Fall fever — finally! The nights are cold the days are cool and dry, the ideal mix for going in search of fall color. That drives our agenda of recommendations for the weekend.

Fall events, North Carolina State Parks, Saturday, Sunday. Not only is fall driving our agenda, it appears to be driving that of North Carolina State Parks as well: Gorgeous Gorges Colors Festival at Gorges State Park, Fall Discovery Hike at Lake Norman State Park, Stone Mountain Fall Hike … and that’s just on Saturday. You can find a rundown of all fall-themed events at North Carolina State Parks here.

Halloween events at North Carolina State Parks, Saturday, Sunday. Another theme for the weekend at our State Parks: things that go bump in the night! Halloween at Holly Point (Falls Lake State Recreation Area), Uwharrie Ghost Stories (Morrow Mountain State Park), Haunted Hanging Rock … and again, that’s just on Saturday. Find details here.

GetHiking! Weekend Hikes. In our North Carolina GetHiking! universe, we have three events this weekend:

• Crowders Mountain Hike with Kids, Sunday, 9 a.m., Crowders Mountain State Park, Kings Mountain. 5.6 miles, moderate. GetHiking! Charlotte. Details here.
• Medoc Mountain State Park Loop Hike, Sunday, 11 a.m., Medoc Mountain State Park, Hollister. 6 miles, moderate. GetExploring! Greenville. Details here.
• GetOriented! Finding Your Way in the Woods, Saturday, 8 a.m., Umstead State Park, Raleigh. about 3 miles, moderate. Map and compass skills class, Details here.

More options

You can find more opportunities this weekend here:

• North Carolina State Parks have a variety of adventures planned for the weekend. Check those options here.
• North Carolina Environmental Education Centers has an extensive calendar of what’s happening at its affiliates; check it out here.
• You can also find more adventures right here, at GetGoingNC.com.

Interested in the star of today’s 49-second feature attraction? Learn more about the Horton Grove Nature preserve here.