In the Four Corners area, many would argue fall is the best of all our seasons. This might feel counterintuitive at first to visitors, but fall comes with a few advantages: milder temperatures, fewer crowds, and changing colors like the golden cottonwoods in Farmington and beyond.
In fact, September through October is widely considered the most comfortable season for outdoor exploring in our corner of New Mexico and the wider Four Corners region by those in the know. If you’re visiting during that time, you’ll discover mild weather for outdoor adventures, cultural and historic sites, food and drink, and autumn-specific events that you won’t find any other time of year.
Let’s look at what awaits!
Chase fall colors from high desert views
This time of year is full of colorful vistas and landscapes in Farmington and beyond.
In town, the Animas River Walk’s cottonwoods turn gold along the water. Further out, you can explore the Angel Peak Scenic Area or Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness as they change with the seasons — Angel Peak is especially wonderful as a sunrise and/or stargazing spot, while the exposed open landscapes of Bisti mean the cooler autumn temperatures make this an ideal season for exploring their badlands in more comfortable conditions.
In the other direction — slightly over an hour west of Farmington, by the Arizona border — is the Shiprock pinnacle. This awe-inspiring formation has been considered sacred by the Navajo since time immemorial and is like nothing else in the world when the lighting descends on it during a fall sunset.
Get outside while the weather’s perfect for it
That ideal weather for exploring, for example, the Bisti Badlands is also the ideal weather for so many other outdoor activities. Here are some of our favorites:
- Hiking, biking and exploring the terrain. Options like the River Walk are right in Farmington, but there are also trails galore in this part of New Mexico. We also have recreational opportunities that combine exploring nature with other activities — the Lions Wilderness Disc Golf Course, for example, uses disc golf to take you on an adventure across high desert views.
- Have a golf getaway at Piñon Hills. Speaking of golf, why not take advantage of the milder temperatures to play a round at our renowned course on the north side of town? It’s consistently voted as one of the best municipal courses in the country and is famous with golfers far and wide.
- Go off-roading! Off-road and four-by-four rentals are popular with our landscape, offering sought-after terrain for many different levels. If you’re looking for a way to see our surrounding nature, Ultimate Performance UTV offers Jeep and SxS rentals. .
- Fishing the San Juan River and Quality Waters. If the area around Farmington is known especially for one thing, it may very well be our fishing; this continues well into the fall, with salmon snagging season from October to December.
Learn more about our Native culture and local history
So much of New Mexican culture is rooted in our First people’s influence going back to the Ancestral Puebloans all the way to today’s Navajo, Jicarilla Apache, and Southern Utes. In Farmington in particular, the Navajo influence is especially strong.
Here are spots where you can experience that influence and history:
Aztec Ruins National Monument
This is the oldest reconstructed complete kiva in North America, located about a 30-minute drive northeast of Farmington. Despite the name, it has nothing to do with the Aztecs, after whom the ruins were incorrectly named in the 1800s by American settlers. On the contrary, Aztec Ruins was built by the Ancestral Pueblo people whose golden age was in the Four Corners region around 1,000 years ago.
Salmon Ruins
The approximately 1,000-year-old Salmon Ruins is just east of town by nearby Bloomfield. Another spot left behind by the Ancestral Puebloans, archaeological evidence suggests this site predates its neighboring Aztec Ruins by a couple decades. Here you’ll find a plaza and kiva living spaces giving us a look at how people in the area lived a millenia ago.
Dinétah Rock Art and Pueblitos
Dinétah is the name for the Navajo homeland, and throughout this region you’ll find rock art and smaller pueblitos scattered throughout. The rock art spans centuries, some coming from the Ancestral Puebloans and some being more “recently” crafted a few centuries ago by the Navajo in the 1600s.
Guided tours from Navajo Tours USA and Journey Into The Past Tours
So often, you’ll learn the most and gain the best appreciation for a space and its importance by guiding from the people who know it best. Navajo Tours USA and Journey Into The Past are just two examples who will provide a perspective you can’t get just by exploring the area alone.
Go stargazing at our dark skies
This part of New Mexico is home to some inimitable stargazing spots, and even areas that are world-renowned.
Chaco Culture National Historical Park — about an hour and a half south-by-southwest of Farmington — is recognized as an International Dark Sky Park making it one of the most vivid stargazing spots on the planet. If you’re in northwestern New Mexico, we can’t emphasize enough that getting to see autumn constellations from that sky is a potentially once-in-a-lifetime experience!
Taste some fall flavors and check out autumn events
When it comes to eating and drinking in Farmington, we’ve got a few spots that especially feel like fall — or, taste like fall, more like. These are some favorites:
Seasonal beers at Three Rivers Brewery and Lauter Haus Brewing. Three Rivers, located right downtown, has been serving up craft beer since the 90s. Stay and eat some posole, green chile turkey stew, or other pub fare, or grab a growler or crowler to go! Lauter Haus, just down the road, has beer, arcade games, pinball, rotating food trucks, and frequent music on their Shred Shed stage.
Pumpkin spice at Oso Grande Coffee Company. It’s become the flavor of the fall and that’s no different at Oso Grande!
Harvest season at Wines of the San Juan. In between Farmington and Navajo Dam, Wines of the San Juan has not just seasonal wines and harvest, but beautiful backdrops to enjoy them. They also have over 10 acres for RV campers who want to spend the night.
Green chile favorites. This is New Mexico — we can’t not include chiles here! Some places worth hitting up include Clancy’s Irish Cantina or The Chile Pod in downtown, whose menu revolves around classic green and red New Mexican chiles. (Along with being the local Chile Cook-Offs champion for multiple years, The Chile Pod also has award-winning chile macaroni and cheeses — you can get a “flight” of all three: green chile, red chile, and jalapeno popper.)
Fall events and festivals worth checking out
When you’re in town in the autumn, be sure to check these out:
- Local craft fairs from October through December
- The Turkey Trot and Gobble Wobble (late November — the 21st for 2026)
- Casper Baca Rodeo’s Bull Riding Extraordinaire (Thanksgiving weekend)
- Holiday Art Walk (Quarterly — October 2nd for fall 2026)
Where to stay for a Farmington fall getaway
Luckily, you’ve got lots of options for lodging in Farmington whether you’re here to explore our activities in town or go on adventures further out in the Four Corners area — we’re a great, cozy home base for a weekend trip! Whether you prefer local inns and lodges (or even a cave!), or camping and RV parks, there’s a lodging option in town that’ll suit your needs.
If you want to dive more into your possibilities for a fall Farmington trip, you can request a free Vacation Guide on our site, which covers all the opportunities both in town and in the greater Four Corners region.
Along with our online Choose Your Journey portal, these resources can help you build your perfect itinerary for your visit. We hope to see you soon!