Top 10 Fall Hikes

1. Seattle, WA
Seward Park
The densely wooded paths in south Seattle's 300-acre Seward Park feature views of the city skyline and Mt. Rainier, and a flat, paved 2.4-mile loop that's perfect for a family stroll. For those into birds (the kind you won't be eating later), now's the time for buffleheads and mergansers, eagles, pileated woodpeckers, and, if the weather holds, a flock of noisy parrots roosting in the trees on the east lip of the loop. –Ali Basye

2. Portland, OR
Wildwood Trail (4000 Fairview Blvd; www.hoyarboretum.org)
Bite off a little piece of Portland's 30-mile Wildwood Trail where it winds through Hoyt Arboretum; with Douglas fir flanking the narrow path most of the way, you'll be sheltered even if it's raining. (Likely.) For a 4-mile loop, start just above the Oregon Zoo; glimpse the Japanese garden, then turn left onto the Redwood Trail through a sequoia grove. Cross Fairview Boulevard and follow signs to Overlook Trail; turn right on Wildwood and you're back where you started – and ready to eat.  –Bonnie Henderson

3. Sacramento, CA
C.M. Goethe Park (Bradshaw Rd exit U.S. 50; 916-875-6672; www.sacparks.net)
Trails twine through oaks and cottonwoods at this park skirting the rushing American River. County park paths hook up to the 32-mile American River Parkway, so you can pick your distance: Tackle a 1-mile loop, or arrange a car shuttle and do a longer hike. Keep an eye out for wild turkeys while you start hankering for their domesticated cousin. $4 per vehicle. –Kate Washington

4. Orinda, CA
Briones Regional Park (Bear Creek Staging Area, Bear Creek Rd; 510-562-7275; www.ebparks.org)
On the moderate yet hunger-inducing 3-mile Abrigo Valley-Mott Peak Trail, you'll wander across tawny hillsides and under bushy stands of oak trees up, up to the big payoff – a breezy ridgetop with views of Mt. Diablo and Mt. Tamalpais, and no sign of civilization. All this, and you'll still get home in time to baste the turkey. Follow Abrigo Valley Trail to Mott Peak to Black Oak to Old Briones Road Trail back to the car. $5 per vehicle. –Lisa Trottier

5. San Jose, CA
Alum Rock Park (15350 Penitencia Creek Rd; 408-277-2757)
Fall days linger, especially golden, in the east-west--running canyon of Alum Rock Park. The east San Jose sanctuary offers both mellow strolls and muscle-taxing climbs through its 720 acres. Opt for the flat 2.5-mile Creek Trail, which follows Penitencia Creek to the handsome stone bridges at Sycamore Grove's mineral springs. Or for a more challenging 3-mile trek with vertigo-inducing views – and deer, rabbits, and quail – take South Rim Trail from Inspiration Point, where the natural beauty inspires genuine thanks-giving. $6 per vehicle. –Lisa Taggart