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.

Trail climbs, crosses Whitewater River bluff

Limestone blocks cross the Middle Branch Whitewater
River on the Dakota Trail. Photo by MNDNR.

Dakota Trail topo map. Click for larger version.

Day hikers can explore a unique river valley on the Dakota Trail at Minnesota’s Whitewater State Park.

The 4.2-miles round trip hike goes up and down a small bluff overlooking a fast-moving river and even crosses it. And the best part of the hike is that thanks to the lack of stagnant water in the 2700-acre park, you rarely have to deal with a pesky mosquito.

To reach the trail, from either Weaver or St. Charles take Minn. Hwy 74 to the state park. Leave your vehicle in the lot at the nature store then cross Hwy. 74 to the trailhead.

The trail begins with a hearty aerobic workout. It climbs 238 wooden steps to a landing at the base of a limestone bluff then takes another 109 steps up to the summit. At times, the stairs are so steep that they are almost as vertical as a ladder.

To the right of the last stair is the Coyote Point overlook, which gives a good view of your ascent route and the river valley below. After taking in the scene, go left/northwest onto the main trail, which thankfully becomes fairly level and is made of packed dirt – but also narrows as skirting the bluff edge.

There are plenty of vistas to enjoy of the Whitewater River Valley from atop the bluff. Among the best of them after Coyote Point is Ice Cave Point at 0.4 miles from the trailhead.

Loess
At 0.55 miles, the trail junctions with the Coyote Point Trail. Continue left on the main trail. This places you at the edge of the bluff as the trail gently rolls, so be careful of the long drop-offs. The trail also narrows after passing through several large boulders but comes to a stone ledge with a great vista.

The trail reaches a junction with an unnamed and unmarked trail at 0.9 miles. Continue left.

At the 1-mile mark, the trail turns rocky and steep as it descends to Middle Branch Whitewater River. Despite the river’s appellation, there are no roiling rapids; the river so named because the water appears white when spring runoff carries light-colored clay into it. This clay is fine-textured loess left by glaciers during an ice age preceding the most recent one; once the ice retreated, wind blew the loess into this area of Minnesota.

Prone to erosion, deep gullies through the loess often formed on hillsides after mud slides filled ravines and streams. Farmers who settled in the Whitewater River Valley during the 1800s quickly discovered their efforts would be for naught as the loess in which they planted their crops quickly blew and slid away. Some towns from that era – like Beaver and Whitewater Falls – even are buried under mud.

Forest and wildlife
Next you’ll pass the junction with the Valley Trail, which weaves about the river bottoms. Go right and remain on the main trail.

The trail then crosses the shallow Middle Branch Whitewater River on large limestone blocks laid out across the water. The river moves fast here; the gradient averages about 25 feet per mile, and because of that flooding is common, sometimes closing Hwy. 74 downstream between Weaver and Elba.

Next, the trail heads up the limestone bluff through an open forest. Basswood, maple, oak and shagbark hickory dominate the river valley and hillsides with pine prevailing atop the bluffs.

All of this makes an ideal home for a variety of wildlife, including white-tailed deer, rabbits, ruffed grouse, squirrels, and wild turkey. The rare timber rattlesnake also makes the valley and bluffs its abode, but sightings are rare. Trout flourish in the river, and sometimes you’ll see more anglers than hikers in the park.

Back to bluff's bottom
Once back on the bluff top, take a short spur trail to Signal Point overlook, which offers a view of bluffs lining the river’s opposite shore. The limestone bluffs here were formed around 450 million years ago when rivers deposited layer after layer of sediment in a warm, tropical sea. After taking in the sights, return to the main trail and go left.

The trail here follows the bluff’s edge with the river and a modern group camp on your left. Look for Jack-in-the-pulpit, wild ginger, and ferns growing in the forest understory. Eventually the trail arrives at Eagle Point overlook, a rock ledge.

Continue left along the blufftop and go down a few steps. The trail narrows and turns rocky and steep as descending to Hwy. 74.

After crossing the highway, the trail rolls through ravines past ferns, oak, shrubs, and rocks covered in moss. It soon reaches the grassy south picnic area. From there, follow the park road around a small (albeit high) bluff to your parking lot, which is about 0.5 miles away.

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