Fall season is one of the most beautiful and exciting times of the year, filled with vibrant color, cozy activities, and a sense of adventure. It’s also the perfect time to enjoy a scavenger hunt! These fall scavenger hunts are a great way to connect with friends, family, or even your local community, while enjoying the vibrant colors and unique activities autumn has to offer.
To help you plan your fall adventures, here are 8 fun and unique scavenger hunt ideas to do across the US, complete with the free printable checklist for each one.
A scavenger hunt in a local forest or nature reserve is a great way to engage with nature. Look for seasonal items like acorns, pinecones, unique-shaped leaves, and mushrooms.
You can visit places like Great Smoky Mountains National Park or Shenandoah National Park from Virginia, where trails are filled with rich autumnal sights. These areas offer gorgeous views and connect you with local environmental efforts, like forest clean-ups or guided nature walks.
Many local farms and pumpkin patches offer fun, family-friendly fall activities. Create a scavenger hunt around the pumpkin patch where participants search for pumpkins of different shapes, sizes, and colors.
You can also include farm-themed items like scarecrows, hay bales, or even small farm animals. Places like Bishop’s Pumpkin Farm in California often host fall festivals, making it the perfect spot for an autumn day out. This can be a great way to support local farmers while soaking in the season’s charm.
Take your scavenger hunt indoors and to the kitchen! A baking treat scavenger hunt encourages participants to find ingredients in the kitchen or at the grocery store to create classic autumn treats, like pumpkin pie, apple crisp, or cinnamon rolls. This is an especially great scavenger hunt idea for families with kids, they’ll love finding the ingredients and baking up some delicious treats together.
Consider visiting a local farmer's market to find fresh ingredients and connect with local vendors. This is a fun way to bond with family or friends, and you’ll get to enjoy delicious homemade treats as your reward!
For those who enjoy a spooky adventure, a haunted house tour as a Halloween scavenger hunt is the perfect way to feel fall vibes! You can find some historic houses or local haunted attractions that already have the scene for a creepy scavenger hunt.
Participants can look for spooky objects, and symbols, or even complete challenges like taking a photo in front of a "haunted" mirror. Some towns or cities, like Salem in Massachusetts, host annual ghost tours, making it easy to tie in your scavenger hunt with local Halloween festivities.
Autumn is a wonderful time to explore the history of your local area. Plan a photo scavenger hunt through a historic town, looking for landmarks, statues, or historical plaques. This is perfect for history buffs and provides an opportunity to learn more about your town’s heritage.
Check out historical towns nearby to dive into local lore while enjoying the autumn air. Woodstock, known for its small-town charm and stunning fall scenery, Woodstock is a great place to explore during autumn.
Autumn is harvest season, and farmers' markets are brimming with fresh produce like squash, apples, and root vegetables. A scavenger hunt at the farmers market is a great way to explore the local food scene.
If you are someone who lives in New York City, you can organize the scavenger hunt at your neighborhood farmers market, such as Union Square Greenmarket, and make it a fun way to support small businesses while gathering ingredients for a delicious autumn hunt.
Apple picking is a quintessential autumn activity. Add a twist by creating a scavenger hunt for different types of apples, such as Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Gala. Participants can also hunt for items associated with apple picking, such as apple baskets, ladders, or cider presses.
Many orchards, such as Honey Pot Hill Orchards in Massachusetts or Sky Top Orchard in North Carolina, offer pick-your-own experiences, perfect for setting up your scavenger hunt. Afterward, turn your apple haul into pies or cider!
Get lost (in a good way) at one of the many corn mazes that pop up across the country during fall. Corn mazes are a fun and challenging fall tradition, and you can enhance the experience by turning it into a scavenger hunt. Search for hidden clues or objects as you navigate the maze.
Many local farms, like Connors Farm in Massachusetts, design mazes perfect for a group scavenger hunt. These events are often part of autumn festivals that include hayrides, petting zoos, and more.
We hope our printable scavenger hunt template and the PlayTours app can be part of your autumn adventures! Enjoy every moment and happy hunting!
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