Great fall color hikes in Rochester MN area

Chester Woods Park, Rochester, Minnesota

There’s no better way

to experience autumn colors in the Rochester area than a hike.

The brilliant yellows, oranges and red of maples to the scarlet

and russets of oaks...

the crisp, fresh autumn air and the last warm

rays of sunlight before winter arrives...the

crunch of fallen leaves and acorns beneath

your boots...stopping to enjoy a warm mug of apple cider or a caramel apple pulled from your backpack – it all calls for an afternoon on the trail.

Fortunately, there are plenty of great autumn trails around Rochester to hike. Some are right out your back door, while some are a day trip that you can do in an afternoon.

Chester Woods Park (Rochester)
Hikers can head through a large oak woods at Chester Woods Park. The 5.3-mile North Trail, Prairie Ridge, and Dam Overlook Loop overlooks tree-shrouded Bear Creek, runs alongside pretty Chester Lake, and passes a prairie areas whose grasses turn gold in fall. From Rochester, take U.S. Hwy. 14 east. Turn right/south onto the park entry road; when the road splits, go right/west and park in the roundabout. The trail first crosses the prairie then enters the woods.

Whitewater State Park (St. Charles)
Hikers can head through and below a maple and oak forest at Whitewater State Park. The 4.5-mile round trip Dakota Trail crosses the ridge above the Whitewater River, where you walk beneath the harvest-hued canopy, then descends to the waterway for a great view of the gold, orange, scarlet and tan trees covering the hill. From Rochester, take U.S. Hwy. 14 east. In St. Charles, turn left/north onto Minn. Hwy. 74. Use the Nature Store parking lot.

Root River State Trail (Lanesboro)
A riverside resplendent with fall colors, a quaint small town, and 300-foot limestone bluffs await hikers on the Root River State Trail in Lanesboro. Fall colors usually peak early to mid-October on a 3.4-mile round trip segment of the trail. In Lanesboro, park near the Root River Trail Center on Milwaukee Road between Parkway and Kenilway avenues. Take the trail southwest, turning back at the Grit Road crossing.

Iron Horse Prairie Scientific and Natural Area (Hayfield)
Finding autumn colors on the prairie can be difficult, but there are a number of small spots, such as Iron Horse Prairie Scientific and Natural Area. The 2.9-mile round trip Iron Horse Trail follows the railroad grades of where two former spurs diverged. Various shrubs and trees have taken root along the former grades; meanwhile, the prairie grasses preserved there turn a beautiful gold color that stands out at sunset. From Hayfield, take Minn. Hwy. 56 south. Turn left/east onto County Road N. The natural area’s entrance is on the right/south in a half-mile. Park on the road shoulder.

Great River Bluffs State Park (Winona)
A great view of the Mississippi River awaits at the Great River Bluffs State Park on the 2.2-mile round trip Kings Bluff Trail. After heading through a forest of white pine and the yellow to maroon-colored leaves of ash trees, the trail arrives at Kings Bluff, which offers a spectacular vista of the Mississippi River valley below, a blue ribbon surrounded by the yellows of various birch and aspen. From Interstate 90 near the Minnesota-Wisconsin border, take County Road 3 north. Turn right/east onto Kipp Drive, which becomes Park Road. About two miles in, look for a small parking lot on the left/northwest. The trail heads northwest from the lot.

Wabasha Riverwalk (Wabasha)
One of the best urban areas in the Midwest to enjoy fall colors in the small town of Wabasha. For seven weeks from September through October, the small town celebrates a harvest festival. You can enjoy the festivities and take a nice stroll on the 0.8-mile round trip riverwalk. The Wisconsin shoreline on the opposite side of the Mississippi River is lit up in golden hues, the perfect match to the streets’ autumn decorations. To reach the riverwalk, park in downtown Wabasha. Finding a spot on Big Jo Alley near Pembroke Avenue is best, as the National Eagle Center is at the corner of those two streets. The riverwalk is behind the center.

Jay C. Hormel Nature Center (Austin)
Autumn leaves abound in the 518-acre hardwood forest at Jay C. Hormel Nature Center. The 1.8-mile combo of the Yellow and White trails with the connectors between them take you into the heart of the forest. In east Austin, take County Road 61 north. Turn right/east into the nature center. From the parking lot, take the connector southeast past the Rock to the looping Yellow Trail; a connector links the Yellow to the looping White Trail. The loops cross North Branch Dobbins Creek several times.

Fall color hikes abound in Winona MN area

Great River Bluffs State Park

There’s no better way

to experience autumn colors in the Winona, Minnesota, area than

a hike.

The brilliant yellows, oranges and red of maples to the scarlet

and russets of oaks...

the crisp, fresh autumn air and the last warm

rays of sunlight before winter arrives...the crunch of fallen leaves and acorns beneath your boots...stopping to enjoy a warm mug of apple cider or a caramel apple pulled from your backpack – it all calls for an afternoon on the trail.

Fortunately, there are plenty of great autumn trails around Winona to hike. Some are right out your back door, while some are a day trip that you can do in an afternoon.

Great River Bluffs State Park (Winona)
A great view of the Mississippi River awaits at the Great River Bluffs State Park on the 2.2-mile round trip Kings Bluff Trail. After heading through a forest of white pine and the yellow to maroon-colored leaves of ash trees, the trail arrives at Kings Bluff, which offers a spectacular vista of the Mississippi River valley below, a blue ribbon surrounded by the yellows of various birch and aspen. From Interstate 90 near the Minnesota-Wisconsin border, take County Road 3 north. Turn right/east onto Kipp Drive, which becomes Park Road. About two miles in, look for a small parking lot on the left/northwest. The trail heads northwest from the lot.

John A. Latsch State Park (Winona)
A beautiful view of the Mississippi River resplendent in fall colors awaits each autumn at John A. Latsch State Park. The 1-mile round trip Riverview Trail heads to the top of Mount Charity, a bluff alongside Ol’ Man River. The trail consists of nearly 600 steps that head up a deep ravine in the bluff. During the autumn, the bluffside brims with color: the yellows of birch, ironwood, black walnut, and elm; the oranges and scarlets of oaks; the golds, oranges and reds of maples; and the olive of basswood. Evergreen cedar accents the harvest hues. From Winona, take U.S. Hwy. 61 north. In about 10 miles, turn left/southwest into the park. There’s no entry fee, and the parking lot is wedged between the highway and the bluff. The trail heads south from the lot.

Perrot State Park (Trempealeau, Wis.)
Great views of the Mississippi River await at Perrot State Park. The 2.4-miles round trip Brady’s Bluff West and East trails are particularly impressive in autumn. Start up Brady’s Bluff West Trail and pause at the hill’s summit, which offers impressive views of the Mississippi River Valley, a brilliant blue ribbon through a forest of golden leaves. Descending the summit via the Brady’s Bluff East Trail heads through a woods of russet-leaved oaks. From Wis. Hwy. 35 in Trempealeau, take 10th Street west. Turn right/north onto Park Road, which becomes South Park Road. Park in the lot before the boat launch; the trailhead is on the opposite side of the road.

Whitewater State Park (Elba)
Hikers can head through and below a maple and oak forest at Whitewater State Park. The 4.5-mile round trip Dakota Trail crosses the ridge above the Whitewater River, where you walk beneath the harvest-hued canopy, then descends to the waterway for a great view of the gold, orange, scarlet and tan trees covering the hill. From Winona, take U.S. Hwy. 14 west. In St. Charles, turn right/north onto Minn. Hwy. 74. Use the Nature Store parking lot.

Great River State Trail (Midway, Wis.)
Hikers can walk alongside and cross a stream via five different bridges on the Halfway Creek Trail. The 3.4-mile trail connects Holmen to the Great River State Trail in Midway. Maple, aspen, oak and the occasional pine line the creek, making for a colorful autumn walk. Start at Halfway Creek Park in Holmen; the trailhead is on the park’s southwest side. One good turnaround spot to avoid crossing under U.S. Hwy. 53 is the connector trail to Judith Court for a 1.13-mile round trip and three bridge crossings.

Root River State Trail (Houston)
Among the most scenic hikes in Minnesota is the Root River State Trail, and that’s especially so in autumn. A range of fall colors line the trail, thanks to the great variety of trees that grow here. Riverside features black ash, willow, box elder, cottonwood and elm while the highlands boast maples, basswood and oaks. A great segment of the trail to hike begins in Houston and runs 2.3 miles west to a picnic area for a 4.6-mile round trip. From Minn. Hwy. 76 in Houston, turn north on Plum Street and park at the Houston Nature Center. The nature center as well as the International Owl Center just two blocks away are well worth a visit, and if you have little ones, they’ll love the playground near the trailhead.

Wabasha Riverwalk (Wabasha)
One of the best urban areas in the Midwest to enjoy fall colors in the small town of Wabasha. For seven weeks from September through October, the small town celebrates a harvest festival. You can enjoy the festivities and take a nice stroll on the 0.8-mile round trip riverwalk. The Wisconsin shoreline on the opposite side of the Mississippi River is lit up in golden hues, the perfect match to the streets’ autumn decorations. To reach the riverwalk, park in downtown Wabasha. Finding a spot on Big Jo Alley near Pembroke Avenue is best, as the National Eagle Center is at the corner of those two streets. The riverwalk is behind the center.

Hike heads across Mississippi River bluffs

King's and Queen's bluffs rise some 60 stories above the Mississippi River.
Photo courtesy of MNDNR.

King's Bluff Trail map.

Day hikers can explore a forest that once stretched across half of America and enjoy fantastic views of the Mississippi River on the King's Bluff Trail.

The 4.94-miles round trip hike crosses a number of blufftop ecosystems at Minnesota’s 3000-acre Great River Bluffs State Park. A “natural state park,” Great River Bluffs deliberately has few modern amenities.

To reach the park, from Winona take U.S. Hwy. 14 south. Turn left/southwest onto County Road 3 then left/east onto the park road (aka Kipp Drive). Leave your vehicle at the gravel lot on the road’s left/west side about two miles into the park. The trailhead is at the lot’s northwest end; go left/northwest onto it. The trail is wide with a surface of either mowed grass or dirt.

Your hike begins in an open bluff prairie, full of native grasses and wildflowers. The tall dense grasslands provides the perfect home for the rare buff-colored Henslow’s sparrow. While you may not see one, you’re certain to hear its soft song that sounds like tsi-lick. While most sparrows build their nests in trees and eaves, the Henslow constructs a grass nest about 2-3 inches off the ground. Its numbers declined greatly from the 1960s through the 1980s thanks to the conversion of bluff prairies to farmland.

Oak-hickory forest
The trail soon enters a dense hardwood forest of pine, mixed oak and shagback hickory. The forest is a remnant of the oak and hickory forest that once stretched all the way from Minnesota to the Atlantic Ocean. As pioneers moved across the continent, though, the trees were cut for lumber and to open up land for farming.

About a quarter mile in, you’ll come to a junction for an interpretive nature trail; go left/west onto it. The side trail, lined with white and ash pine, heads to a vista of a small river valley that runs along the bluff’s side.

The trail loops back to the main route; when it does, go left/north. Several old, twisted, gnarled oaks, appearing like some fairy tale illustration come to life, dominate this portion of the walk.

At 0.7 miles, you’ll reach a trail junction; go left/north onto the interpretative spur trail that leads to a scenic overlook atop King’s Bluff.

King’s Bluff sits atop sediments deposited around 450 million years ago when this part of the world sat beneath a sea. As layers upon layer of sediment settled at the sea bottom, it gradually hardened into the limestone, dolomite, and sandstone that we see in the exposed bluff sides today.

Goat prairie
The interpretive trail soon enters a goat prairie. All across the river bluffs, as here, a number of south- to southwest-facing slopes sit at an angle of 50 degrees, allowing them to take in a greater amount of heat from the sun than the surrounding, more vertical rock. When winter nights cool the ground, though, the rock tends to crack and weather away in a constant cycle of freezing and thawing. This prevents trees from taking root, but grasses and wildflowers flourish.

At the end of the spur trail is a vista of the Mississippi River and its backwaters with Wisconsin on the far shoreline. Queen’s Bluff also is visible to the east. Atop it you’ll spy a rare grove of northern white cedar, a survivor from glacial times when frigid Glacial River Warren filled the river valley to the bluff tops, as meltwater flowed south to the Gulf of Mexico.

After taking in the sights, return on the spur trail to the main trail and go left/east onto it. The trail next passes through an oak forest.

At nearly 3 miles from the trailhead, another spur heads left/northwest onto Queen’s Bluff. This offers another great vista of the Mississippi River Valley. Watch the skies for the endangered peregrine falcon, which nests on the bluff. Peregrine falcons can dive at up to 200 miles per hour, making it the fastest animal alive.

The falcon is just one of many impressive creatures that inhabit the state park. Black squirrels, coyotes, eagles, opossums, spotted skunks, vultures, white-tailed deer and wild turkeys all have been spotted here. The endangered timber rattlesnake also makes its home on the bluff rocks, but sightings are rare.

Picnic at overlook
From the overlook, head back to the main trail and go left/east onto it. The trail quickly curves south.

At the next junction, head left/north. This parallels the park entrance road and ends at another great Mississippi River vista from Queen’s Bluff. Picnic tables are located near the overlook.

Once you’ve taken in the view, retrace your steps for nearly 0.3 miles back to the last junction. Rather than go the overlook, continue straight/southwest on the trail alongside the road back to your parking lot.

The hike is best done during dry weather and at least a couple of days after the last rainfall. The trail can come close to cliff edges and is slippery when wet.

Learn about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.