Fall Color Update * Week 3 🍂 🚴🍁

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Map of the state of Minnesota with sections in yellow and different shades of green denoting fall color change in different regions.

Click on the map for a complete fall color report from around the state.

Sweater (and plaid) weather

It's been warmer than usual this fall, which means fall colors are a little behind. We did a happy dance over here when we felt cooler temperatures this week. Why? "Weather is really the biggest factor in determining fall color," says MN DNR official fall color predictor Val Cervenka. "Fall colors are best when days are sunny and nights chilly. A cold snap will help speed up color change in leaves."

This week's itinerary offers a new take on an old favorite, the famous North Shore. We have a little something for stargazers, birders, hikers, wheelchair users and cyclists. Whatever your adventure, bring along a sweater and a warm plaid shirt.

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Rolling through fall colors by Gitchi Gami

Meaning "great sea" gitchi gami is the Ojibwe name for Lake Superior.

Waterfalls under a starry sky, framed by evergreens.

Shorter days make fall a great season for stargazing. You too can enjoy starry nights and waterfalls. PHOTO: Todd Bender, taken 9/19/22 at Gooseberry Falls State Park.

Sure, you can go by car or even on foot, but why not bring your bike and pedal along the North Shore? The paved, ADA-compliant Gitchi-Gami State Trail offers cyclists, wheelchair users and hikers the chance to see the North Shore from a new perspective. The southernmost segment runs from Gooseberry Falls State Park north to Silver Bay, passing Split Rock Lighthouse State Park along the way. Further north, two other segments will take you through Temperance River State Park and to the scenic Ray Berglund Wayside. This wayside overlooks the mouth of the Onion River and offers a half-mile trail with lovely views of Lake Superior.

New in 2022 is the northernmost segment, which starts at the Cut Face Creek Wayside just south of Cascade River State Park, connecting the park with Grand Marais, Minn.

Many of the trees in the area are still green, offering a nice contrast to the reds and oranges of the maple trees and the yellow of the birch leaves. Honeysuckle, hazel and mountain ash are starting to show their fall colors, too. Look for pink salmon running in the shallows of North Shore rivers!

Star trails over waterfalls framed by trees

Gooseberry Falls under a starry sky. PHOTO: Todd Bender, 09/19/22

The tamarack

We haven't seen reports of this deciduous conifer changing colors yet this fall, but next time you notice a golden conifer, you'll know it's the tamarack.

Tamaracks in the fall along a bog boardwalk.

Recognize the image? It's the one on your vehicle permit sticker for year-round visits to 75 Minnesota state parks and recreation areas. Tamaracks change color in the fall and add color along the bog boardwalk at Big Bog State Park. PHOTO: Doug Easthouse, 10/14/2014

Tamarack is the only conifer in Minnesota that sheds all its needle-like flat leaves each fall. The soft leaves turn orange gold in September or October just before falling. Tamaracks are mainly found in cold weather swamps in the coniferous forest region of northern Minnesota. They occasionally grow in drier environments, where they can reach larger sizes. You might see some tamaracks scattered in cold swamps as far south as the Twin Cities.

You can visit tamarack bogs at Lake Carlos State Park, Lake Bemidji State Park and Smokey Bear State Forest.

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Moose Lake State Park

Echo Lake is quite picturesque this time of year: Foggy mornings and glass-like surface lending itself to great sky reflections. PHOTO: Ashlynn Langhorst, 9/26/22

Its landscape variety makes Moose Lake State Park a top destination for fall color viewing. Follow Echo Lake Trail along the lakeshore and up a hill overlooking the lake, where you'll have the best opportunity to see pops of color as you walk through a stand of maples, birch and tall pines. Early risers will be rewarded with splendid sunrise vistas! This week, you'll see reds, oranges and yellows among the dulling green forest.

Birding and festival fun at Lake Carlos State Park

White-throated sparrow perched on a branch.

Migrating birds are another sign of the new season. Walk or sit quietly for a chance to observe and listen to song birds, such as this white-throated sparrow, as they stop at Lake Carlos State Park on their way south. Visit the park this weekend for the Annual Fall Festival and enjoy yard games, bonfires, s'mores, fall crafts, butter-making and archery.

📷 Naturalist Ben Eckhoff, 9/24/22

Share your favorite Minnesota state park, trail and recreation area fall photos and stories. Upload your photo to our website or tag us on Instagram @mnstateparksandtrails and use #YourMNFallFavorites for a chance to be featured in the weekly Fall Color Update and our social channels.