Southerners, the weather is on your side from now through the end of the year. Hurricane season is (fingers crossed) winding down, the humidity has dropped to a bearable level and being outside feels delightful again. It’s the perfect time to plan an outdoor adventure in your area, or go on a trip that’s centered around spending time in nature. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
Georgia
1. Paddle the water trails of Okefenokee Swamp
Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge earned Georgia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site designation earlier this year, and more than 120 miles of water trails wind through ancient cypress forests and wet prairies in the largest blackwater wetland ecosystem in North America. Rentals and self-guided trips are available through Okefenokee Adventures; Driftwood Paddling Tours offers small-group guided experiences.
2. Hike the Chesser Island Boardwalk to Owls Roost Tower
From the Folkston entrance, the Chesser Island Boardwalk is a fully accessible elevated walkway running roughly 1.3 miles out and back, according to All Trails, winding past moss-draped cypress before climbing the 40-foot Owls Roost Tower. The refuge is home to more than 1,000 species, including an estimated 10,000 to 13,000 American alligators and threatened species like the red-cockaded woodpecker, indigo snake and wood stork.
3. Camp overnight on an Okefenokee wilderness platform
Book one of the refuge’s seven wilderness platforms, each equipped with partial roofs, picnic tables and pit toilets; two islands within the refuge add fire rings for campfires. Camping permits must be obtained in advance. Okefenokee is the least disturbed freshwater ecosystem on the Atlantic Coastal Plain, according to the University of Georgia’s River Basin Center.
4. Walk the Big Ferry Trail at Skidaway Island State Park
Less than 30 minutes from Savannah’s Historic District, Skidaway Island State Park’s Big Ferry Trail is an easy two-mile loop — three if you add the Earthworks Loop — with boardwalk sections stretching across the marsh. Keep an eye out for old liquor stills once used to ferry moonshine from island to island during prohibition.
5. Bird the fall migration at Tybee Island’s North Beach
About 30 minutes east of Savannah, Tybee Island drops into a slower rhythm after Labor Day, when migratory birds pass through. North Beach is one of the best and most accessible spots in the state for watching shorebirds, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. Fall also marks the start of oyster season and strong redfish runs.
Florida
6. Night-paddle bioluminescent water at Canaveral National Seashore
From June through October, local outfitters at Canaveral National Seashore run guided nighttime kayak tours when tiny bioluminescent organisms turn the water aglow beneath your paddle. By day, the Indian River Lagoon is a kayak-accessible home to redfish, sea turtles and manatees.
7. Catch a rocket launch from Jetty Park or Space View Park
With advance planning, you can watch from the bleachers on Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex’s North Atlantis Lawn, where live commentary from NASA officials accompanies the countdown. For a free alternative, arrive early at Jetty Park in Port Canaveral or Space View Park in Titusville. A complete schedule lives at visitspacecoast.com/launches.
8. Surf the quieter breaks south of Cocoa Beach Pier
Cocoa Beach — hometown of surf champion Kelly Slater — brings consistent fall swell without the summer crowds. Skip the bustle around Cocoa Beach Pier and keep driving north on A1A to Lori Wilson Park and beyond, where the waves stay beginner- and family-friendly.
9. Swim with wild manatees at Crystal River
Crystal River is the only place in Florida where swimming with wild manatees is specifically managed and permitted. Manatee season runs Nov. 15 through March 31, with the most concentrated gatherings typically occurring December through February. Book a guided excursion with a permitted operator, or stay dry on a clear-kayak tour with Get Up and Go Kayaking. Practice passive observation by floating quietly at the surface; never chase, touch, disturb or feed the manatees.
South Carolina
10. Hike to Boneyard Beach on Bulls Island
Take a ferry out to the 5,000-acre uninhabited Bulls Island in Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge, just north of Charleston. An out-and-back trail from the dock to Boneyard Beach — a famous stretch of shoreline littered with sun-bleached palmetto and live oak trunks — runs just short of five miles, according to All Trails.
Alabama
11. Fish for red snapper off Gulf Shores and Orange Beach
Fall is prime time along Alabama’s Gulf Coast: the water stays warm, the crowds shrink and the red snapper season runs until the end of October. Between charters, hike Bon Secure National Wildlife Refuge or play the region’s numerous golf courses.
10. Bike or walk Middle Lake Loop at Gulf State Park, then jump in the Gulf
The Middle Lake Loop is a nearly nine-mile segment of the 28-mile Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail inside Gulf State Park, according to All Trails. The flat, mostly paved path passes live oaks, freshwater marshes and lake views. Most hikers finish in under three hours, and it’s even faster on two wheels. The best detail: the trail ends just across from the beach, so a post-walk ocean dip is built in.
This report was produced with the assistance of a proprietary tool powered by artificial intelligence and using our own originally reported, written and published content. It was reviewed and edited by our journalists.
READ MORE: Florida’s best small towns for a fall weekend
READ MORE: The best beach resorts in the South
READ MORE: I’d drive two hours for this sandwich in a tiny North Carolina town