Fall color hikes abound in Fargo area

Red River Trail, Fargo, N.D.

There’s no better way

to experience autumn colors in the Fargo-Moorhead 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 Fargo-Moorhead to hike. Some are right out your back door, while some are a day trip that you can do in an afternoon.

Red River Trail (Fargo)
Autumn colors can be enjoyed along the Red River of the North on a trail that traverses several Fargo parks. The 4.9-mile (one-way) Red River Trail connects Lindenwood Park to Dike East Park. In Fargo from the junction of South University Drive and 17th Avenue, take the latter west. Turn right/south onto Roger Maris Drive. Park at the playground and take the walkway heading northeast to the trailhead.

Buffalo River State Park (Moorhead)
Though known more for its tallgrass prairie, Buffalo River State Park also offers great autumn colors. Try the 3-mile River View Trail, which loops through a riverine forest of cottonwood, basswood, elm and ash. From Moorhead, take U.S. Hwy. 10 east. Turn right/south onto County Road 44. From the parking lot, walk south across the picnic area to the River View Trail.

Armour Park (West Fargo)
Autumn leaves line the shores of the Sheyenne River in small Armour Park. Degraded footpaths follow the river, or you can stay on the mowed grass and follow the west side of the treeline as it curves around the river. From Interstate 94 and Sheyenne Street in West Fargo, take the latter north. Turn left/west onto U.S. Hwy. 10/Main Avenue, then right/north onto Ninth Street NW/County Road 19, and finally right/east onto Second Avenue NW, which ends at the park.

Magnolia State Game Management Area (Casselton)
A small woodland sits on the south side of a wetlands at Magnolia State Game Management Area. No formal trails run through the 97-acre site, so be prepared for some “backcountry” hiking, though in the woods degraded footpaths can be found. From Casselton, take Interstate 94 west. Exit and head north onto 145th Avenue SE. About 0.2 miles south of the railroad tracks, park off the side of the road and walk northwest into the woods.

North Country National Scenic Trail (Detroit Lakes)
Harvest-hued leaves mixed with conifers await on a segment of the North Country National Scenic Trail. A 5.2-mile one-way hike between 400th Avenue and County Road 26 runs through a transition area from the deciduous woods of the south and east to the boreal forests of the north. Sugar maple, basswood, aspen, birch and oak mingle with Norway and white pine on a ridge. From Detroit Lakes, take Minn. Hwy. 34 east. Turn left/north onto County Road 29, then right/east onto County Road 126, and finally left/north onto 400th Avenue. After passing West Island Drive, look for a parking lot on the left/west. Take the trail northeast and arrange for a pickup at the County Road 26 trailhead.

Smoky Hills State Forest (Detroit Lakes)
Golden maples with red oaks and green jack pines await hikers at Smoky Hills State Forest. Any of the trails in the southern half of the 25,000 acre forest – divided by Minn. Hwy. 34 – makes for an excellent autumn hike. Try the 5-mile round trip Navillus Forest Road, part of which is shared with ATVs. From Detroit Lakes, take Hwy. 34 east. At Pine Grove Roadside Park, turn left/north onto Old Mill Road with the parking lot on the right/east. Cross the road onto the trail, which heads south, turning back at Hanna Ore Road.

Prairie Smoke Dunes Scientific and Natural Area (Twin Valley)
While known more for its namesake flower, Prairie Smoke Dunes Scientific and Natural Area also is an excellent place to enjoy autumn leaves. The natural area’s north side sports basswood and green ash in a particularly dense forest for the prairie. Burr oak dots the surrounding savanna. About 4.7 miles (round trip) of old jeep trails wind through the natural area. From Twin Valley, take Minn. Hwy. 32 north. Turn left/west onto County Road 7. In about 0.66 miles is jeep trail entrance on the right/north; park there.

Maplewood State Park (Pelican Rapids)
Day hikers can enjoy the bright splendor of a maple forest during an autumn hike Maplewood State Park. The 4.6-mile unnamed lollipop trail – called here the Cow Lake Trail for the major waterbody it circles – is a combination of mowed grass and a wide dirt path. The maples often a variety of leaf colors while set against it is the stark white trunks of paper birch. From Pelican Rapids, take U.S. Hwy. 59 north. Turn right/east on Minn. Hwy. 108. The park entrance is in 7 miles. When the entry road, splits, go left/south. Just after the RV sanitation station, turn left/east. Follow the road toward Knoll Campground. At the turnaround for drinking water, park on the road’s side, and walk east uphill. The trailhead is in about 100 feet on the right/south.

Best sites to see at Theodore Roosevelt NP

Feral horses fighting in Theodore Roosevelt National
Park. Photo courtesy of Theodore Roosevelt NPS.

Among the best ways to see Theodore Roosevelt National Park’s top sights is via a day hike. Just three short trails will allow you to enjoy each of the park’s highlights – Theodore Roosevelt’s historic cabin, classic Western wildlife, and a badlands.

Theodore Roosevelt’s historic cabin
The former president used to hunt bison in this area beginning in 1883 when this was just the Dakota Territory. His Maltese Cross Cabin is open for exploring in a built-up area, but an unnamed trail runs from north of the cabin the banks of the Little Missouri River from about a half-mile round trip walk.

Classic Western wildlife
American bison, Bighorn sheep, coyotes, eagles, elk, feral horses, prairie dogs, pronghorn and more abound in the national park. Where there are prairie dogs, you stand a good chance of seeing many other animals as well. The Buckhorn Trail in the North Unit hads past a Prairie Dog Town on a 1.5-miles trail. Bison often use the park’s hiking trails, so if you should come across North America’s largest land mammal, give them a wide berth.

Badlands
Erosion has left white-, orange- and brown-striped buttes rising out of verdant green forests and prairie grass. A great way to enjoy and explore the badlands is the South Unit’s Ridgeline Trail, which runs 0.6 miles with some steep grades.

Learn more about national park day hiking trails in my Best Sights to See at America’s National Parks guidebook.

Explore prairie dog town on day hike trail

Map of Buckhorn Trail, courtesy of Theodore Roosevelt NPS.

Black-tailed prairie dog

Families can day hike to a large prairie dog town via the Buckhorn Trail in Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

Though little visited, the western North Dakota park offers several great trails featuring fascinating geological formations and fantastic wildlife viewing opportunities. Of the latter, the prairie dog town – a 2-mile round trip – is the highlight of many travelers with children.

June and early September mark the best times to visit, as you’ll avoid summer’s heat. On the downside, June is the park’s wettest month, which can make the clay trails slippery; bring shoes with good traction if visiting then.

To reach the trail, from Interstate 94 take U.S. Hwy. 85 to the park’s north unit. The park entrance is north of the Little Missouri River on the highway’s west side, and known as Scenic Drive Road. On Scenic Drive, pass the Buckhorn Trail’s two trailheads (one just past the visitor center and the other near the Cannonball Concretions Pullout), and park at the lot for the Caprock Coulee Trailhead.

Caprock formation
The trailhead is located at the center of lot’s north side and heads east for about 0.1 miles. At the first Y junction, go right/east.

You’ll pass close to some intriguing, badlands-like rock formations. The white and gray layers consist of sand, silt and mud washed off mountains to the west beginning around 65 million years ago. Volcanic ash covered those sediments, forming the caprock that resists erosion from above.

After 0.3 miles of skirting the rocks, you’ll come to the Buckhorn Trail. Go left/north. Watch for trails markers, as there are a number of unofficial paths cutting across the sagebrush prairie.

Also watch for bison dung. North America’s largest mammal freely roams in the area, and while not a threat so long as you don’t antagonize them, their friendly reminders that they once came that way if stepped in can detract from the hike.

Prairie dog town
After about 0.5 miles of walking through the prairie with the caprock formation to your left, the trail reaches the prairie dog town. Officially known as a colony, the town stretches for about a mile.

Five species of prairie dogs exist in North America; this town consists of the black-tailed prairie dog variety. You’ll be able to spot them barking from their burrow entrances as they keep an eye out for predators. Hawks, coyotes and rattlesnakes are among the creatures hoping to make an unsuspecting prairie dog its dinner.

Most prairie dogs will be easy to see because they feed on grass, which keeps the blades low. This in turn helps forbs grow among the colony, and several larger grazing mammals, including bison, deer, elk, horses and pronghorns, feed on those plants. In June, watch for baby prairie dogs, as their mothers bring them into the sun after being born and raised in tunnels beneath your feet.

Don’t try to touch or feed prairie dogs. They can and will bite. In addition, fleas on the prairie dogs carry bubonic plague. They’re best enjoyed from a distance.

After walking a tenth of a mile into the colony, follow the same route back.

Learn more about national park day hiking trails in my Best Sights to See at America’s National Parks guidebook.