We have reached autumn, which, with all it brings, makes the end of summer a little easier to bear. We speak of outfits in cozy fabrics and warm colors, a cup of tea to pair with a good book, and, above all, the landscapes painted in fire-red and gold. The best way to immerse yourself in their beauty (and take photographs) is to wear comfortable shoes and head outdoors on trails where the foliage bursts, mindful of the timing.
The foliage follows a precise rule: it changes with altitude. At higher elevations, the first to color are the larches, which begin yellowing between late September and early October. Lower down, beech and other broadleaf trees light up toward the end of October. The timings vary year to year, and a few days’ lead or a gust of wind can reveal slopes still green or already bare.
To avoid missing the moment, AllTrails, the hiking platform, has selected some itineraries in the Italian Alps. In addition to maps and up-to-date information on the routes, the reviews with photos left by the community are especially helpful, allowing you to gauge how far along the season is before you set off.
Federa Lake via Pian del Pantan, Veneto
Near Cortina d’Ampezzo lies perhaps the most famous Dolomite foliage viewpoint. The route, of easy-to-moderate difficulty, climbs up to Lago Federa, above 2,000 meters in altitude, at the foot of the Croda da Lago. The lake is surrounded by an amphitheater of larches that in October, usually around mid-month, turn golden and reflect on the water. It is one of the most photographed panoramas in the entire Alpine arc, so it’s wise to start early to enjoy it at a leisurely pace.
Pian dei Casoni–Val Venegia, Trentino
It is a moderately easy hike, but with gentle climbs, that climbs up the Val Venegia, in the Paneveggio-Pale di San Martino Natural Park. The trail starts from Pian dei Casoni and passes through meadows and along the Travignolo torrent, with the Pale di San Martino on the horizon. Along October, the larch stands that accompany the route turn yellow.
Vallunga: La Ciajota-Plan dala Ciajeies, South Tyrol
Behind Selva di Val Gardena, in the Puez-Odle Natural Park, Vallunga represents a glacial valley closed between meadows and towering dolomitic walls. The itinerary, classified as moderate, is almost entirely flat. For this reason it is among the most accessible of the selection, suitable even for those with little experience. In October the larches color the valley gold, while the rocks all around resemble the aisles of a cathedral of rock.
Gran Bosco Circuit, Piedmont
Moving westward, high in the Val di Susa, lies the Gran Bosco di Salbertrand, a nature reserve and one of the largest alpine forests in Piedmont. The loop, of moderate difficulty, winds through a forest where larches grow alongside white and red firs, Scots pines, and Swiss stone pines. In autumn, the yellow of the larches and the deep green of the evergreens form a mosaic of colors, far from the more crowded Dolomites destinations.
Filorera-Rasica along the Valle di Mello Torrent, Lombardy
The season comes to a close in the Val di Mello, a nature reserve in the province of Sondrio. Between meadows and towering granite walls, a moderately challenging circuit follows the torrent into a forest with a fairy-tale atmosphere. Here the altitude is lower and the colors arrive later: by late October the beech and chestnut leaves blanket the undergrowth in copper and amber tones. It is one of the most beautiful autumn walks in Northern Italy and the ideal way to bid farewell to the foliage before winter arrives.
