Autumn Walking: 6 Reasons to Hit the Trails This Season
Why limit your walking adventures to spring and summer? Discover why autumn trekking offers equally breathtaking beauty and profound experiences for pilgrims and hikers alike.
In this article
Today we can say goodbye to summer. To see it again, we need to wait another nine months—the perfect time to plan new adventures and cultivate fresh wanderlust.
With a touch of sadness as the warmth fades, yet eager to embrace this new season of vibrant colours and enveloping fragrances, autumn arrives this year on 22 September, precisely at 14:12, the exact moment of the autumn equinox. The Sun will be directly overhead the Earth's equator, and day length will match night length perfectly.
Today we can officially say that autumn has arrived.
So, what are you waiting for! Prepare your gear for the new season and make the most of your upcoming walks and treks, because hiking in autumn is a truly wonderful experience.
Not yet convinced? Here are 6 reasons that will change your mind about autumn and the beauty of walking through this magnificent season.
1. The ideal temperature for walking
Autumn is the perfect season for walking. Cooler temperatures allow you to move comfortably without struggling with heat and humidity, even during the typically scorching early afternoon hours.
The key is dressing appropriately and adopting layered clothing. This applies especially in early and late autumn, when lingering summer warmth and early winter chills leave trekkers uncertain about how much to cover up.
Of course, much depends on where you're travelling, but generally bring a good windproof and waterproof jacket. You'll easily protect yourself from autumn's moisture and winds.
2. Trails, woods and parks are less crowded
Autumn hiking isn't for everyone. The season change, slightly cooler temperatures, rain, and the end of summer leave our parks nearly deserted.
It's the perfect moment to enjoy your walk in peace and perhaps think about new future projects or travels.
Walking, beyond being wonderful for your body, is an excellent way to release stress and clear your mind. This is the right season for some walking meditation.
3. The forest transforms colour with every step
If spring offers magnificent colours thanks to countless flowers and verdant foliage, autumn delivers an equally enchanting spectacle.
Reds, oranges, yellows and browns in all their shades will paint our parks, trails and forests. Hillsides become splendid palettes, sculpted by Mother Nature to gift us another marvellous day. A gust of wind sends crunching leaves flying in every direction, and the path becomes a soft yet treacherous carpet to walk and play upon.
The warm, passionate and enveloping tones of the surrounding nature will make you feel at home, nestled in a blanket of russet-hued leaves, in complete harmony with your environment.
Autumn hiking becomes an ever-changing, constantly evolving experience. Even the same place seems different each day.
Its magic lies in this constant transformation. Embrace it and become part of it—it's your chance to regenerate and look toward the future.
With warm and passionate tones, it guides you through your walks toward the cool winter ahead.
4. It can be great fun
Have you ever walked in the rain? Avoiding dangerous storms, it can be a truly enjoyable experience.
So don't skip autumn walks just because of the possibility of rain. Dress appropriately, avoid slippery locations where you might fall, and have fun. It's a genuinely liberating experience, and after a warm shower you'll feel refreshed and renewed. And it's not just physical wellbeing!
Rain is a normal atmospheric event, just like sunshine or clouds. Today we tend to avoid it, treating it as a nuisance or barrier to our morning walk or weekend trek.
Learning to walk in the rain brings mental wellbeing. When you plan a trip or day out, you'll no longer feel held back by the fear of rain, but instead feel empowered never to give up on a wonderful day with friends or exploring new places.
So what do you say—shall we give it a try?
5. A season of gathering
For enthusiasts, autumn hiking can bring delicious rewards.
It's the perfect season for mushroom foraging, but be careful—if you can't identify them, it can be genuinely dangerous. If you can't resist the temptation, remember that specialist centres exist where you can verify whether your find is safe to eat. Don't take risks; life is wonderful. Savour it.
It's early yet, but chestnuts will soon arrive. A good harvest, where permitted, will make your walk even more pleasurable.
Eating them later by a crackling fire with good wine and pleasant company…a truly magical moment.
6. Autumn hiking is possible
Why limit your walks and treks only to spring and summer? Hiking in autumn is equally beautiful and exciting.
Every season has its advantages and disadvantages, so let's learn to enjoy them rather than let the fear of bad weather or rain hold us back.
Avoid becoming a homebody, and don't let laziness take over.
Certainly, you'll probably have less daylight, with darkness gaining ground each day and grey days that hardly inspire you to leave the warmth of home.
But don't be discouraged. Get out, plan, act.
So what are you waiting for—schedule your next treks or walking tours and don't be frightened by this season, because autumn hiking is absolutely possible.
If these reasons convinced you and all that is missing is the destination, here are the best autumn walking routes, from Atlantic Portugal to Galicia and the islands of the Mediterranean.
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Co-fondatore A Piedi Per Il Mondo | Esperto Cammino di Santiago
I have walked the Camino de Santiago more than 100 times: in every season, every month of the year, alone and leading private groups and corporate teams. I know every variant, every stage, every property. Since 2016 I have been building bespoke walking experiences for those who want to travel free and return changed.
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