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Trip Report Roundup: Fall equinox brings a rainbow of warm autumnal colors

Posted by tiffanyc at Oct 08, 2024 12:54 PM |
Filed under: Inspiration, Hiking Destinations, Hiking, Trip Reports

Autumn is many a hiker's favorite season to get outside — the weather is cooling down, the bugs are gone, mushrooms are sprouting everywhere and, of course, the fall foliage is here! Here are some of our favorite trip reports featuring those lovely reds, oranges and yellows.

Fall has been in full swing, and hikers from all over the state have traveled near and far to find warm tones waiting for them on trail. 

Over the last several weeks, we at WTA have enjoyed reading all about the adventures hikers have been embarking on in their trip reports as the autumnal season starts, and we've particularly enjoyed seeing all the lovely photos that have come with those trip reports. 

Already a trip reporter? We want to say a big "thank you" to each and every one of you for sharing your hikes with the greater hiking community so they can see all of the beauty Washington has to offer, and so they know what conditions to expect if they head outside too.

Interested in becoming a trip reporter? You can start today! We'd love to read all about your own hikes — and we know the hiking community at large would, too. 


Little Giant Pass

Location: Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - East

Fall color on the Little Giant Pass trail. Photo by proxie.
Photo by proxie. 

"The fall colors on the hills are vibrant with fiery flames of red, orange, and yellow. ... Views into the valley with the winding river is a nice cherry on top with the previous sundae of fall foliage."

proxie took on a tough forest hike to break through the trees and see all of the bright colors awaiting them near the top of Little Giant Pass


Lord Hill Regional Park

Location: Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma area

Fallen leaves onto a trail at Lord Hill Regional Park. Photo by OneHundredMilesAYear.
Photo by OneHundredMilesAYear.

"All of the trails I hiked were in great shape today with no obstacles to note save for a little mud here and there."

OneHundredMilesAYear looped around Lord Hill Regional Park to create their own nearly 10-mile-long hike on the fall equinox. Throughout it all, they saw many signs of autumn, particularly in the leaves blanketing the trail. 


picture Lake

Location: North Cascades > Mount Baker area

Picture Lake with Mount Shuskan in the background with fall colors. Photo by therealmchoy.
Photo by therealmchoy.

"No wind, perfect mountain views and fall color popping through."

therealmchoy wasn't able to catch the signature reflection of Mount Shusksan on Picture Lake on their windy hike, but they were able to see plenty of fall foliage. 


Tumac Mountain

Location: South Cascades > White Pass/Cowlitz River Valley

Some reds and other fall colors showing up in the vegetation around the Tumac Mountain trail. Photo by ejain.
Photo by ejain.

"Nice fall colors thanks to the grassy meadows and blueberry shrubs. Obscene amounts of mushrooms. Elk were bugling non-stop — though we didn't see any. 

ejain spent the fall equinox hiking to the old lookout site at the top of Tumac Mountain. They got the summit to themselves and saw some of the meadows starting to change color. 


Spray park

Location: Mount Rainier area > NW - Carbon River/Mowich

Mount Rainier in the background and fall colors on the Spray Park trail. Photo by Matt Martinez.
Photo by Matt Martinez.

"Spray Park itself was a wonderland, crisp autumn colors in the meadows and tiny bits of frost and ice on the trail, a small sign that winter is coming! The view of the mountain is magnificent."

Matt Martinez, former WTA board president and current board member, got to hike to Spray Park on a clear day, so not only did he get to see all of the golds and reds of fall, but he also got a great view of The Mountain. 


Snow Peak

Location: Eastern Washington > Okanogan Highlands/Kettle River Range

Yellow aspens along the Snow Peak trail. Photo by TrailKat.
Photo by TrailKat.

"The trails are in good shape and the aspens were gorgeous hiking in. ... The stars were bright and we enjoyed the warmth of the cabin as the weather changed to cold and windy overnight."

TrailKat and company spent 2 nights at the Snow Peak cabin. On their hike, they found a heart-shaped cloud and got to see some beautiful sunsets. 


St. Cloud

Location: Southwest Washington > Columbia River Gorge - WA

A couple of trail work tools on the ground on a trail work party at St. Cloud. Photo by Sunrise Creek.
Photo by Sunrise Creek.

"Over the course of several work parties, WTA volunteers have cleared the trail down to the old compacted gravel bed. ... Future WTA trail work parties will continue spreading the gravel around the entire trail. Then the Forest Service trail crew will top it with extra fine gravel and use a motorized compactor to make a firm surface that can be used by wheelchairs."

Sunrise Creek joined WTA on a work party at St. Cloud, where the crew worked hard to make the trail more usable and accessible for all hikers. They also created an eBird list of the birds they saw during their work party, so check that out in their trip report to see what birds you might find here!  


Melakwa Lake

Location: Snoqualmie region > Snoqualmie Pass

Foliage starting to turn colors on the fall equinox on the Melakwa Lake trail. Photo by jeffdill.
Photo by jeffdill.

"Nice hike with a variety of views along the way. The fall colors are just starting."

jeffdill hiked up the steep trail to Melakwa Lake on the day of the fall equinox and saw the foliage starting to show signs of fall. 


Lake Valhalla

Location: Central Cascades > Stevens Pass - East

Fall colors around the shimmering Lake Valhalla on a partly cloudy autumn day. Photo by Wanderlust_PNW.
Photo by Wanderlust_PNW.

"Autumn colors are visible and beautiful!"

Wanderlust_PNW pushed through the switchbacks at the start of the hike to reach the shimmering Lake Valhalla surrounded by fall colors on a partly cloudy Saturday. 


Lake to Lake Trail

Location: Puget Sound and Islands > Seattle-Tacoma area

A crayfish / crayfish / crawdad on a gravel trail among fallen autumn leaves on the Lake to Lake Trail. Photo by Joseph Gonzalez.
Photo by Joseph Gonzalez.

"This guy was on a dryish section of trail adjacent to the lake and was in no mood to tango. ... Keep an eye out for red leaves on deciduous trees all throughout Bellevue over the next few weeks."

Joseph Gonzalez, WTA's digital content coordinator, happened upon a huge crayfish amongst all the fallen leaves on his trail run on the Lake to Lake Trail.


Baldy Mountain

Location: Central Washington > Yakima

A leashed black dog on the Baldy Mountain trail with the mountain in the background. Photo by dugfresh.

"I didn’t get up early enough at 6 a.m. to watch the sun rise from the top but watching the sun light up the nearby hillsides was rewarding enough."

dugfresh and their canine companion watched the sunrise from the Baldy Mountain trail. They didn't summit on this trip, but they hope to come back later in the season after temperatures cool down. 


green Mountain

Location: North Cascades > Mountain Loop Highway

Fall colors and a view of Glacier Peak from Green Mountain. Photo by haleyrl.
Photo by haleyrl. 

"This hike has a ton of variety- forest, meadow, blueberry fields, the fire lookout, and of course, the incredible mountain views. ... The red blueberry leaves, yellow foliage, variety of other colors, and the many peaks make for a stunning walk. Come prepared to pick the ripe berries! This hike is now one of my top picks in WA."

haleyrl found delicious ripe berries among all of the warm fall colors on Green Mountain, as well as a perfect view of Glacier Peak. 


East Crater

Location: South Cascades > Mount Adams area

Fall colors and old burned trees in a burn zone at East Crater. Photo by BeaverDawg.
Photo by BeaverDawg.

"Lots of mushrooms or varying colors, shapes and sizes, lining the trail. The weather was cool and sunny, perfect weekday hike."

BeaverDawg checked out the East Crater trail for the first time. Their hike was quiet, and they got great views of Mount Hood, Mount Rainier and Mount Adams, and included a short stint on the Pacific Crest Trail. 


Granite Creek Trail to Granite Lakes

Location: Snoqualmie region > North Bend area

Fall foliage surrounds one of the Granite Lakes, viewed from the trail. Photo by Katherine R.
Photo by Katherine R.

"I really liked this hike! The trail is wide and smooth in the beginning but becomes narrower and rocky the further up you go but is never too rocky or rooty."

Katherine R got to see the Granite Lakes surrounded by golden foliage. They were able to find a small spot at the lake to sit and enjoy the nice fall morning. 


Sheep Lake to Sourdough Gap

Location: Mount Rainier area > Chinook Pass - Highway 410

A hiker hiking toward Sheep Lake under a light layer of fog, among much fall foliage. Photo by Kyduck.
Photo by Kyduck.

"One of my top 10 hikes!"

Kyduck was chilly upon starting their hike from Sheep Lake to Sourdough Gap in the fog, but they warmed up and the fog cleared up as the day went on. The lake itself was surrounded by fall colors, and the lingering fog made for a beautiful scene.  


East Bank Ross Lake and Desolation Peak

Location: North Cascades > North Cascades Highway - Highway 20

Fall colors on a cliffside section of the East Bank Ross Lake trail. Photo by SeanoftheWild.
Photo by SeanoftheWild.

"The mountain views only get better with each step. The fall colors were also popping."

SeanoftheWild spent 4 days backpacking a thru-hike in the Ross Lake area, hiking along the East Bank trail and making a trip up to Desolation Peak, taking a water taxi to their starting point at Rainbow Point and taking another one back to the start from the final destination at Hozomeen. 


Grand Valley Loop

Location: Olympic Peninsula > Northern Coast

Red and yellow fall foliage along the trail on the Grand Valley Loop. Photo by nancyritz.
Photo by nancyritz.

"Our lovely large campsite was at the end of the lake. Nice to camp at a lake and have no bugs — that's fall backpacking at its best!"

nancyritz was surrounded by beautiful yellows and reds on their 2-day overnight trip on the Grand Valley Loop. They camped at Moose Lake and even took a dip in the chilly water! 


We want to hear about your fall adventures! Take a minute to file a trip report after you get home, and let other hikers know what they should expect if they follow in your footsteps. 

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