Come fall, summer crowds and peak-season prices become a thing of the past. Take a weekend getaway now and you鈥檒l be treated to lower, off-season rates on lodging, plus empty trails, uncrowded sights, and seasonal perks like clam fishing, fall foliage, and roadside apple-cider doughnuts. You don鈥檛 have to go far, either. We found听seven听worthy weekend outings on a budget within a few hours of major metropolitan areas.
Moab, Utah
4 Hours from Salt Lake City
Moab can be hot and crowded in summer.听But in the fall? It鈥檚 a tranquil desert oasis. Mountain bikers flock to trails like Captain Ahab and the 34-mile Whole Enchilada. Moab Cyclery leads half-day guided tours of the area鈥檚 best singletrack, starting at $105 per person, mountain bike rental included. Camp along the Colorado River and beneath red-rock slabs for $10 a night at听. Don鈥檛 want to sleep in a tent? Tow in a fully outfitted听 teardrop trailer (from $125)听from outside Park City, or book听听(from $125) in town.
Mount听Shasta, California
4.5 Hours from San Francisco
opened last spring in the hippie alpine听enclave beneath the 14,179-foot volcano. From the hotel, you can听climb the mountain鈥檚 most popular route, Avalanche Gulch, fish for trout on the McCloud River, or hike to a waterfall in听. Load up on picnic supplies at听, a two-minute drive north from the hotel. Loge has campsites, hostel-style bunk rooms, and standard hotel rooms (camping from $40; bunks from $50; rooms from $110).听The on-site Finlandia Caf茅 serves coffee in the morning and beer in the afternoon. Free cruiser bikes and outdoor fire pits are included, or you can rent full-suspension mountain bikes on-site for an additional fee.
Friday Harbor, Washington
3 Hours from Seattle
Visit the San Juan Islands in the fall and you鈥檒l get shorter ferry lines and fewer crowds than in midsummer. Arrive at听, outside the quaint island town of Friday Harbor, via a scenic ferry ride from Anacortes ($13 for walk-on passengers; $53 to bring your car). The resort added seven high-end yurts (from $369 per night for four people) last summer to its 82-acre forested property and recently made them available for booking year-round. For a more affordable alternative, lodge rooms start at $180;听camping on the property starts at $40 a night. By day, head to San Juan Island鈥檚 newly formed for views of Mount Baker and Mount Rainier from the park鈥檚 highest point, or pay $10 for a听visit to see the lighthouse and sea lions at听.
Naples, New York
5 Hours from New York City
The Finger Lakes region of New York boasts wine tasting, waterfalls, and serious leaf peeping at this time of year. Stay in a carriage house with your own outdoor hot tub听or in听a tepee (from $160) at听 in the town of Naples.听 is known for its waterfalls鈥攇et your feet wet as you hike through the creek along the Glen floor. Or ride a chairlift with views of tinted fall foliage to the top of听 for $12 per person, then hike back down. Afterward, stop for a burger on the patio at听 and one of听 famous grape pies.
Coos Bay, Oregon
4 Hours from Portland
Stay in one of 22 sleek听Scandinavian-style cabins or听four听modern Airstream trailers,听or park your van or RV at (cabins from $149;听Airstreams from $129;听camping from $44), which opened in 2018 on a mile of private beachfront on听Oregon鈥檚 ruggedly beautiful southern coast. The resort comes with outdoor fire pits and an indoor heated saltwater pool. Why visit in the fall? It鈥檚 crabbing and clamming season, and you can collect clams on the beach steps from your deck. Hike nine miles along the bluffs of the听 from Sunset Bay to the sea lions at Cape Arago, followed by deep-fried oysters and hoppy IPA at听.
Townsend, Tennessee
Under听4 Hours from Atlanta
In the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, the newly revamped听 has tiny homes, Airstreams, and cabins to rent, or you can pitch a tent on the expansive forested property that borders the Little River (camping from $71; Airstreams from $135). This fall, the resort is听hosting photography workshops, women鈥檚 fly-fishing clinics, and local food trucks every weekend. Head into Great Smoky Mountains National Park by day, or听hike along the meandering river on the 4.5-mile out-and-back听, located just beside the .
Alpena, Michigan
4 Hours from Detroit; 6 Hours from Chicago
Along the shores of Lake Huron and part of Michigan鈥檚 so-called Sunrise Coast, the northern town of Alpena comes alive with fall colors at this time of year听and offers听access to 100 miles of trails, seven lighthouses, and excellent dark-sky stargazing. Pick up a pumpkin or a bag of apples at the听 on Saturday mornings on Mich-e-ke-wis Park,听then paddle the Thunder Bay River for views of changing maples, oaks, and birch along the shore. rents kayaks and runs your shuttle starting from $40. Don鈥檛 miss听听for homemade apple-cider doughnuts, hard cider at the bar, and wood-fired pizzas on weekends.听 has rooms with views of Thunder Bay (from $70, including breakfast).