Things to do outside in the autumn

October 21, 2006 2:14 PM

I'd like suggestions for outdoor activities during autumn.

I’d like to spend more time outdoors. I’m asking for suggestions on things to do outside, now that it’s autumn. The suggestions can range from chores to fun activities. The point is to get myself outside.

Thanks.

posted by La Gata to Grab Bag (18 answers total)

Your profile doesn't say where you are, but you might want to check out some of the National Parks or state parks near where you live, and go for walks.

You could go pick apples, if you live in an apple-growing place.

Rake leaves (and use them to start a compost pile.)
posted by nekton at 2:21 PM on October 21, 2006

Hiking is a great autumn activity. Especially organized hikes, since you go unusual places and can just enjoy the outdoors instead of worrying about getting lost. In New England and the mid-Atlantic, the AMC runs tons of them.
posted by smackfu at 2:29 PM on October 21, 2006

Take photos outside! The light in fall and winter is at a lower angle and gives a different, often preferred, quality of light.
posted by timnyc at 2:52 PM on October 21, 2006

Go Fly a Kite!
posted by Gungho at 3:06 PM on October 21, 2006

I just spent the morning chopping firewood, and it was awesome. It gets old if you have to do it every day, but every once in a while it's fun, because it's good exercise, you get to take out your aggressions, and then, later, you get to burn things.
posted by Hildago at 3:10 PM on October 21, 2006

Cycling, especially out in the country in the midst of changing foliage.
posted by The Michael The at 4:45 PM on October 21, 2006

Roasting marshmallows over a campfire. ::sigh::
posted by Sassyfras at 5:06 PM on October 21, 2006

Visiting graveyards is a great autumn activity—lots of stuff to look at.
posted by interrobang at 5:14 PM on October 21, 2006

If you have a GPS device of some sort, you could take up the hobby of Geocaching. Geocaching.com has more info than I can describe here.

It its basic form, it is a global hide and seek "game" with lattitude and longitude points that you have to find. Its popularity (and cache sites) depends on where you are...ymmv.
posted by bach at 6:44 PM on October 21, 2006

I second hiking. Spring and autumn are best for that in my opinion. If you're somewhere where the leaves change and get all pretty, it's fantastic.

Trail running is nice too. Hike + run.

Often state parks have nice long trails. Bring a friend or SO and it can be great conversation
posted by kookoobirdz at 7:06 PM on October 21, 2006

Go to a farmers market.
posted by veggieboy at 8:55 PM on October 21, 2006

If you don't have a GPS, you can still 'hide and seek' hike with a compass and go letterboxing. (I definitely like certain hikes more when I have a 'goal'.)
posted by cobaltnine at 9:07 PM on October 21, 2006

Go check out the leaves turning colors.
posted by salvia at 9:38 PM on October 21, 2006

Lots of great ideas! Now I want to take pictures and hike on trails.

Be a tourist in your own town--check out state parks and gardens, outdoor landmarks, etc.

Rent a boat or a canoe and go out on a lake. Granted your climate could determine if boating is realistic at this time of the year. It's still 90 degrees here in Florida, so sometimes I forget that it's really cold in some parts of the USA this time of year.

Fertilize your shrubs and lawn, if you have them. You can Google your part of the world and grass type for tips on fertilizing.

Do a Fall Clean, and wash your windows and gutters. Pull weeds.
posted by LoriFLA at 8:28 AM on October 22, 2006

Mushroom picking?
posted by Leon at 9:38 AM on October 22, 2006

I'm not a kayaker myself, but in the Northwest Autumn is supposed to be peak kayaking season.
posted by croutonsupafreak at 9:45 AM on October 22, 2006

Take your computer out onto the porch. ;-)
posted by Mr. Gunn at 5:40 PM on October 22, 2006

If exercise is not your primary goal and your weather is warm/sunny enough to sit still, take a book out for a picnic.

We do have a gazebo-pavilion thing with patio furniture where we take the laptop and a bottle of wine and watch movies on nice evenings. "Nice" may involve a number of blankets, a fire pit, some dogs laying on our feet, hot chocolate, and dumb knit hats, but we suffered through the summer and now we're going to enjoy the cool, damn it. It would be nice to be able to do that in the afternoons, but I'll have to rig some kind of shadowbox for the laptop first.

Going out and taking photos at parks, graveyards, and historical sites is probably my favorite thing to do when it's pretty out and I feel the need to go out and do something.
posted by Lyn Never at 6:51 AM on October 23, 2006