Glacier Peak Wilderness

If your idea of autumn means sugar maples in Vermont, you're not alone. But you've probably never visited the Glacier Peaks Wilderness in September. Nestled in the fierce North Cascades, the Glacier Peaks Wilderness boasts some of the wildest country in the lower 48. In autumn, the mountainsides are ablaze with color: the deep russet of huckleberry bushes cover acres at a time (not to mention the deep purple berries just prime for eating). Golden ferns line the trail, and lower down, yellow vine maples carpet the forest floors. Even in the filtered half-light of the old growth forests, you'll see plenty of unexpected color as mushrooms of all hues — orange, yellow, red, white, and even purplish blue — pop up through the rich brown soil.

Hiking here in any season requires solid backcountry skills and a firm respect for the elements. Usually, storms don't close the high country until sometime in mid-October, but they can come earlier. September weather is unpredictable: glorious one year and frankly vile the next. Bridge-season rules apply: take extra warm clothes and food, map and compass, and get a weather report before you go.