(Alpine Club) mountain huts that are still open in autumn

Three mountain huts near the summits and on the borders of the Chiemgau Alps remain open in October or even November: 

• the Kranzhornalm on the Kranzhorn mountain
• the Spitzsteinhaus on the Spitzstein mountain
• the Straubinger Haus on theFellhorn mountain

All three mountain huts and their summit locations offer sweeping views in autumn stretching as far as the main ridge of the Tirolean Alps and into the Bavarian Alpine foothills, as well as ascents that are usually snow-free and in the sunshine. Although all the trails and summit hikes can be done as day trips, given the views, we recommend staying for at least a whole weekend.

The Kaiser Mountains are ideal for an autumn hike from mountain hut to mountain hut. 

• On the Kaiserkrone, thanks to the long opening hours of all the mountain huts along the route, it’s even possible to complete a full circuit of the Wilder Kaiser Mountains well into October.
• Those who don’t have quite so much time can enjoy superb views of the Wilder Kaiser and – thanks to its south-facing slopes – plenty of autumn sunshine on this two-day hike with an overnight stay at the Stripsenjoch-Haus.
• This three-day hike, with overnight stays at the Gaudeamushütte and Gruttenhütte, also follows a route facing entirely south. On clear autumn days, the views stretch from the southern foothills of the Wilder Kaiser Mountains across to the Kitzbühel Alps to the mighty peaks of the Hohe Tauern.   

As summer in the high mountains slowly draws to a close, tranquillity descends upon the alpine meadows and the green grass takes on its golden autumn hue. It is at this time of the year that hiking in the Kitzbühel Alps is particularly special. The predominantly gentle grassy peaks offer sweeping panoramic views rarely found in such easy-to-hike terrain as that here in this region. Added to this is a striking contrast as golden meadows meet the rugged limestone peaks to the north of the Kitzbühel Alps, whilst on the Main Alpine Ridge to the south, the first three-thousand-metre peaks are often already dusted with snow in the months of autumn. Fortunately, several mountain huts in the Kitzbühel Alps are still open at this time of year. 

• An overnight stay at theWildseeloderhaus allows you to explore the eponymous lake and its summit at your leisure. The next morning, the route continues along the Fieberbrunn High Trail until, at the Gebra Chapel, you can (if you wish) turn off towards the picturesque Hochwildalm, which welcomes overnight guests until the end of October. And the adventure doesn’t have to end there! Via the Staffkogel and Saalkogel, you can breathe in more of the crisp Kitzbühel mountain air on your way to the Bochumer Hütte.
• In Kelchsau, a side valley accessible from Hopfgarten, the Neue Bamberger Hütte offers another worthwhile autumn destination. From the hut, the route takes you past the three Wildalm lakes to the magnificent viewpoint on the easy-to-reach Schafsiedel peak.

• In summer, the Rofan Mountains can get quite busy. So why not wait until October to give the Rofan Loop or the Four-Day, Four-Peak Hike a go? The Erfurter Hütte and Bayreuther Hütte are both open well into autumn, making both adventures possible during the cooler time of the year. Moreover, in autumn it is much less likely that any peaks will be hidden behind cumulus clouds, so you and your companions can drink in the sweeping panoramic views from Hochiss, Spieljoch, Rofanspitze and the other peaks in the area.
• The southernmost range of the Brandenberg Alps, directly above the Inn Valley, also offers similar views. You can even cross this range in its entirety via the Eagle Walk right up until the end of October – from the Pendling mountain to the Voldöpper Spitze, with overnight options at the Pendlinghaus and the Buchacker Alm.
• Anyone wishing to get back on their mountain bike or gravel bike in autumn can head up to the Guffert mountain into two stages, with an overnight stay at the Gufferthütte. Incidentally, from the hut you can climb the scenic Halserspitz via its southern side well into the later months of the year.

• Until early October, you can link up the scenic landmarks of the Tux Alps – the Patscherkofel and Glungezer in the west and the Kellerjoch in the east – on the multi-day Inn Valley High Trail, following a trail of intermediate difficulty. The hike offers fine views of the Karwendel Mountains to the north and the Zillertal Alps to the south. The cirques and high valleys between the Mountain huts are a colourful sight and pleasantly peaceful.
• Sunrises and sunsets on the Kellerjoch and the Glungezer in autumn are a special experience. An overnight stay in the huts near the summits makes the trek easier.
• Near Ginzling in the Zillertal Alps, a real hidden gem remains open until mid-October. An overnight stay at the small, rustic Maxhütte is also recommended for families as it is easy to access, even for children.
• In the Stilluptal valley near Mayrhofen, right at the very end of what is known as the Valley of Waterfalls, you will find another hut open in autumn – the Grüne-Wand-Hütte – which can even be reached by road bike and, of course, e-mountain bike.

• High above the Inn Valley, on the sunny slopes of the Karwendel Mountains, lie two mountain huts that remain open until late in the season: the Solsteinhaus and the Neue Magdeburger Hütte. The two can be bridged by hiking up and over the Solstein peak, make for a packed weekend programme of autumn action.
• With an overnight stay at the Bettelwurfhütte, you can explore the autumnal Hall Valley at length well into October and perhaps even climb one of the highest peaks in the Karwendel Mountains, the Großer Bettelwurf
• Even in the heart of the Karwendel Mountains, you can still stay overnight at various locations until early October (Hallerangerhaus and Halleranger Alm, Lamsenjochhütte, Pfeishütte, Karwendelhaus, Falkenhütte), from where you can climb one of the mighty limestone giants of the Karwendel Mountains or link the mountain huts together using various multi-day hikes:
  • the classic Karwendel Mountains traverse
  • from Hinterriss to the Inn Valley
  • Karwendel Mountains High Route
  • Karwendel Circuit
• You can still enjoy a brilliant weekend tour in the Vorkarwendel until the end of October. Whilst you’re rarely alone at the Tölzer Hütte, the connecting ridge to the Plumsjochhütte is much more remote. However, numerous curious and playful chamois provide constant company along the way.

The sun-drenched southern slopes of the Mieming Mountains and the Wetterstein Mountains are a great choice for autumn walks. Even late in the hiking season, you can still enjoy wonderful day walks here, as well as hut-to-hut walks with an overnight stay.

• A lovely circular hike leads from Wildermieming, either via the Judenköpfe or the Ochsenbründlsteig, to the Neue Alplhütte, where you can stay overnight until the end of October.
• From the Lehnberghaus, you can climb the panoramic Wankspitze via the south-facing ascent over a distance well into the year. If you would also like to explore the other side of the Mieming Mountains, you can cross over via the Grünsteinscharte to the popular Coburger Hütte by the Drachensee lake, then hike around the Grünstein mountain by returning to the Inn Valley via the Biberwierer Scharte and the Marienbergalm.
• The Südsteig above the Gaistal is a magnificent panoramic trail on the southern side of the Wetterstein Mountains and, thanks to its orientation, is perfect for a lovely autumn day. Spending the night at the Rotmoosalm breaks up the long hike into two days.

• On a multi-day hike through the Tannheim Mountains you can enjoy four action-packed days well into October. All the huts in this relatively low-lying but spectacular mountain range are open into September and October.
• On the other side of the Tannheim Valley, the Landsberger Hütte – another hut run by the Austrian Alpine Club – remains open until mid-October. It is situated on the award-winning Three Lakes Trail and is the ideal place for an overnight stay. The hut is a good base from which to climb several of the surrounding peaks, including the Rote Spitze, the Steinkarspitze and the Lachenspitze.
• An autumnal night at the Bad Kissinger Hütte is always a good idea. Sunrises and sunsets atop the Aggenstein mountain, not far from the hut, are spectacular on a clear autumn morning or evening.

• Many huts along the Stubai High Trail remain open until the end of September and – provided the high passes between the huts are not yet covered in snow – make it possible to walk sections of this popular high-altitude trail in September and October. The huts can also be visited individually as day-trip destinations. For example, in autumn you can stop off at the Sulzenauhütte on the Wilde-Wasser-Weg, or enjoy the strictly vegetarian menu at the Neue Regensburger Hütte whilst marvelling at the Hohe Moos behind the mountain hut, which is particularly beautiful in autumn.
• In the Wipptal Valley, overnight stays at mountain huts are also still possible in autumn. Until the end of September you can try your hand at a range of summit options around the Blaserhütte and the Padasterjochhaus, or include the Gschnitzer Tribulaunhütte in a circular hike taking in the Gargglerin peak.

• From the Ötztal Valley side, you can ride a mountain bike (or, of course, walk) to the Schweinfurter Hütte or the Amberger Hütte and stop for a bite to eat or stay the night. The huts remain open until early October. Between these two huts there is also the fine Winnebachseehütte, which enjoys a superb location right by the lake and can be combined with the other two mountain huts to create a multi-day autumn hike in high-alpine terrain.

   

Here and there, it is still possible to stay overnight in the high-altitude Ötztal Alps, even in autumn. Most huts run by the Austrian Alpine Club do, however, close as early as mid-September due to their high altitude.

• One worthwhile exception is the Hohenzollernhaus, where the access via the Radurschltal Valley is in itself a scenic highlight in autumn. From this family friendly hut we recommend a hike to the Smaragdsee lake the following day. A visit to the autumnal Radurschl Gorge down in the valley is the perfect way to round off the trip.

• The Braunschweigerhütte, well-known from the E5 long-distance hiking route, also welcomes guests until the end of September and offers good food and fine views of the nearby glacier.

   

• One of the best autumn hikes near Lermoos leads through the peaceful Gartnertal Valley to the Wolfratshauser Hütte. The hut is open for meals and overnight stays until mid-October and offers fantastic views of the Zugspitze mountain.
• Both the Jöchlspitzbahn cable car and the Bernhardseck Hütte are open well into autumn, making it possible for hikers to enjoy the sunny Panoramaweg trail with views across the entire Lech Valley, right up until the start of November.
• In the heart of the Lechtal Alps, you can still stay overnight at the Memminger Hütte and the Simms-Hütte until early October and marvel at the Lechtal Valley's extraordinary mountain peaks, such as the Freispitze or the Holzgauer Wetterspitze, in their autumnal splendour.
• A self-catering adventure in the rugged Hornbach Range is still highly recommended at the Kaufbeurer Haus until early October. On the other side of the Hornbach Range, the historic Hermann-von-Barth Hütte, set in a spectacular location, remains open well into autumn.

• Leaving from Galtür or Mathon, there are two huts at the far end of the Paznaun Valley which can be reached either on foot or by mountain bike – the Friedrichshafener Hütte and the Jamtal Hütte. Both remain open late into the season.
• From St. Anton, the Konstanzer Hütte is a great base for a long weekend of hiking in September. In the Patteriol area, there are plenty of destinations to explore in the vicinity of the mountain hut.

There are few, if any, regions better for autumnal hiking than East Tirol. Walkers will find plenty of huts open well into September and October in some of the most spectacular scenery you could imagine. Highlights can be found in the Hohe Tauern National Park, which is at least as beautiful in autumn as it is in summer. Many long-distance hiking trails and multi-day hikes (Lasörling High Trail, Venediger High Trail, Törl Trail, Carnic High Trail, Herz-Ass-Tour, Glockner Loop, etc.) can be accessed almost from start to finish in early autumn (check conditions at the crossings between the mountain huts).