September

EXPAND THE DESTINATION BOXES BELOW TO SEE OUR SEPTEMBER HIKING AND BACKPACKING TOURS.

To see other calendars, just select the month you’re interested in. You can always give us a call 7 days a week at 1-800-715-HIKE (4453) to learn availability immediately.

2023 September Trip Dates

U.S.A. Destinations

Arizona Hikes & Tours

View from Horseshoe Mesa in Grand Canyon National Park Grand Canyon Hiking Tours

Sunset on Cathedral Rock in Sedona, Arizona Sedona Hiking Tours

California Hikes & Tours

Sunset in Death Valley National Park Death Valley Hiking Tours

Mammoth Lakes backpacking trip in the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range High Sierra Backpacking Trips

Sunset in Joshua Tree National Park Joshua Tree Hiking Tours

Sunset at Lassen Peak with reflection on Manzanita Lake Lassen Volcanic National Park Hiking Tours

Two people backpacking on the Lost Coast of California Lost Coast Hiking Tours

Precipice Lake so still it's a mirror lake in the high sierras Sequoia & Kings Canyon Hiking Tours

Sunset on Half Dome, Yosemite National Park Yosemite Hiking Tours

Colorado Hikes & Tours

Landscape from high up in Rocky Mountains in the Flattops Wilderness Area of Colorado with man traversing along ridge on summer day with alpine lakes below and background. Stunning mountain view. Flat Tops Hiking Tours

Bull Moose at Sprague Lake in the early morning light. Rocky Mountain National Park Hiking Tours

Montana and Wyoming Hikes & Tours

Absaroka Mountains in Wyoming Absaroka-Beartooths Hiking Tours

High ridge in the Gros Ventre Mountains of Wyoming Jackson Hole Guided Hikes

Jedediah Smith Wilderness in the Tetons Tetons Guided Hikes

Jagged peaks of the Wind River Range, Wyoming Wind River Range Hiking Tours

Heart Lake and Mount Sheridan in Yellowstone National Park Yellowstone Hiking Tours

New Hampshire Hikes & Tours

view from Mount Washington in New Hampshire in afternoon light White Mountains Hut Treks

North Carolina Hikes

Quartz high in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Asheville Asheville Hiking Tours

Sunset and storm clouds over Great Smoky Mountains National Park Smoky Mountains Guided Hikes

Utah Hiking Tours

Sunset view of the hoodoos of Bryce Canyon National Park Bryce Hiking Tours

Sunset on the cliffs of Canyonlands National Park Canyonlands Hiking Tours

Hiker under Hickman's Bridge arch in Capitol Reef National Park Capitol Reef Hiking Tours

Wide angle Horizontal composition Golden Cathedral Neon Canyon Escalante National Park Utah Grand Staircase Hiking Tours

Backpackers in Paria Canyon Wilderness Paria Slot Canyons Hiking Tours

Stunning vista of Zion National Park Zion National Park Hiking Tours

Vermont Hiking Tours

Early morning autumn in the Green Mountain National Forest in Vermont Vermont Hiking Tours

Washington Hiking Tours

Wonderland Trail in Mount Rainier National Park Mount Rainier Hiking Tours

Backpackers in North Cascades National Park North Cascades Guided Hikes

Views from Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park Olympic Hiking Tours

International Destinations

Alps Guided Treks

Hiking trail in the Italian Dolomites Alps Guided Treks

Canada Hiking Tours

Canada Hiking Tours

Iceland Hiking Trips

Laugavegur Trail in Iceland Iceland Hiking Trips

Nepal Trekking Tours

Hikers on the Everest Base Camp Trek in Nepal Nepal Trekking Tours

Norway Hiking Tours

Lofoten Islands Hiking Tour in Norway Norway Hiking Tours

Patagonia Hiking Tours

Puerto Natales sunset in Patagonia, Chile Patagonia Hiking Tours

Peru Hiking Tours

Alpine lake in the Cordillera Huayhuash, Peru Cordillera Huayhuash Trekking

Machu Picchu hiking tour in Peru Guided Hikes to Machu Picchu

Tanzania (Kilimanjaro) Hiking Tours

Tents at sunset on Kilimanjaro Tanzania (Kilimanjaro) Hiking Tours

Vietnam Hiking Tours

Ha Long Bay in Vietnam with boathouses and cruises Vietnam Hiking Tours

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HIKING IN SEPTEMBER

BENEFITS OF HIKING IN September

Probably the biggest benefit of the hiking and traveling in September is the sheer number of options to choose from. In the USA the mountain destinations are fantastic usually into mid to late September, and the desert and canyon destinations are cooling off and entering their prime seasons. September is our busiest month of the year for this reason – almost every destination we have is operating at full or near full capacity.

Three more huge benefits with September are that the bug season in the mountains is completely over;  the crowds at America’s national parks are a fraction of what they were in July; and by late September some areas (like the Smoky and Blue Ridge Mountains) are starting to see fall colors emerge as the transition to winter slowly begins.

Internationally, the northern hemisphere mountains are great into at least mid September – these destinations include the Canadian Rockies, the Alps, Iceland, and Norway. Kilimanjaro is excellent in September, as is the Inca Trail and all treks to Machu Picchu. Vietnam opens up again in September, as does Nepal in mid September.

DRAWBACKS OF HIKING IN September

There really aren’t significant drawbacks to hiking in September. It’s an excellent month to travel and trek, and we highly recommend it.

WHERE TO HIKE

There are three main categories of destinations to hike in September:

– USA desert and canyon destinations – these options include Grand Canyon, Sedona’s Red Rock Country, Zion, Bryce, Grand Staircase-Escalante, Capitol Reef, Arches, Canyonlands and more.

– USA mountain destinations – all mountain destinations in the USA are still in their prime for at least the first half of September: Yosemite, Sequoia-Kings Canyon, the Eastern Sierras, Lassen Volcanic National Park, Olympic National Park, the North Cascades, Mount Rainier, Yellowstone, the Tetons, Jackson Hole Area, Wind River Range, Absaroka-Beartooths, Rocky Mountain National Park, the Flat Tops, Great Smoky Mountains, Blue Ridge Mountains, and White Mountains in New Hampshire

– Trekking and backpacking internationally – recommended options for September are Peru, Kilimanjaro, the Canadian Rockies, Norway, Iceland, the Alps, Vietnam and Nepal.