10 days October 7th – 16 Anywhere in the US trip ideas

Canyon Country… Colorado Plateau: SW Colorado, SE Utah, NE Arizona, NW New Mexico..

^^ Lots of great options out there and typically great weather. Check out the Hayduke Trail for section ideas. Also good time for SW NM like the Gila or even the Malpais and SE AZ like the Chiricahuas. Also check the AZ Trail for ideas.  Just make sure you’ve got your water sources dialed in. It’s been dry out there. Here’s an example of a Utah Canyons trip this spring: Slickhorn-Grand Gulch. There’s lots of trip reports on this site if you search.

The Smokies, Balsams, Snowbird/Kilmer areas in NC/TN. Typically great weather. Just got back from a trip along the highest part of the AT along the Smokies crest with unusually cool weather more typical of mid to late October and it was perfect. Check out the BMT and NC portions of the AT and the NC MST trails for ideas. There are websites for the BMT (Benton McKaye) and the MST (Mountains to Sea Trail). Both have sections as good or better than the AT and the AT along the Wayah Crest/Cheoah/Standing Indian sections is excellent and less crowded than the Smokies. The east/west section of the MST from @ Richland Balsam to Mt. Pisgah makes a sort of cross with the generally north/south Art Loeb Trail and that area has a cluster of 6K mountains and open balds with great views to go along with the typically richly diverse plant life in the entire area   Circle back with questions. No problems with water or smoke but a long trip from Cali. Bonus you’ll see the early stages of the fall colors.

Such a timely post. I am looking for around 5 days in late October. The problem for me is that it will just be me so if I do a point to point, I need to make it back to where I started. I was thinking somewhere in the desert southwest or maybe desert anywhere else… Colorado, Washington, Idaho…

Some are already reporting chilly starts on the AZT SOBO  and looking at the Grand Canyon’s South Rim station, expected lows are just below freezing.

70% is the chance the western US gets La Niña w/ a “dry” winter, .. but 30% maybe not.

I’m living in the Hoosier Pass area of CO right now, and while there is snow on the ground > 12k, it’s just a few inches and everything is very hikeable. Love this time of year up here, crowds are gone up high other than day hikers, and temps are very comfortable. Days in the 50s, nights in the 30s, hard to complain.

“Days in the 50s, nights in the 30s, hard to complain.”

Perfect weather for hiking/back-packing! Settled weather under high pressure. Bring a little tarp just in case and cowboy camping, or to keep the frost off. A minimal puffy and warm lid/light gloves for the evening/morning and maybe for stops along the way. Doesn’t get much better. So easy you almost feel guilty until you haul your way up some 3K climb.

Except for a couple of small fast moving systems the first week almost the entire con-US looks good the next couple weeks. Get out there!