The Modern Man’s Guide to the Perfect Fall Weekend Away

It’s peak summer heat where I’m at, or as one person told me, “it’s the devil’s armpit out there.” But cooler fall weather is coming, and which can be in that perfect Goldilocks Zone for comfortable outdoor activity. 

Instead of hiking the same familiar trails, make this fall a chance to try something different, like ziplining, canyoning, fly fishing, or paragliding. Below are some of our favorite places to help inspire your fall outdoor adventures—and to look for those hidden gems near you. Best of all, each one is two hours—or less!—from a major city.

Bellevue is Seattle’s often-overlooked neighbor, but it is becoming a basecamp for getting outdoors in the region.  The skies are the limit—literally, because you can go tandem paragliding with Northwest Paragliding. If you haven’t tried it, you’re missing out. The region is fantastic for hikes. Mount Rainier is perfect for getting out in nature with fall colors as a backdrop, with the best time being between mid-October to early November. 

Ride the Sammamish River Trail near Bellevue or rent a mountain bike at Foothills Mountain Bike and hit the trails at Duthie Hill Mountain Bike Park. And if you’re really adventurous, Edgeworks Climbing + Fitness will give you climbing lessons and set up guided group tours or personally guided experiences, including snowboarding. 

Bellevue’s only about half an hour from Seattle, but if you’re looking to stay the night or get an early start, we recommend the Bellevue Club Hotel.

Columbus is a perfect base for fall adventures. Two hours to the northwest is Cuyahoga Valley National Park, where hiking, cycling, kayaking, and a free entry make for a great day trip. 

One hour to the southwest is Hocking Hills State Park, where there are stunning trails to hike and amazing caves to explore, like Old Man’s Cave. You can also get your adrenaline rush in the treetops by ziplining with Hocking Hills Canopy Tours. Or get on the bike because the Great American Rail Trail—a nearly 4,000-mile trail that will connect both coasts of the U.S.—crosses the entire state and runs through Columbus. 

Calgary is where outdoor adventures start in southern Alberta. The city has North America’s largest urban pathway, where you can cycle over 621 miles of connected bike trails. Fly fishing is good in Calgary until November. 

If you want something less conventional, navigate over 50 twists and turns on a wheeled gravity ride with Downhill Karting at the 1988 Winter Olympics site. And an hour from Calgary is Boundary Ranch, which has trail adventures by horseback and dog carting tours, which is like dog sledding but on wheels. When winter weather shows up in late fall, make the 90-minute drive to Banff National Park and ice-climb a waterfall, or hike in neighboring Canmore. 

British Columbia’s Vancouver is a city surrounded by mountains and trails, with Grouse Mountain being an extremely popular place to hike and enjoy amazing views of the city. You can experience canyoning with West Coast Canyoning Adventures, or walk Stanley Park and learn about indigenous history by Talasay Tree Tour. 

Vancouver is surrounded by water, which means kayaking and paddleboarding aren’t just summer activities. Or if you’re up for an overnight stay, a short seaplane flight to Klahoose Wilderness Resort will put you in wilderness heaven, where Indigenous guides will take you out looking for grizzly bears in peak season. Guided wildlife tours, whether it is bears or birds, can change how you see the outdoors.

This theme-park haven might feel counter-intuitive, but the city is more than a hangout for Disney adults. There may not be mountains in Orlando, but there are still ways to get up into the sky. Orlando Tree Trek Adventure Park has 97 increasingly difficult aerial challenges and ziplines that take you into the canopy. 

Drive 45 minutes north to Rock Springs and Get up and Go Kayaking will take you on a tour in their clear kayaks, giving you the best view of the crystal clear waters. If you’re up for a bike ride, head to West Orange Trail Bikes & Blades for a rental and explore Florida’s Coast-to-Coast Connector Trail.

The largest city between Seattle and Minneapolis, Spokane is one of the best kept secrets of the Northwest and a perfect homebase for outdoor adventures. Spokane is building a zipline in downtown near Spokane Falls for fall of 2025, but for now, Mica Moon Zip Tour will take you flying through the forest canopy. Each line gets longer and faster until you’re at their final line, which is halfway up Mica Peak, 3,500 feet long, and reaches upwards of 50 mph. 

Hiking is a major draw of the region including the forested Mount Kit Carson Trail and Rocks of Sharon, a steep loop with switchbacks leading to granite rocks at the peak that just beg to be climbed. When the snow hits in late fall, go snowshoeing or snowboarding at Mount Spokane State Park, roughly 45 minutes drive out of town. When you’re done for the day, reward yourself with drinks and food at one of the city’s many great cocktail bars.