There are walks for clear summer mornings, when you can leave the house in trainers and come home looking much as you did when you set off.
And then there are the others.
The ones with wet grass, slippery leaves, puddles across the path and that particularly British sort of mud which seems determined to come home with you.
October is a good month for the second kind. The countryside is changing quickly, the trees are beginning to colour, and places that were busy in August are settling into a different rhythm.
You don't need to climb a mountain or cover fifteen miles to enjoy it, either. Sometimes a couple of hours wandering through woodland or along an estuary is quite enough.
Here are five walks with something worth going out for. Just check the weather and ground conditions before setting off. Wellies are excellent for wet grass and ordinary mud, but walking boots with proper grip are generally a better choice for steep, rocky or slippery ground.
1. Hatfield Forest — Essex
Best for: Ancient trees, autumn colour and a proper woodland wander.
Hatfield Forest is not the sort of woodland where every tree stands neatly in a row. It's a surviving medieval hunting forest, with ancient pollarded trees, open grassland, wooded areas and a lake.
That mixture is what makes it interesting. One minute you're beneath old oaks, the next you're crossing open ground with a much wider view of the forest.
The National Trust's Hatfield Forest and Flitch Way circular walk covers 3.5 miles (5.6km) and takes roughly two hours. It's mostly flat, although the paths can become muddy and uneven.
There is one important catch: parts of the forest become severely waterlogged in winter and routes may close to protect the ground. This is a walk to choose when autumn conditions allow, not an invitation to plough through saturated woodland.
Practical details: Start at Hatfield Forest car park, CM22 6NE. Toilets and a café are available in the lakeside area. Dogs are welcome, with lead restrictions in certain areas. Check the route before travelling.
Official walk and route details.
2. Beningbrough — North Yorkshire
Best for: An easy woodland walk without committing the whole day.
Not every autumn outing needs to be an expedition. Beningbrough's Newton walk is a manageable 1.9-mile (3km) circular route through parkland and woodland, with the option to extend towards Newton-on-Ouse.
It has the sort of variety that makes a short walk satisfying: changing trees, open parkland and the chance of seeing wildlife without needing binoculars worth more than your car.
The ground is mostly flat, with bark-chip paths and muddy sections. It's a good choice for a morning when the weather looks undecided and you'd rather be outdoors than spend another hour discussing whether it's going to rain.
Practical details: Start at Beningbrough car park, YO30 1DD. Allow around 45 minutes for the main circuit, longer if you extend it. Follow the pink waymarkers.
3. Moss Eccles Tarn — Lake District
Best for: A little Lake District scenery without a serious fell walk.
The Lake District has plenty of routes that should not be attempted in wellies. Moss Eccles Tarn is a more modest proposition.
Starting at Near Sawrey, the 2.5-mile (4km) walk leads towards the small tarn associated with Beatrix Potter, who spent time painting here while her husband fished.
It's an appealing reminder that a good walk doesn't need a summit. Water, trees and the changing colours of the surrounding landscape are quite enough.
The route does include short steep sections, and the path can be muddy after rain. If conditions are slippery, choose supportive walking boots rather than smooth-soled wellies.
Practical details: Start at Near Sawrey, grid reference SD370956. Allow around 50 minutes according to the National Trust, though there's no particular reason to hurry. Dogs should be kept on leads because livestock graze along the route throughout the year.
Official Moss Eccles Tarn walk.
4. Abermawr Beach — Pembrokeshire
Best for: A walk that manages to include woodland, marsh and coastline in barely a mile.
Abermawr is a particularly good argument against judging a walk by its distance.
The National Trust's one-mile (1.6km) circuit takes in woodland, meadow, marsh and shingle beach. There is also an unusual bit of history: Isambard Kingdom Brunel once had plans for a port and cable terminus here, although they never materialised.
It's the change in surroundings that makes this walk worthwhile. A stretch of woodland gives way to marsh, then the open coastline, with the sea making its presence felt even when you can't yet see it.
The ground is uneven, with large shingle, gates and potentially muddy paths. Wellies may be useful in the softer sections, but footwear with good grip and ankle support is important on the cobbles.
Practical details: Start at Abermawr beach turning circle, grid reference SM884347. The official circuit takes around 30 minutes. Allow longer for exploring and looking at the coast. Keep away from unstable or wave-washed areas in rough weather.
Official Abermawr walking route.
5. Glan Faenol — Gwynedd
Best for: Wet woodland, old parkland and views across the Menai Strait.
Glan Faenol offers something rather different from a conventional woodland circuit.
The 1.5-mile (2.4km) trail winds through native woodland and ancient parkland, with views towards Plas Newydd and the mountains of Eryri (Snowdonia). There's also the possibility of spotting a seal in the Menai Strait.
The woodland paths can be wet and muddy, and sections have boardwalks or steps. It is a moderate walk rather than a completely effortless stroll, despite the short distance.
This is one for taking your time. Watch the water, look up through the trees and enjoy the fact that you've managed to fit woodland and coastal scenery into a relatively small outing.
Practical details: Start at the Glan Faenol picnic area, grid reference SH532698. Allow one to one and a half hours. The route has steps and isn't suitable for pushchairs. Dogs are welcome but must be on leads where livestock may be grazing.
Before you pull your wellies on
Wellies are not automatically the best footwear for every wet walk. They're useful for muddy tracks, wet fields and puddles, but long distances, steep descents and slippery stone can be uncomfortable or unsafe without the support and grip of decent walking boots.
Check the route, the forecast and any temporary closures. Take a waterproof, a charged phone and enough daylight to finish comfortably. Keep dogs under proper control around livestock and wildlife, and stick to designated routes where ground protection or seasonal restrictions apply.
And put something in the car to stand your muddy footwear on afterwards. A piece of old cardboard will do. No specialist boot-storage system required.
Explore more in our Outdoors and Dogs departments.
Photo: “Track to Moss Eccles Tarn” by Karl and Ali, CC BY-SA 2.0.