whose face will assume a foreboding expression the minute they leave…In the woods, they will find there is no cell service.”

Well, in this case they encounter a creepy kid at a diner on the way to a trailhead on the Oregon Coast who warns them about a mysterious comet that landed in the area. Ignoring him, the couple sets out on a backpacking trip loop that Lac’ƒs , Harry, has done many times. He projects encouragement and confidence to his girlfriend, Ruth, who is inexperienced in the backcountry and full of nerves. It turns out, her anxiety is very much warranted. I won’t spoil it, but strange things start to happen in the woods and characters start behaving weirdly, yet not for the reasons you think—there is a great twist in the middle. The acting is decent, the portrayal of backpacking could be worse (though I’m not sure a fire grate or a large lantern would make the cut for my pack?), the scenery is in turn beautiful and terrifying (it was shot on site in Oregon), and the payoff is satisfying. The film ends up really being about how anxiety can feel suffocating and overpowering, but is not impossible to overcome. —Luke Whelan, senior editor

What We Watched

60 Minutes: “Sharswood”

°ä”țł§â€™s 60 Minutes recently produced a segment called “.” It’s the amazing story of a Black family in Virginia who unwittingly bought a home on ten acres that they could use and enjoy for big family gatherings, only to discover that the shack on the property once housed their own enslaved ancestors. Sharswood, as the Civil War era house was called, was located on the site of a major former plantation. The intersection of history, genealogy, and archeology in this episode was fascinating—and it was fun to listen to family members relay how the past came to reveal itself via neighbors, scientists, and digging into old records—but also sobering. They learned about a slave cemetery just off their land, marked by tiny headstones between the leaves, that none of them even had an inkling existed in their many years in the community. “We all live in the same area, we come past this place, and we would not know that our ancestors were right there beside us the entire time,” the owner’s sister says, to which her brother chimes in: “If we’d never bought that house, we’d never know.” —Tasha Zemke, associate managing editor

Derry Girls

The last season of finally hit Netflix on October 7, and it was “cracker,” as they say in Northern Ireland, where the show is set. The TV comedy is about five teenagers living in mid-1990’s Derry during the final years of the Troubles, a violent sectarian conflict that began in the late 60’s. While the show premiered in 2018, I only started watching it in September, shortly after Queen Elizabeth’s death prompted some . The series is based on creator Lisa McGee’s own experience growing up in Derry, and effortlessly portrays the cringiness and high-voltage emotion of normal teenage girlhood, while also showing how bomb scares and military checkpoints inevitably shape the characters’ lives, too. With just 19 mostly-under-30-minute episodes over three seasons, the series goes by fast. I already miss it. —Isabella Rosario, assistant editor

House of the Dragon

Look, I realize that HBO needs no assistance in promoting its ten-part Game of Thrones prequel , which aired the final episode of its debut season on October 23. By all audience metrics, the show was a smash hit, with viewership numbers hovering around 10 million for each episode, according to Nielsen. Still, I feel compelled to stan for House of the Dragon because of the opinion gap that appears to exist between regular Schmo viewers (myself included) and snooty TV critics. Pretty much everyone I know who watched the show enjoyed it, yet the online tastemakers whose opinions I truly value couldn’t stand it. Rolling Stone’s Alan Sepinwall “a calculated piece of brand extension for the newly-merged Warner Bros. Discovery.” On his weekly podcast , The Ringer critic Andy Greenwald said that the show had forever tarnished the Game of Thrones brand. “The series seems so stuck on what it doesn’t want to be that no part of it feels fully defined on its own terms,” of Vulture. I don’t know how else to express my opinion, so I’ll just write it in simple terms: these critics are wrong, and their opinions reek of coastal snobbery. Here in the flyover suburbs, TV viewing is merely entertainment and not a quest for the next great prestige program.

House of the Dragon has a basic if familiar format: it is a family drama in which all of the main characters play relatable roles to anyone with jealous siblings and crazy aunts and uncles. Frenemies and main characters Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) and Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) are the overlooked-but-ambitious rivals. Brooding conspirators Daemon Targaryan (Matt Smith) and Otto Hightower (Rhys Ifans) are the dastardly and plotting uncles. And then there’s the poor king, Viserys Targaryen, who plays the role of Sad Dad and has one basic desire: for his warring family members to enjoy just one meal together without a sword fight breaking out. Sure, House of the Dragon has magic, castles, and plenty of fantasy tropes. But if you watch the show through the lens of family dysfunction, you too will come to appreciate it in a way that even the smartest TV critic somehow missed. —Frederick Dreier, articles editor

The Rings of Power

I’ll be honest, I wasn’t initially planning to watch . I didn’t see how a series spawned partially from Jeff Bezos’s desire to compete with Game of Thrones could possibly do J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth justice. And left me on guard for the shallow, money-grabbing spectacle many sci-fi and fantasy fans fear when their favorite works end up in the hands of massive corporations like Amazon. But when the show started up, I remembered how it felt to read and watch Peter Jackson’s adaptations (, of course), and I couldn’t resist stepping back into that world. From the premiere, I was awed. The visuals alone are extraordinary—as they should be for the price—but it was the soul of the show, the charm of the characters, and the stakes of the story that kept me captivated. The show’s creators are clearly fans themselves, and though they messed with Tolkien’s timeline a bit to fit everything together for the series, they stayed true to all the little things that set the LotR universe apart. The result is a joy to watch. I look forward to catching the details I missed the first time on a rewatch, and memorizing a few Harfoot aphorisms for everyday use while I’m at it. —Jonathan Ver Steegh, digital production manager

What We Read

Small Game, by Blair Braverman

șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű columnist Blair Braverman’s hit shelves November 1. I was lucky enough to get my hands on an advance copy, which I tore through in two days. It’s about a survival reality TV show that goes terribly wrong, and though Blair says it bears no resemblance to her own time spent on a similar show, its realism is certainly a result of Blair’s ability to draw from her own life and supplement her experience with research. Filled with beautifully complex characters and settings, and wound tight with tension, it’s an addictive read that will make you question what it really means to survive. —Maren Larsen, podcast producer

I knew I loved Blair Braverman’s first novel when I stayed up until 2 A.M. (five hours past my bedtime) multiple nights in a row because I couldn’t put it down. The plot is engrossing: a group of folks sign up for a survival reality TV show, and then something goes terribly wrong—no spoilers here!—but it’s the 3-D characters that really make Small Game sing: Mara, the protagonist, who joins the show as a means of escaping a mediocre relationship, is exceptionally prepared for the challenges ahead after growing up with prepper parents. Ashley, the influencer, winds up being much more than a pretty face; Kyle the Eagle Scout is earnest to a fault and there to win; Bullfrog, the mysterious survivalist, has depths beyond his gruff exterior; and James, as Blair writes in the first chapter, “was the only one who got out in time.” The thoughtful character development, Blair’s descriptive writing, and the surprising plot twists make this a real page-turner. —Abigail Wise, digital managing director

Read an Excerpt

Jitterbug Perfume, by Tom Robbins, and Reverse Cowgirl, by McKenzie Wark

This month, I read two amazing, wild books: , an old Tom Robbins novel about perfume, immortality, and the power of pleasure-seeking, and , a strikingly honest look at author McKenzie Wark’s relationship to sex and gender. Both are sexually explicit, entertaining, and thought provoking, but that’s where the similarities end. Robbins’ work is a multi-century epic about the quest for many things, including an escape from death and the finest scent the world has ever seen, written in his characteristically madcap, freewheeling style. Wark’s, on the other hand, is something like a memoir, in which Wark generously and patiently walks the reader through her cycle of repeatedly finding and losing herself in sex, and eventually discovering that she is trans. Neither are safe for work, both are worth a read. —Abigail Barronian, senior editor

Nothing But Blackened Teeth, by Cassandra Khaw

I love short books for two reasons. One, they’re easy to slip into a backpack (or ski pack, or fanny pack, don’t judge) and take with me when I’m on an adventure. Two, I spend all day reading things for work and I find the idea of tackling a big novel right after I clock out for the day absolutely exhausting. is perfect on both counts: at 128 pages, it’s a short, nasty little horror of a novella that’s perfect for spooky season. A group of friends with a very complicated history get together for a wedding in an abandoned Japanese manor and—hold onto your hats—disturb something they ought to have left alone. Desperation, betrayal, and some occasionally hard-to-stomach choices ensue. What I love most about writer Cassandra Khaw’s work is how skilled she is at creating a haunted atmosphere: her descriptions of worm-eaten books and sludge-choked koi ponds make the house itself feel like a monster. —Adam Roy, executive editor, Backpacker

The post The Backpacking Horror Film ‘Significant Other,’ and Everything Else Our Editors Loved in October appeared first on șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online.

Leaf peep like a pro with Gaia GPS.

You reach the trailhead after a long drive and begin marching into the woods in search of those brilliant fall colors that arrive each year with the first chill. Then, a depressing reality greets you: the trees are already skeletal, their leaves crumpled on the ground. Yep, you mistimed your fall foliage adventure.

There’s a new method to find peak fall colors, and it could help you decide whether or not to trek to your favorite grove of trees. Our șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Inc. colleagues at Gaia GPS now have access to satellite images from the United States Geological Survey and the European Space Agency, and the pictures capture the reds, oranges, and yellows of fall foliage. Here’s how these recent satellite images can help you plan your next leaf-peeping adventure.

Where to Start: the Fall Foliage Prediction Map

Start your planning with the on SmokyMountains.com. Created by David Angotti and Wes Melton, this map uses meteorological data to forecast when the colors will build, peak, and then drop. The page will give you a general idea of when the leaves in your area will be turning. You can use the scroll bar at the bottom of the map to see when colors are slated to peak in the region you plan to visit.

Next: Find Your Location on Gaia GPS

To plan your route, either visit Gaia GPS online or open the smartphone app. You will need a to access the satellite imagery. Gaia’s default is the worldwide topographic map, and you can scroll across the screen to find the region you plan to visit.

Once you’ve honed in on your destination, click on the Layers tab on the left side of the screen. You can search through a variety of imaging layers offered by Gaia GPS in the Layers tab. Add the “Fresh Sat – Recent” and “Fresh Sat- Cloudfree” options to your active layers. Both layers are composed of images taken from as recently as today or over the past two weeks by the two satellites.

Look for Colors

The images provided by the two satellites have a lower resolution than those from Gaia’s normal satellite imagery—approximately 10 to 15 meters per pixel. So you won’t be able to zoom in to see minute details like road surface or individual clumps of trees. But the images will clearly show swaths of yellow, orange, and brown on the screen. For even higher quality sat imagery, check out Gaia GPS’s .

Make sure to look at the date stamp on the image—it will be in red block text in the bottom left-hand corner of the tile. This is when the image was snapped. Some images are as recent as the same day, others may be a few days older.

If the area is obscured by cloud cover, search the Fresh Sat – Cloud Free layer. While this layer may not be as up to date as the Fresh Sat – Recent layer, it will have cloudless images of the area.

Drop a Waypoint and Plot a Route

Locate the best colors on the map. Then, click on the “waypoint” icon in the right-hand toolbar, and drag the red icon to the specific point on the map. Drop the icon and then customize your waypoint with a name and an emoji symbol. Don’t forget to save your waypoints.

Then, back in the layers tab, click on the Fresh Sat – Recent scroll bar and move it all the way to the left. This action will make Gaia’s worldwide topo map appear. You can now use the route tool in the right toolbar to plot a hiking, biking, or driving route to your waypoint. No matter your transportation choice, the route tool will automatically snap to the optimum roadway or network of trails.

Download Your Route

If you’re heading to an area with poor or no cell service, be sure to in the Gaia GPS app before you depart. That way, you can navigate to and from your waypoint, even if you are off the grid. Downloading a map requires a Gaia GPS premium membership.

Allow for Some Flexibility

Because some of the satellite images may be a few days old, take note of the timestamp on each image and use your own judgement on the progression of the leaf colors. If the trees in your area go from green to orange to red, and the image is a few days old, then prioritize orange areas over the red ones. If the leaves are already brown, save yourself the drive—and start plotting next year’s leaf adventure.

Gaia GPS is a part of șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Inc., the same company that owns șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű. Ìę

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63 Parks Traveler started with a simple goal: to visit every U.S. national park. Avid backpacker and public-lands nerd saved up, built out a tiny van to travel and live in, and hit the road, practicing COVID-19 best safety protocols along the way. The parks as we know them are rapidly changing, and she wanted to see them before it’s too late. Cuyahoga Valley is her 48th park visit.

In autumn, when I visited, Cuyahoga’s latticework of hiking trails is transformed into a picture-perfect postcard of fall colors. In late spring, wild geranium, golden ragwort, and bright yellow daffodils adorn the forested paths. It’s a surprisingly colorful and untamed park, given its semi-urban location, straddling a river basin between Cleveland and Akron, Ohio.

The park is an important outdoor access hub for more than two million city dwellers. After the heavily polluted Cuyahoga River made national headlines in 1969 for , the area has since made an impressive comeback, with anglers, hikers, and kayakers flocking to its lush, riparian hollows and craggy ledges of sandstone.

Hoping to escape the throngs of waterfall chasers, I meandered around the 1.5-mile Brandywine Gorge Trail, communing with the quiet forest as a rainbow of leaves fell all around me. A nearby creek burbled as I traced my hands along dark grooves in the smooth stone walls. I was so close to civilization, and yet, something felt wildÌęabout the place.

Like many eastern parks, Cuyahoga Valley has a long history of human use. Once a hub for the Hopewell and Whittlesey Cultures and the site of Ottowa and Ojibwa camps, the area is perhaps best known for the historic , which once linked Lake Erie with the mighty Ohio River. This allowed for the state’s remote farmers to trade with the rest of the developed U.S. by using a series of locks and narrow canal boats to transport goods and people across the 308-mile stretch.

More recently, the canalway has been turned into a multi-use path for hikers, bikers, and runners. Named the Towpath Trail, it stretches for 90 uninterrupted miles between Cleveland and Bolivar. Ready for a change of pace from my world-worn hiking boots, I rented a hybrid bike on my second day in Cuyahoga and soared along the gravel track, whooshing past centuries-old railroad trestles and through forests alive with the fire of fall foliage.

For 15 miles, I flew across the park and felt as though I were riding backwards in time, past wooden storefronts and horse-drawn carriages, past the stone ruins of canal locks and bronze-hued maples with leaves the size of my head. It was breathtaking.

The entire experience left me feeling like I’d been an unapologetic western parks snob, and highlighted the importance of our more urban national parks as invaluable places of refuge. With Cuyahoga Valley making its debut on the top ten most visited parks in 2020, it sounds like the rest of the country agrees.

63 Parks Traveler Cuyahoga Valley Info

Size: 32,950 acres

Location: Northeastern Ohio, between Cleveland and Akron

Created In: 1974 (national recreation area), 2000 (national park)

Best For: Biking, hiking, waterfall viewing, history, scenic drives, fall colors

When to Go: Spring (29 to 69 degrees), summer (58 to 81 degrees), and fall (35 to 72 degrees) are all wonderful times to explore, but the park is at its most scenic when the leaves begin to change, usually in October. Winter (19 to 37 degrees) is brisk and may bring ice and snow on popular trails; microspikes are recommended.

Where to Stay: No campgrounds exist within the park, but the NPS does recommend a number of to pitch a tent. For those who’d like to step back in time and stay in one of the park’s historic buildings, (from $175)Ìęoffers lovely rooms filled with antiques and serves a complimentary breakfast.

Mini șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű: Hike the family-friendly . This 1.5-mile loop takes visitors right up to the park’s most popular waterfall, then descends through a dense forest to Brandywine Creek, where you’ll find a deep gorge of shale and sandstone.ÌęLike most of the park, this trail is pet-friendly.

Mega șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű: Bike the . Learn about the unique history of the Ohio & Erie Canal on the 20 miles of paved and gravel path that bisects the national park. I rented my bike at , in Peninsula, and was able to hop easily onto the multi-use path where it parallels the serpentine Cuyahoga River. Looking to bike the route one-way? The offers one-way tickets specifically for Towpath bikers. Nearly all of the trail is accessible and level, making it perfect for families and groups of all ages (pets can join too).

The post Cuyahoga Valley Is One of America’s Great Underrated National Parks appeared first on șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online.