Trails for everyone, forever

Home Go Outside Hiking by Season Fall Destinations Finding Fall Hikes
link

Finding Fall Hikes

How to use WTA's search features to find the best fall hikes.

There are so many ways to find a hike on WTA's website that suits your needs. And during this time of year, it's always nice to go somewhere with great fall colors. Below we list some tips to find just the right fall hike for you.


Fall color abounds along the Naches Peak Loop near Mt. Rainier National Park. Photo by Nancy Burke.

Trip Report Search

WTA's Trip Report search has some incredibly helpful tools to sort through the many thousands of trip reports that have been posted to this site over the years. Click on "Advanced Options" on the dropdown menu on the left of the main trip reports page to search in following ways: 

  • Date Hiked: To find hikes that are traditionally popular in the fall, try limiting your search criteria to only include trip reports from that season. You have the option to search by month hiked (e.g. October or November), or you can search by a date range to get hyper-specific results. For example, you may filter by October 1-15, 2019 to see where people hiked in a previous year. 
  • Keyword: Searching this way allows you to search through every trip report for mention of a keyword. Try "larches," "vine maple," or "fall color" to start.
  • Region: Use this search option by itself or along with Date or Keyword to hone in your search to a particular area.
  • Trail Highlights: You also have the option to filter reports by a few popular seasonal features such as wildflowers, berries and fall foliage. These filters will give you all of the Trip Reports flagged with these option after September 10, 2008.

Hiking Guide & Seasonal Suggestions

WTA's Hiking Guide presents guidebook entries for over 3500 hikes. You can search it much like you do trip reports. Try the keyword function, as mentioned above, or search by region. We also have a few features that will help you select where to hike and how to get out there safely.  

  • Fall Color Hikes details nine great fall foliage hikes around the state
  • Fall Safety Tips provides details on how to pack for cooler and changeable conditions.


Fall colors on Yellow Aster Butte holding up to their name. Photo by Julia Anderson.

After You've Gone Hiking

After your hike, head back to WTA and share your experience and/or your knowledge. Thousands of hikers check trip reports not only for ideas, but also for seasonal and trail conditions. Help them out by posting a trip report.