Crisp autumn is best time to take a hike

A hiker finishes the Kortum Trail along the Sonoma Coast. (Kent Porter / Press Democrat)

For the dedicated year-round hiker, fall is an awakening of sorts, a time when the summer fog lifts, especially on the coast, and vistas open up for miles.

“It’s definitely the best season to get out and hike,” says Leigh Skizewski.

As the leader of the Sonoma County Wanderers, a Meetup.com group with more than 900 members, she knows from experience. Attendance spikes this time of year as “the air has a freshness and crispness to it and with the first set of early rains, you start to see water in the streams and you get the beautiful green moss in the forests. And you don’t have all the dust of the summer trails.”

Growing up in Vermont and hiking the Green Mountains and the Appalachian Trail, the 54-year-old retired corporate banker has followed winding trails all over the world, from Hawaii to New Zealand.

“But there is no other place like Sonoma County,” she says. “It’s just a magical place to hike.”

So before winter rains descend and trails turn to mud, this is the time to wander the backcountry. Whether you’re looking for a solo journey or a group adventure — the Pepperwood Preserve off Franz Valley Road has a great mushroom hike this weekend, but it’s sold out — here’s a look at the Sonoma County Wanderers’ top three fall hikes: