5 Best Outdoor Autumn Activities

By Preston Hemmerich | September 11, 2015

We’re less than two weeks from the first (official) day of autumn, and at Outward On we took some time discussing our favorite activities for this time of year. While none of the activities are exclusive to fall, such as snow skiing tends to be with winter, they are sports that are best when enjoyed in the crisp autumn air and surrounded by shades of orange and red.

Hiking

There never is a bad time of year to go hiking, and you can find our website littered with information about hiking pretty much year-round. We just happen to love hiking most in autumn, and for very good reasons.

First, and this is something that is consistent throughout this article and with all these activities, the weather is perfect. It’s cool, breezy, and the sun won’t completely drain you by mid-morning. Beyond that, however, we love the scattering of wildlife preparing to hunker down for winter: Squirrels stockpiling acorns, birds making sure the last of their hatchlings are taking flight, and deer fleeing from the open season hunters are enjoying. We enjoy the life that woods and forests are filled with right before winter, and it’s a vice that can’t be fed any other way than by putting two feet on the forest floor.

Kayaking

Without rehashing how amazing the weather is during fall, we’ll skip straight to the best part about kayaking in the fall: cold fronts. This isn’t to suggest that we prefer kayaking in colder-than-crisp temperatures, but rather that the consistent and constant cold fronts make river and mountain kayaking much more interesting. It’s during fall that you’ll get some of the best rapids and flow to your rivers and streams. During this time of year the standard peaceful row you’re used to taking is ramped up a bit by the increased amount of water.

Mountain Biking

Take everything from the hiking section and apply it here, then add the increased challenge of riding over wet fallen leaves, and you’re left with the perfect mountain biking experience.

Yes, fallen leaves increase the difficulty level of mountain biking during autumn, but it’s completely worth it and far too enjoyable. You’ll push your skill to new levels if you take up mountain biking in October and November.

Camping

Camping from late-September to early December is heaven. You get the fantastic weather, but you also get to avoid some of the biggest nuisances that usually accompany any camping trip: bugs and ill-equipped families.

Cooler weather usually reduces the number of insects there to bother campers, and with the end of summer you’ll find fewer families without a clue of what to do taking up prime real estate with their glamping gear.

Climbing

What makes climbing in the fall so special? Everything. Beware the early ice storm, because ice can and will stick around well past what it should on rock faces, but the risk is worth it when you reach your personal summit and enjoy the breathtaking views that come only during the last few months of the year.