5 free apps for fall fun: bake apple pie, go hiking, and more

Autumn often comes with a number of cliché attributes – Pumpkin Spice Lattes at Starbucks, flannel shirts and taking perfectly synchronized photos with friends on plots of pumpkins. But that doesn’t change the fact that many people are looking for recipes, crafts, hikes, and outdoor activities to get in the spirit of fall.

No matter what fall looks like to you, these apps can help you jump into the season and find fun things to do before winter sets in.

Pinterest

Pinterest is a treasure chest of ideas for almost everything. The website and its app can help you find home decor inspirations, fall crafts, and fun activities for the whole family. You can also look for soups, ciders, braised roasts, and other spicy pumpkin treats that are easy to make. Pinterest can filter results based on prep time, dietary requirements, and ingredients needed.

Large oven

Speaking of food, BigOven is full of recipes for gatherings, dinner, quick snacks, and comfort food. You can use the website or the apps all year round to find the perfect dish. Once the leaves start to change, it’s as easy as looking for “fall,” and BigOven will display tantalizing images for spicy apple pie, hot and spicy chili, pumpkin cookies and more.

BigOven is free as a guest to search for recipes. With a free account, you can also save recipes and get printable versions. There is also a pro version with meal planning and shopping list tools.

National or state park applications

Depending on where you live, fall might be the “hottest” weather forecast for your area and perfect for being outdoors. There are dozens of places to explore in your own state no matter where you live, from state parks and state forests to historic sites, nature reserves and wildlife refuges.

Depending on where you live, your location may or may not have an application. More famous places like Yellowstone, Yosemite, the Grand Canyon, the Smoky Mountains and others do. But even if your local park doesn’t have an app, you can check their website to learn more about hiking trails and seasonal events.

All trails

The AllTrails app can be a companion app if you are heading to a park. The app is useful if you are looking for a tough hike, a new place to walk your dog, or want to get a glimpse of the vibrant fall leaves.

AllTrails offers GPS trail maps, downloadable offline maps, and topographic maps. You can specify mountain biking, running, or hiking trails, find a hiking community, run, and more. It’s a useful app for exercise enthusiasts and adventurers, but still manageable if you want to keep it casual.

AccuWeather

If you’re heading outdoors, the AccuWeather app will make sure your plans aren’t derailed by cold snaps, warm-ups, rain, or whatever. The app locates your location to provide weather data and updates every minute. You can keep track of the forecast for two weeks in advance, in case you are trying to plan ahead for the kids’ fall vacation.

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