With the air crisp, bugs down and Minnesota’s natural beauty in stark relief, autumn is without a doubt the best time to hit the state’s many hiking trails.
10 great hikes to take in autumn in Minnesota
Whether you’re looking for an easy option for a family outing or a quad-busting challenge, here are a variety of paths to consider this fall.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
September 17, 2024 at 6:03PM
Minnesota has all kinds of terrain to suit anyone’s desires: boreal forests, prairies, river bluffs and wetlands, to name a few. So we asked state and regional parks insiders to suggest their favorite trails. Then, we narrowed the list to 10 and categorized them to help you find your perfect hike.
One in the metro is a good path for families looking to explore while keeping young brains interested. In northern Minnesota, another is remote and, perhaps, underappreciated.
All are rich in their own way – and all are waiting to be explored.
Upper Cliffline Trail
Blue Mounds State Park, Luverne
Great for: A choose-your-own adventure
Location: Hwy. 75, 5 miles north of I-90
Directions to trailhead: The trail starts at the western end of the picnic area parking lot, a half-mile past the main entrance.
Google Maps link to trailhead: bit.ly/cliffline
Distance: Two miles one way, with options to make 1, 2, and 4 ½-mile loops on other trails.
Surface: Mowed prairie with intermittent rocky areas.
Difficulty: Easy
Admission: Annual state parks vehicle permit ($35) or daily permit ($7).
What to expect: Park naturalist Tiffany Muellner said the trail is perfect for visitors to create their own adventures. The hike can be lengthened or shortened with connector trails to the Lower Cliffline Trail (with views from below of an old quartzite quarry) or to the Mound Trail (with sweeping prairie views). Muellner reminds hikers to be prepared for any weather, hot or chilly or wet: “The prairie is by nature an extreme and exposed environment.” Lucky trekkers might get a good look at the park’s resident herd of nearly 100 bison.
Map and park information: bit.ly/parkbluemounds
Sunset Lake Trail
Glendalough State Park, Battle Lake
Great for: Prairie views
Location: 3 miles northeast of Battle Lake on Hwy. 16
Directions to trailhead: Follow signs to the Sunset Lake Trail parking lot, 1 ½ miles from the park entrance
Google Maps link to trailhead: bit.ly/3TvcvoN
Distance: One-mile loop, with option to extend on the Savanna Trail
Surface: Grass
Difficulty: Moderately hilly
Admission: Annual state parks vehicle permit ($35) or daily permit ($7).
What to expect: Park manager Jeff Wiersma said prairie grasses and wildflowers will peak by mid-September along with the bright red of sumacs. Red oaks on the lakeshore will soon follow. Wiersma said visitors should consider extending shorter days by taking in a sunset across the lake and, on a clear night, a panorama of stars.
Map and park information: bit.ly/parkglenda
Eastman Nature Center trails
Elm Creek Park Reserve, Dayton
Great for: Family friendly options
Location: Northwest metro between Hwy. 169 and I-94
Directions to trailhead: Numerous trails can be accessed from the nature center
Google Maps link to trailhead: bit.ly/3MLlEpC
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
Surface: Dirt and paved
Distance: Varies from half-mile to 1 ½ miles, out and back
Admission: Free
What to expect: Three Rivers Parks District wildlife biologist Angela Grill is quick to recommend the trails, which are accessed from the center’s main facility. “This is a great place to begin an outdoor journey at any season,” she said, with hikes of varying lengths, on different surfaces and through diverse habitats. Located in the floodplain of Rush Creek, the forest dominated by sugar maples is sure to produce a striking autumn in transition. Kids will love the floating boardwalk and fort-building in the nature exploration area. The center staff recommends the half-mile Oxbow Loop. “Don’t be surprised if you easily spend three hours exploring all this site has to offer,” she said.
Map and park information: bit.ly/parkeastman
Mount Trudee portion of Superior Hiking Trail
Tettegouche State Park, Silver Bay
Great for: Vistas of inland lakes and Lake Superior
Location: Hwy. 61, just south of Hwy. 1 toward Finland
Directions to trailhead: The trail starts at the Trail Center parking lot, 1.2 miles from the park entrance.
Google Maps link to trailhead: bit.ly/4e4HHDG
Distance: About 5.6 miles, out and back
Surface: Dirt, rocks and roots
Difficulty: Moderate to difficult
Admission: Annual state parks vehicle permit ($35) or daily permit ($7).
What to expect: Consider this an alternative to the popular Bean and Bear lakes portion of the Superior Hiking Trail. The payoff for getting to Mount Trudee’s overlooks are views worth soaking in: a panorama that includes the tops of trees, inland lakes and the deep blue of Lake Superior. The hike and climb is steady but worth it, said Annie Nelson, a trail guidebook writer and the association’s development and communications director. While the association welcomes — and wants — the public’s interest in specific locations like Bean and Bear in Silver Bay, Nelson said it’s good to think about other possibilities. “The interest is wonderful in all sorts of ways to find these places,” she said, “but the flip side is it condenses us all, and that can have an impact. There are hundreds of equally beautiful spots along the trail.”
Map and information: bit.ly/parktrudee; shta.org
Bluffside Trail Loop
Frontenac State Park, Frontenac
Great for: An excellent workout
Location: 16 miles southeast of Red Wing on Hwy. 61
Directions to trailhead: The trail starts behind the kiosk at the picnic area, 2 miles from the park entrance.
Google Maps link to trailhead: bit.ly/4gi9G4t
Distance: 2.7 mile loop with 700 feet of overall elevation
Surface: Dirt/paved
Difficulty: Moderate/difficult
Admission: Annual state parks vehicle permit ($35) or daily permit ($7).
What to expect: Park manager Jake Gaster recommended this hike for its gorgeous overlooks of Lake Pepin and the Mississippi River Valley. “The park packs a lot of diversity into a small area,” Gaster said, citing its prairies, wet meadow, riparian forest and oak savanna.
What else to know: If a hike up a steep bluff is a barrier, consider the Sand Point Trail that will take you on a three-quarter mile walk to the shores of Lake Pepin, Gaster said.
Map and park information: bit.ly/parkfrotenac
High Falls Trail
Grand Portage State Park, Grand Portage
Great for: A view of the state’s tallest waterfall
Location: 40 miles northeast of Grand Marais via Hwy. 61
Directions to trailhead: The park is a combination state park and highway rest area. The trail starts from the rest area parking lots, just a few hundred feet from the park entrance.
Google Maps link to trailhead: bit.ly/3XFmcU6
Distance: 1.2 miles out and back
Surface: Paved/boardwalk
Difficulty: Easy
Admission: Free. State park vehicle permits are not required at Grand Portage.
What to expect: The trail is the gateway to viewing Minnesota’s tallest waterfall at 120 feet. There are options to walk through or around the visitor center, and the trail meanders northwest along the Pigeon River. A 700-foot boardwalk provides easy access on the last section of the trail leading up to the falls, where there are three viewing platforms (one wheelchair accessible).
What else to know: Also worth considering is a visit south to the Grand Portage National Monument south of the park, where a visitor center and reconstructed fort help tell the fur trade history of the area, and where there are also walking trails with exceptional views of Grand Portage Bay and Lake Superior, said park manager Travis Novitsky.
Map and park information: bit.ly/parkgrand
Minnehaha Trail
Fort Snelling State Park, St. Paul
Great for: Nature in the city
Location: Off Hwy. 5 and Post Road
Directions to trailhead: Park at the Thomas C. Savage parking lot within the park
Google Maps link to trailhead: bit.ly/3TsCEVq
Distance: About 2 to 2 ½ miles one-way to Minnehaha Falls.
Surface: Newly paved in 2023
Difficulty: Easy (mainly flat)
Admission: Annual state parks vehicle permit ($35) or daily permit ($7).
What to expect: The trail goes past the site of the concentration camp where thousands of Dakota people were moved during the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862, and winds below Historic Fort Snelling. The trail, at mid-bluff along the Mississippi River, continues upriver toward Minnehaha Falls, adjacent to Coldwater Spring, a National Park Service unit, and an off-leash dog park managed by Minneapolis Parks. The location is part of the Mississippi Flyway bird migration route, so expect to see numerous bird species, said park naturalist Kao Thao. Be aware the trail is multi-use, with cyclists, runners and walkers.
Map and park information: bit.ly/parksnelling
Challenge Trail
La Salle Lake State Recreation Area, Solway
Great for: Rugged adventure
Location: Off Hwy. 9, 40 miles north of Park Rapids
Directions to trailhead: To begin the hike, park in the picnic area parking lot and walk east past the picnic shelter, fishing pier and boat launch toward trail intersection E. Starting the hike from this direction avoids a 2-mile trek back to the parking lot.
Google Maps link to trailhead: bit.ly/4gp9T5B
Distance: 6 ½-mile loop
Surface: Packed dirt, grass, water crossings
Difficulty: Difficult due to remote location, hilly terrain, rugged trail conditions and unpredictable water crossings
Admission: Annual state parks vehicle permit ($35) or daily permit ($7).
What to expect: The Challenge Trail should be regarded as a wilderness experience, said Itasca State Park’s Heather Funk, a visitor services coordinator. The area contains and protects numerous rare species of plants, like the ram’s head lady slipper, and special species of concern, like the trumpeter swan. The trail encircles La Salle Lake, considered one of Minnesota’s deepest natural inland lakes at 213 feet. Worth noting: Cell phone reception ranges from poor to none, and hunting and trapping are allowed a various times in the fall. Funk suggested visitors download the Avenza Maps app and download the recreation area’s map, which tracks location even off grid.
What else to know: Don’t forget essentials, like hydration and a first aid kit. Funk suggested allowing four to six hours to complete the hike, which passes through “a colorful forest of maples, oaks, aspens, birch, and basswood mixed with the enduring green of towering pines and spruce trees.”
Map and recreation area information: bit.ly/reclasalle
Dakota Valley Trail
Camden State Park, Lynd
Great for: A little bit of everything, including maple stands, prairies and a river overlook
Location: Hwy. 23, about 7 miles southwest of Marshall
Directions to trailhead: Follow signs to the swimming pond parking lot from the park entrance
Google Maps link to trailhead: bit.ly/4ehS5bv
Distance: 2.2 miles
Surface: Dirt/mowed grass
Difficulty: Moderate (sturdy footwear encouraged)
Admission: Annual state parks vehicle permit ($35) or daily permit ($7).
What to expect: The hike begins in a wooded valley and follows a creek uphill through basswood, oak and maple stands. Hikers emerge at an overlook with great views along the Redwood River. The path continues through prairie and returns to the valley. Parks and Trails associate Hannah Buysse calls it “the best parts of fall in one beautiful loop.”
What else to know: An all-terrain wheelchair is available for free checkout and can access most trails. Call the park office at 507-872-7031 to reserve it.
Map and park information: bit.ly/parkcamden
Orchard Overlook Trail
Great River Bluffs State Park, Winona
Great for: Mississippi River views
Location: 15 miles southeast of Winona on Hwy. 61
Directions to trailhead: The trail starts at the campground visitor parking lot just outside the campground.
Google Maps link to trailhead: bit.ly/3XthrMf
Distance: One mile out and back
Surface: Dirt
Difficulty: Easy
Admission: Annual state parks vehicle permit ($35) or daily permit ($7).
What to expect: The flat trail courses through a hardwood forest, ending at an overlook of the Mississippi River Valley — a prime spot to see fall’s transformation, said natural resources specialist Levi Thesing. The overlook sits on a bluff prairie teeming with a diversity of flowers.
What else to know: Looking for other options of varying distances in the park’s 7 miles of trail? Consider King’s Bluff Trail and the North Overlook.
Map and park information: bit.ly/parkgreat
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