Anne of Green Gables paints the scene: “October was a beautiful month at Green Gables, when the birches in the hollow turned as golden as sunshine and the maples behind the orchard were royal crimson and the wild cherry trees along the lane put on the loveliest shades of dark red and bronzy green, while the fields sunned themselves in aftermaths.” Shortly, Anne remarks, “‘I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.’”

Though the setting may differ, my sentiments regarding the change of season are much the same. I continue to be enamored by the radiant kaleidoscope of October foliage. With leaves my preferred media, my activity of preference is hiking, and my setting is the Central and North Cascades. Here are a few wonderful choices for leaf peeping:

Thorp Mountain Lookout

A destination I only discovered fall 2022, but easily one of my new favorite hikes in the state, the route to Thorp Mountain Lookout via Thorp Creek takes you through a diverse setting of forest and meadows, complete with scarlet leaves of mountain huckleberry, brilliant orange of mountain ash, dusty gold of bracken fern and a full palette of vine maple as you climb almost 2500’ over about 4 miles to the summit. A side trip to Thorp Lake brings a stunning display no matter the time of year, and the lookout and ridge show off some of the most spectacular views of the Enchantment peaks and the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, not to mention Mount Rainier dominating to the south. 

Hope & Mig Lakes

If wading through a sea of autumn foliage suits your fancy, take the Tunnel Creek Trail off Highway 2 up to where the Pacific Crest Trail bypasses two picturesque alpine lakes surrounded by an explosion of color. With a roundtrip of just 5 miles, the PCT will invite you to wander farther north or south to admire the forest and occasional mountain views as the waves of color roll on.  The most radiant color occurs in the flats around Hope Lake, which a secondary grouping just before you reach Mig Lake. Several side trails to lake front campsites will allow you to pass through knee-deep huckleberry aflame in orange and red. Due to the location along the PCT, you can easily extend this hike or turn it in to a through hike, connecting with Josephine Lake below.

Josephine Lake

Though the destination is beautiful and peaceful on its own, the true star of the show on this 10-mile jaunt along the Pacific Crest Trail is the middle part of the hike, as you approach and crest the ridge at the top of the Stevens Pass ski area. Colors build as your elevation increases along the ski runs, with a striking eruption as you start the descent down the backside, where huckleberry and mountain ash perform an autumn tango, with supporting roles from pearly everlasting and other late-season wildflowers. Early in the season, the area just before the ridge provides an excellent berry picking location. 

Park Butte Lookout

No matter the season, Park Butte near Baker Lake will always remain high on my list of favorite hiking destinations. With a steady climb along a bit more than 3 miles, plus several options for side trips to extend your mileage, the route to the lookout provides unbelievable proximity to and views of Mount Baker, along with surrounding peaks. Meadow features rotate from heather and lupine in summer to radiant huckleberry in autumn. Once at the lookout, the wow factor really hits, with one of the best views of a Washington volcano you can achieve. This hike is a great option for kids and developing hikers who may be looking for a bit of a challenge, but not a strenuous climb.

Blanca Lake

Deciduous color does vary a bit more on this hike than some, with larger portions of coniferous forest, but the typical reds, oranges and yellows do make an appearance in places, which means this otherwise popular trail is often overlooked by hikers who flock to the larch hikes and other social media favorites. The major draw to this hike, no matter the season, is the glacial turquoise of the water basking at the foot of several rocky peaks. Tinges of color on the slopes above, or a wisp of fog add to the cozy feeling of October. Further still, this trail is a great option for fungiophiles, with a constant variety of mushrooms growing along the tread. Though the mileage might seem routine, this hike will make you pay for the views, with a gain of nearly 3300’ feet in under 4 miles. 

Margaret Lake

For a lower-traffic option where the display of color starts back in September, take the gentle 3-mile trail to Margaret Lake, just east of Snoqualmie Pass. The main showstopper here is mountain ash, with an eye-catching contrast between sunny gold leaves and fire engine red berries, against a backdrop of rich maroon, with the deep green of the lake adding extra interest.

Tumwater Pipeline

Short and sweet does not always have to mean a hike is lacking in interest. Just outside Leavenworth, find a simple walk that is beautiful any time of year. Autumn brings a vivid display of foliage flanking the river, with the trail providing far better up close views than the highway can offer. At 2.4 miles round trip with negligible elevation change, this hike is an excellent one for little legs or simply to stretch a bit after the long drive over Stevens Pass.

The Social Media Effect

Local Washington State hikers, especially those who are part of hiking groups on Facebook, are increasingly being faced with the fact that some of the most beautiful hikes are being overrun with popularity, their only crime being spectacularly colorful. Zealous hikers cannot resist posting their photos to these groups, leading to constantly more knowledge of and interest in what seems like just a handful of hikes. Several of these hikes have been favorites of mine in the past, and are still absolutely worth your time, but the reality of the traffic must be iterated.

As a hiker who was previously bound by a Monday through Friday work schedule, I would get up early on Saturday and try to beat the crowds to a trailhead. Fortunately, this took place before social media really ramped up the attendance; now I am able to hike during the week when far less people tend to. If you can afford to take a mid-week mental health day, I strongly urge you to do so and enjoy one of these when less people do. If you absolutely cannot go outside the weekend, please realize the word “crowded” is far from an understatement. Here are 3 over-broadcasted hikes that still deserve your attention:

Yellow Aster Butte

Even though this hike is one of the most popular along the Mount Baker Highway, it absolutely earns its place as one of the most remarkable locations to encounter a wildfire of fall foliage, as the slopes along the middle third of the trail are bathed in color. The views from the top are jaw-dropping, with Mounts Baker and Shuksan standing proudly to the south, with a dominating landscape of peaks extending north into Canada. Steep sections bookend this hike, with a slow slog to the peak in the final half mile or so. In terms of popularity, trip reports submitted to Washington Trails Association last Fall indicated the parking lot being full and cars almost half a mile down the road by 8 a.m. The issues include numerous cars parked in the travel lanes and blocking traffic.

Heather-Maple Pass Loop

Perhaps the most-posted fall hike I see on social media, this stunning 7.2-mile loop high up the North Cascades Highway draws overwhelming crowds from hours away during October. A Facebook posting on a 2023 Saturday showed about 335 vehicles lining both sides of the highway by the parking lot entrance; further, the lot holds another 50-70 vehicles. Another post mentioned cars stretched nearly 2 miles from the trailhead this recent weekend, and hikers were walking in the middle of the highway to reach the trailhead. Despite the popularity, it remains one of the top hikes I have ever done, and is worth a trip if you can squeeze a weekday away from work. The looping traverse (I prefer counterclockwise) features a variety of terrain, with a twinkling alpine lake and its scarf of fall color, followed by a steady climb up to a ridge on the perimeter of North Cascades National Park. Autumn foliage bursts out of the ridge, and the view back down to the lake is mesmerizing, flanked by sunny larch and fiery deciduous varieties. Views into the National Park include rocky peaks and deep valleys. As you continue the loop and begin to descend, the view of the lake and rocky surround only gets better. In late October, you may even be graced with a flurry of early season snowflakes landing on your nose.

Artist Point Area

An incredible destination any time of year (read: any time the road is actually open), the final stretch of the Mount Baker Highway from Heather Meadows to Artist Point serves up multiple hiking options, each with different mileage/elevation, terrain and vegetative features, and striking views. I have hiked nearly every trail in this section, and find you can’t go wrong with your choice, especially in October. Even just the drive up the highway and the footpaths around the parking lot provide a show of color and in-your-face views of Mount Shuksan. This area also draws large numbers of visitors, both hikers and those out for a Sunday drive, so prepare for potentially several hundred other vehicles and hikers if you go on a weekend or holiday. 

Etiquette

Proper hiking etiquette is always paramount, and every hiker, seasoned or novice, owes it to other hikers and the ecosystem to learn the rules and hike according to them. The need for etiquette is especially important when areas are busy, and many soft guidelines become more critical.

If you love to take Fido with you on your adventures, first be sure dogs are allowed in a specific location. Calling your local Forest Service office is a great way to find out. Please keep them leashed, especially around crowds. I love my dog, but I know many hikers may not. Unleashed dogs are also prone to chase and disturb wildlife.

Utilize proper passing etiquette on trail, and please do not block the trail for water breaks, lunch, photo ops or any other reason, allowing other hikers to continue past freely. Uphill hikers always have the right of way over downhill.

Yes, your Taylor Swift jams might never go out of Style, but broadcasting your tunes on a busy trail might have others seeing Red. Please be courteous and use headphones to avoid Bad Blood on trail.

The parking lot may be full, so please be mindful of how/where you park. Just because the forest road might look wide or other cars have parked along it, doesn’t make it wise. Last year I saw a social media post from a popular Central Cascades trail, in which cars lined both sides of the Forest Road for almost 3 miles, allowing one car width for incoming and outgoing traffic, causing major blocking issues, and even preventing the county sheriff and search-and-rescue from reaching the trailhead for an extra 30 minutes.

Regardless of your trail of choice, October is typically a wonderful time to hike, with cooler days, moody clouds, and diverse foliage. Now lace up those hiking boots and get outside!

A variation of this article was originally written for Explore Washington State in October 2022. All photos © Eric S. Allan 2016-2022.