Great question, @gajanan. I love this beautiful time of year! @bjs03, what is the state park in your neck of the woods. I imagine that drive and the bluffs are absolutely gorgeous right now or will soon be!
Whitewater State Park is starting to show some beautiful colors. This park is near Saint Charles or only 30 minutes SE of Rochester. It’s definitely worth the drive. Bring your hiking shoes too; they have great trails where you can see the colors from atop the bluffs.
I recently subscribed to Minnesota DNR’s e-mail/texting list for best places to see fall colors week-by-week. If you visit their website, there is a color-coded map that shows every MN state park and how close they are to peak fall color. I’d recommend checking it out so you can better catch the beauty of fall in southern MN!
I spent some time hiking at Oxbow Park this afternoon (located in Byron) and the colors were spectacular! I love Oxbow because it’s close to Rochester and there are miles of trails to explore.
With the wind lately, the leaves may be gone … but Frontenac State Park, northeast of Rochester offers trails and a bluff overlooking the river (a good sledding hill in the winter too!), and Nerstrand Big Woods State Park, northwest of Rochester, has a trails and a small water fall (great in the spring/summer, the water is probably pretty low now).
I spent some time hiking at Oxbow Park this afternoon (located in Byron) and the colors were spectacular! I love Oxbow because it’s close to Rochester and there are miles of trails to explore.
Great question, @gajanan. I love this beautiful time of year! @bjs03, what is the state park in your neck of the woods. I imagine that drive and the bluffs are absolutely gorgeous right now or will soon be!
Whitewater State Park is starting to show some beautiful colors. This park is near Saint Charles or only 30 minutes SE of Rochester. It’s definitely worth the drive. Bring your hiking shoes too; they have great trails where you can see the colors from atop the bluffs.
I recently subscribed to Minnesota DNR’s e-mail/texting list for best places to see fall colors week-by-week. If you visit their website, there is a color-coded map that shows every MN state park and how close they are to peak fall color. I’d recommend checking it out so you can better catch the beauty of fall in southern MN!
Red Wing, Lake City, Wabasha and all have nice shops and good places to eat too
I completely agree! I grew up in Lake City and the Mississippi River valley is gorgeous in the fall!
I spent some time hiking at Oxbow Park this afternoon (located in Byron) and the colors were spectacular! I love Oxbow because it’s close to Rochester and there are miles of trails to explore.
Another vote for US HWY 61 – and be sure to stop at Pepin Heights in Lake City for a caramel apple!
With the wind lately, the leaves may be gone … but Frontenac State Park, northeast of Rochester offers trails and a bluff overlooking the river (a good sledding hill in the winter too!), and Nerstrand Big Woods State Park, northwest of Rochester, has a trails and a small water fall (great in the spring/summer, the water is probably pretty low now).
And there’s the “zoo” there! 🙂
I am relatively new to Rochester and just discovered Quarry Hill Nature Center, on the east side of Rochester…very peaceful and pretty!