Fall is an unequivocally glorious time to grab your boots and hit the trail. The weather is typically mild in most of the country, meaning you don’t need to worry as much about heat exhaustion and there tend to be fewer crowds on weekdays since more folks have gone back to school or work after a wily summer. If you play your cards right, you’ll also get spectacularly colorful views as deciduous trees don their autumn finery. It’s never too early to start planning your fall leaf hikes.

If the promise of vibrant vistas is the sort of thing that gets you pumped to head outdoors, check out these trails across the country for some fabulous hikes far from overcrowded trails. Pro tip: if you’re planning to travel to leaf peep, check to see if the destination has a fall foliage map or peak foliage forecast so you can spot the best colors and get most visual bang for your buck.

Old Baldy Loop, Whitefish Dunes State Park, Wisconsin: 2.8 miles

On Wisconsin’s Door Peninsula, a lovely little stretch of land that juts out into Lake Michigan, there are plenty of trails that offer spectacular fall foliage with little to no overcrowding. One standout option is Old Baldy Loop, located in Whitefish Dunes State Park. This easy 2.8-mile trail takes you across boardwalks, over rolling hills, down to sandy beaches, and along wide paths through colorful woods populated with maples and beech trees in addition to plenty of firs. The best part: You’ll practically have the place to yourself, especially on weekdays. And if you wish to extend your wander, there are plenty more trails in the state park to explore. Just don’t forget to get a Wisconsin State Park Pass first.

East Trail, Lost Maples State Natural Area, Texas

Located in the Central Texas region known as Hill Country, about equidistant from both San Antonio and Austin, is one fiery fall paradise: Lost Maples State Park. There are a number of trails to choose from in the state park, but for the best combo of shady paths, cool creeks, refreshing swimming holes, and big, colorful views, take on the 5.2-mile East Trail loop. Short, challenging climbs keep it interesting while the vibrant bigtooth maples all over the park make for excellent leaf-peeping. It is an extremely popular park in the autumn, so it’ssmart to get a reservation. The park reaches capacity near daily in the fall, when visitors will no longer be admitted without one. Because of this, however, congestion is kept to a minimum, particularly on the farther reaches of the park’s 10 miles of trails.

Sugarloaf Mountain, Marquette, Michigan

What could be better than views of the cozy hues of autumn set against a backdrop of the brilliant deep blue of Lake Superior? That’s exactly what this route in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula offers. Oaks and larches are just some of the deciduous trees that add warm pops of color between the evergreens on this short but moderately difficult hike. The rocky trail involves a few sections of rock and wood steps, but once you reach the viewing platform, there’s plenty of room to take a breather and enjoy views of the whole area. Luckily, you can meander in on your own time because no park pass is required.

Sardine Peak, Ogden, Utah

Skiers love Utah for the world-class powder they find at resorts like Ogden’s Snowbasin an hour north of Salt Lake City, but in the fall, the resort is a hiker haven. It’s just as stunning and plenty colorful, thanks to an abundance of aspen trees. But colorful foliage won’t be all that dazzles as you ascend this curving out-and-back trail: wide views of the surrounding Wasatch Mountains and, toward the top, overlooks of the city of Ogden below make the climb up Sardine Peak a worthwhile pursuit. The trails are rarely crowded, but it is a popular route for trail runners and mountain bikers, so stay alert as you hike. No park pass or entrance fee is required.

Catawba Falls River Trail, Asheville, North Carolina

Who doesn’t love a series of 100-foot cascades surrounded by fall foliage? On this trail in Pisgah National Forest 25 miles outside downtown Asheville, you’ll get both, plus a couple miles of wooded wonderland. Between the lower and upper falls, there’s a shiny new observation tower, all the better to enjoy the scenery of the waterfalls and the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains. Because it’s not a stupendously long or strenuous hike (though there are a fair amount of stairs involved), and trail access is free, it can be a popular trail on weekends. But visit on weekdays, mornings, or evenings, and you’ll have more of the views and paths to yourself.