October is here, meaning that the air is crisp with the scent of falling leaves and pumpkin spice! Of course, autumn is the ideal time to visit places where the foliage is rich with the color of trees preparing to shed their leaves for winter.

Last October, I traveled with my family to the White Mountains in New Hampshire, a mountain range crowded with plant life in rolling valleys and cresting heights. It’s ironic that they’re called the “White Mountains,” considering the vivid array of hues that colored the mountains during our visit.

It was an ideal place for an autumn hike, with fiery colors beneath an open blue sky, with the looming shapes of mountains in the distance. The constant trickle of flowing rivers snaking their way over the forest floor added a constant, quiet ambience to the sounds of birds and the breeze shaking the branches. The rocks along the rivers were covered in moss, and the random pattern of crisscrossing trees gave me the feeling that this place was completely ruled by nature. It was darker in the thick of the forest, but the bright rays of sun filtering down cast golden spots all along the floor. There’s something magical about walking among the trees and feeling the coolness of the shade cast by the leaves overhead, with glimpses of blue peeking in from above, like it was the perfect location for a fairytale.

I think my favorite part was the huge river, however! It moved slowly, and the water was clear and cold. The bank was made up of smooth rocks, and it was nice to sit and feel the sun as the stream flowed past a background of brightly colored trees. Since fall has come around again, consider taking a day trip to a park or hike up a forest trail. Just remember to bring bug spray!

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