Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

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

Prediction: You can't go wrong with fall

The current heat wave had us wondering about some basics of fall color science. 

In fall, higher temperatures than usual can result in slightly less reddish leaf pigments since cooler temperatures (but not freezing) favor their development. We don't expect most people to notice this reduction in red pigments.

Yellow pigments aren’t impacted by weather as much. These pigments are present year-round, concealed by the green chlorophyll necessary for photosynthesis. 

The biggest impact a warmer-than-normal fall could have is on timing, with peak fall colors delayed and leaves dropping faster.

That is, get outside ASAP and enjoy the fleeting season!

^{If this email was forwarded to you, sign up so you too can follow the colors}

^{Explore past issues.}

Autumn beach time

Turn lemons into lemonade and this warm fall into beach time, for one last summer's hurrah.

This week at Hayes Lake: Lots of yellows and golds, contrasting beautifully with the evergreens. PHOTO: Lori Warne, taken 9/16/23. Below, photo of Lake of the Woods from Zippel Bay State Park by Christine Winans taken 9/16/23.

With only electric motors allowed on its artificial lake, Hayes Lake State Park offers plenty of opportunities for water-based activities. Enjoy a late season swim or paddle. Drop a fishing line from the pier into the well-stocked lake and try your luck at catching largemouth bass, crappies or northern pike. 

You won't be alone, though. Park staff has spotted loons, ducks and swans on the lake.

Zippel Bay State Park is a short drive away, but we recommend you take the road less traveled and get there via the state forest that contains Hayes Lake State Park (as well as Big Bog SRA). Beltrami Island State Forest is the second largest of Minnesota's 60 state forests. Five rivers — the Roseau, Warroad, Rapid, Winter Road, and Moose — have their headwaters here.(*) The two-mile sandy beach is the biggest draw to Zippel Bay State Park. Go for a swim or dip your toes in the ocean-like Lake of the Woods. While you dry off, you can try spotting the endangered piping plover, or a variety of other birds, including sandhill cranes and white pelicans. Fall wildflowers add color to the landscape at Zippel Bay State Park. Ferns have started turning a deep maroon/brown color, while the underbrush around them is gold.

Complete your tour of the region with a visit to Big Bog State Recreation Area. Witness the sunset from the beach and you'll quickly figure out why the lake is called Red Lake. The accessible mile-long boardwalk in the northern unit will lead you through a bog that has long been a source of medicinal plants for the Ojibwe. 

The view from the fire tower at Big Bog State Recreation Area, as seen on 9/20/23.

Climb the 100-foot high fire tower and get above the colorful canopy for a bird's-eye view of the shoreline along Upper Red Lake and the Big Bog. Because heights and steps are not for everyone, we have a webcam so that all can delight in the magnificent view. 

(*) Plan, plan, plan

Check park and forest webpages for office hours, road closures and other changing conditions. At this time, there are road closures and detours at both Zippel Bay State Park and Beltrami Island State Forest. Bring printed maps or download a map to navigate through areas where you might not have phone signal.

Cold water kills. If water feels too cold, enjoy the beach from shore! If you're paddling, dress for immersion — you may not plan to go in the water, but things may not go as planned.

McCarthy Beach State Park

Things are looking bright for accessible recreation.

A mix of decidous and evergreens makes for striking contrasts in fall. PHOTO: Rylee Cyr, taken 9/17/23

McCarthy Beach State Park is one of 13 Minnesota state parks with an all-terrain electric powered track chair that visitors can use at no cost. These chairs can help visitors explore areas of the state parks in new ways, often on trails that are not suitable for regular wheelchairs. 

There are miles of trails open to track chairs at McCarty Beach State Park. Big Hole Loop Trail (Hiking Club Trail) is a 3-mile loop through rolling hills. If you're looking for solitude, connect to the Red Top Loop trail for an additional 5 miles, rolling among old-growth red pines.

You'll see lots of reds and oranges from maples, complementing the still-green ash and aspen leaves. Move too fast and you'll miss the blooming purple aster along the roads and trails.

Prairie grasses

Native prairie plants improve water quality, anchor soil, provide wildlife habitat and store carbon.

Join the pheasants out on the trails to appreciate the prairire grasses in fall. PHOTO: Lois Reinert, taken 9/13/22 at Lake Shetek State Park.

Gaze out on a prairie with its waves of flowing tall grass and you’ll compare it to an ocean with a sea of grass flowing as far as your eyes can reach. In our state, grasslands range from sparsely vegetated sand dunes to vast fields of big bluestem up to 8 feet tall, from wet meadows to dry prairies high on the bluffs of the Minnesota River. 

You can visit prairies at state parks and trails in northeast, southeast and southwest Minnesota. This week, prairie fall colors are popping at Camden State Park, Central Lakes State Trail, Glendalough State Park and Shooting Star State Trail.

A drive or hike at Buffalo River State Park will take you through some of the largest and highest quality northern tallgrass prairie in the United States. The two-mile Bluestem Trail loops through Bluestem Prairie SNA (Scientific and Natural Area) along golden tall grass species. Right now, prairie grasses are close to peak!

Great River Bluffs State Park

Sumac and wildflowers make for a colorful prairie stroll in the  southeast corner of Minnesota.

Photo taken 9/19/23.