Labor Day seems to be the cut-off point for most outdoor adventures. With school starting up and schedules becoming busier, finding the time to get away grows difficult.
But don’t put away that camping gear just yet as fall can be a great time of year to hit the wilderness. Here are 5 reasons to plan a few more trips to the trail this fall.
Bug Out, Bugs
Many people love the outdoors, but just can’t get over the abundance of pesky pests like mosquitoes and biting flies. One great perk of camping and hiking during the fall is that the cooler temperatures tend to mean less bugs. This doesn’t mean no bugs at all; but you’ll definitely notice fewer swarms.
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Peace and Quiet
As more families wind down their camping activities to meet the demands of the school year, the trails and campsites throughout the country tend to become noticeably less crowded. This means more solitude and quiet time for you should you make it a point to hit the trail this fall. In fact, this time of year I can hike for hours without even seeing another person.
Cooler Temperatures
Fall tends to bring with it cooler temperatures during the day and crisp mornings and evenings. This means you can hike, bike, or even paddle for longer periods of time without feeling the exhaustive effects of the summer heat. With these cooler temperatures, though, you’ll also want to be prepared with gear to handle it, such as a warm sleeping bag, reliable tent, multiple clothing layers and a headlamp or flashlight for when the sun sets earlier than you’re used to.
Photo Ops Galore
Animals don’t tend to be as active during the sweltering summer months, but when the temperatures drop a bit in the fall, they’ll be out and about. You’ll have more opportunities to view wildlife roaming and foraging as they migrate and search for food stores to prepare for winter. Plus, as the leaves drop from the trees, you’ll have a clearer view of the forest activity.
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All Those Colors
Perhaps the best part of getting outdoors in the fall is the sheer beauty of the colors that the season brings. It is this very event that attracts people from all over the country to my neck of the woods, Michigan, as they visit the Lake Michigan coastline for a glimpse of the blazing majesty of our fall colors. Take in this glory once and you’ll be hooked for life.
Photo credit: Pixabay
