Catch Fall Color

Ready to ride through spectacular fall color? Here’s how to plan your trip, and stay safe and comfortable on your ride.

- Audrey Pavia

For trail riders, fall is a glorious time of year—crisp, cool weather, bright-blue skies, and trees bursting with autumn splendor. Here’s everything you need to plan your fall-color excursion, whether it be a day ride, an overnight adventure on your own horse, or an equestrian vacation at a farm or guest ranch. (For an exclusive listing of specific fall-riding destinations, equestrian vacations, and guest ranches, go to HorseandRider.com.)

PEAK-COLOR PLANNING

Before you head out on a fall-riding adventure, find out when the leaves are expected to change color at your destination. Leaves turn color at different times, depending on the latitude, elevation, weather, and tree type. Check reports on the Web site for the park or national forest where you plan to ride, or contact the resort or outfitter you plan to visit.

To catch peak fall foliage, pinpoint an area where deciduous trees grow in large numbers. The phenomenon of fall foliage happens only in deciduous trees—trees that lose their leaves to survive the winter. The most colorful are certain species of aspen, oak, hickory, maple, birch, and poplar.

The time between when a leaf turns color and when it drops off the tree is relatively brief. Most trees don’t hold their colorful leaves for more than two weeks. A storm can knock the leaves from the trees prematurely, making the fall-color season particularly short.

Peak-color dates depend upon several factors, including the current temperature, and the previous seasons’ weather patterns. A warm, wet spring; a moderate summer; and a fall with warm, sunny days and cool nights make for the best fall colors. Drought can seriously affect the colors’ timing and vibrancy.