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Click on the map for a complete fall color report from around the state.
Fall color changes are underway throughout Minnesota. We put together our top picks for this week so you can get a front row seat to the show, whether on foot, behind the wheel of your car or OHV, or with a pair of binoculars while spotting wildlife.
Walk a bog boardwalk in northwestern Minnesota or ride the rails of the "Cadillac of Mines" in the iron range. Grab your checklists and guides to look for birds and insects making the most of the prairie in western Minnesota. Or head to the shores of the St. Croix and Kettle rivers to explore the largest Minnesota State Park.
We have adventures for everyone. Scroll down and choose yours.
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 Tours are currently running until October – contact the park directly for more information.
Immerse yourself in Minnesota’s storied mining history, traveling a half mile underground by cage to tour the iron ore mine at Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park. Enjoy the beauty of Lake Vermilion from the lakeside picnic grounds, or hike in the autumn sun or under the shade of white and Norway pines. Stay the night in one of the park's brand new camper cabins (or your tent!). The drive to Bear Head Lake State Park is truly scenic. Hikers will be rewarded with stunning vistas from the overlooks of Bear Head and Norberg lakes on the Norberg Lake Loop (Hiking Club trail).
Hit the Taconite, David Dill/Taconite or David Dill/Arrowhead state trails. Primarily snowmobile trails, they are suitable for hiking, backpacking, mountain biking, horseback riding in the summer and fall, with a 20-mile portion (32 km) open also to off-highway vehicle (OHV) use. The first six miles (about 10 km) of the Taconite State Trail, starting at Grand Rapids Minn., are paved for biking and in-line skating.
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 With over 200 species recorded in the park, including the northern flicker, Big Stone Lake State Park is a premier location for birding in Minnesota.
Big Stone Lake State Park is a nature lover’s paradise, and a top destination to watch bird migration. Look for swallows, northern flickers (photo), pelicans, wild turkeys, and pheasants enjoying the bounties of the prairie in the Meadowbrook Area. The wooded hillsides of the Bonanza Area are currently turning red with sumac and buzzing with life as dragonflies, monarchs and other insects get their fill of the early autumn wildflowers.
Hike around Hayes Lake for the best views of fall colors from the overlooks. The Pine Ridge trail has the most elevation change in the park, going through several small gullies. You'll pass jack pines, red pines and a cedar bog walk. Loons, moose, bears, and over 200 species of birds call Hayes Lake State Park home.
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Share your favorite state park, trail and rec area autumnal pics and stories. Tag us on Instagram @mnstateparksandtrails and use #YourMNFallFavorites for a chance to be featured in the weekly Fall Color Update and our social channels.
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