Autumn hikes on Minn.-Wis. border, Part II

Brilliant fall colors can be seen along the Minnesota-Wisconsin
border from September and mid-October.

If living in a border

county or traveling near the Wisconsin-Minnesota state line, plenty of great autumn trails await.

Central and northern Minnesota border with Wisconsin mostly follows the St. Croix River from Prescott, Wis., to Lake Superior. Maple, basswood, oak, aspen and birch dominate.

Minnesota

Carlton County
Day hikers can cross a swinging bridge above a raging river running over nearly 2 billion-year old rock then enjoy incredible autumn colors at Jay Cooke State Park. The 1.5-mile round trip East Ridge Trail crosses and then partially follows the St. Louis river southeast of Duluth. A new $1.1 million swinging bridge opened in 2013. To the delight of most kids (and adults), the 219-foot pedestrian bridge bounces and sways. The rest of the trail heads through a hardwood forest whose green in summer rivals that of Oz’s Emerald City. The leaves turn an impressive array of yellows, reds and oranges as autumn sets in. From Interstate 35 take the exit for Minn. Hwy. 210, driving east through Carlton. The park is about five miles from the freeway. Turn right/south at the River Inn Visitor Center and park in the lot nearest the river. For more Carlton County trails, see Day Hiking Trails of Northeast Minnesota.

Chisago County
Hikers can follow some of the same footpaths and rail lines that the region’s first Swedish immigrants used to settle Minnesota on the Swedish Immigrant Trail. During the late 1800s, many Swedish immigrants took the ferry across the St. Croix River and then footpaths to their destinations. A spur off the St. Paul-Duluth rail route to Wyoming opened during 1880, helping speed the immigration inland. Perhaps the best of the trail’s completed portions is the Shafer Segment. Birch trees dominate in some sections, but the trail is mainly lined by mixed hardwoods that leave the path and its grass shoulders covered in an array of colorful leaves during autumn. Park on the street in downtown Shafer, off of Redwing Avenue near 303rd Street. The trailhead is near 303rd and heads for about two miles east of Redwing. Look for the white signs with the trail logo in the blue and yellow colors of Sweden’s flag. For more Chisago County trails, see Day Hiking Trails of Northeast Minnesota.

Pine County
Hikers can walk alongside pretty Tamarack River, where a variety of trees light up the trail in autumn. The 3.75-mile out and back Tamarack River Trail runs along the river’s west side before it flows into the St. Croix River. Rolling terrain features maple, basswood, ash, aspen, oak, tamarack along with the evergreens Norway, red and white pine. From Sandstone, take County Road 123 east then go straight-left/east on County Road 30. Turn right/south onto County Road 24 and then left/east onto County Road 25. After passing Markville Cemetery, take the next right/south. Park at the Tamarack horse camp and head south on the trail in the St. Croix State Forest. Note that the full trail actually is a loop but requires a river crossing, so that and the route on the river’s east side are not included here. For more Pine County trails, see Day Hiking Trails of Northeast Minnesota.

St. Louis County
A pair of picturesque waterfalls, footbridges, and a walk alongside Chester Creek await hikers on the Chester Park Loop in Duluth. Located near the University of Minnesota-Duluth campus, the 2.4-mile trail is particularly beautiful in autumn when the golden bronze of maple and basswood leaves form a canopy over the path and float upon the creek. In Duluth from West College Street take North 19th Avenue E southeast. Turn right/west onto W. Kent Road, then right/west onto East Skyline Parkway after the curve right/northwest onto Chester Park Drive. Park along the road then walk back alongside the road to E. Skyline Parkway and cross the bridge to the trailhead. For more St. Louis County trails, see Day Hiking Trails of Northeast Minnesota.

Washington County
The fresh scent of pine needles upon the pathway and the gentle rush of water along the river’s rock walls instantly lulls you into a feeling of serenity on the Riverside Trail at William O’Brien State Park. The 1.5-mile trail loops through a floodplain and typically is open during summer and autumn when water levels have gone down. Roughly half of the trail follows the river, mainly through a good mix of hardwoods common to a floodplain forest in this region. During autumn, their leaves turn gold, red, orange and brown. Across the water is Wisconsin, and with the two undeveloped shorelines, tranquility reigns. From Marine on St. Croix, Minn., take Minn. Hwy. 95 north into the park. Turn right/east onto O’Brien Trail North/County Road 33. The road curves south, dead ending in a parking area alongside Lake Alice. The trail begins at the picnic grounds immediately east of the parking lot.

Wisconsin

Burnett County
Day hikers can walk across an old railroad bridge over the St. Croix River at the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway and St. Croix State Forest on the Wisconsin-Minnesota border. The Gandy Dancer Trail, which starts dozens of miles south of the state forest in Polk County, at Danbury crosses the border into Minnesota. The trestle bridge segment is about two miles round trip. You’ll head through a forested area. The mix of trees near the riverfront yields a fantastic multi-colored leaf display in autumn. An added bonus for autumn hikers: You’ll probably spot a number of migrating waterfowl, including sandhill cranes. Also watch for bald eagles, osprey, northern harriers and hawks, all of which reside year-round in the area. In Danbury, parking for trail access is next to the walking route north of Hwy. 77 between and Hwy. 35 and North Glass Street. From the lot, take the trail north.

Douglas County
A walk along a pristine sand beach awaits day hikers of the Lake Superior shoreline in the Bear Beach State Natural Area. The unmarked trail runs for up to 3.4-miles round trip along narrow Bear Beach. Hiking the beach, you’ll get a good sense of what this area of the world looked like before Euro-Americans settled it. A thick woods hugs the sand’s southern side while the lake stretches wide beyond to the north. Though the forest this far north is heavy on the evergreens – especially balsam fir, white pine and white spruce – in autumn the yellowed-colored leaves of paper birch and trembling aspen and the spring green of speckled alder are well-represented. From Brule take U.S. Hwy. 2 west. In Maple, turn north onto County Road F. Next, go left/west onto Wis. Hwy. 13 then right/north onto Beck’s Road. Park in the dirt lot at the end of Beck’s Road near the Lake Superior shore.

Polk County
Day hikers can experience an autumn forest that looks almost like the one Native Americans and pioneers saw during the 1800s. The 2.9-mile Ridge View Trails near Osceola heads beneath a lush forest canopy in the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway and the Osceola State Fish Hatchery on a bluff overlooking a St. Croix River back channel. Sugar maple is the dominant tree. Each autumn, its leaves vary from yellow to orange or red. Basswood, whose leaves turn olive in fall, and white ash, which changes to a deep maroon, usually are mixed in the canopy. From Osceola, take Wis. Hwy. 35 north and turn north onto County Road S. The two trailheads are on the road’s left/west. Both trailheads have their own parking areas off of the road. Just beyond 93rd Avenue is the southernmost parking area, which is an excellent trailhead for either loop.

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The splendor of fall colors combines with a vista of the St. Croix River and fasinating rock formations on the Summit Rock Trail at Interstate State Park. The 1-mile round trip trail heads to a bluff’s highest point. Moss and autumn leaves cover the surrounding rock and ground while maples, basswood and eastern white pines line the trail. At the top, prickly pear cactus can be spotted amid the outcroppings. The highlight of the hike without question is the incredible view of the riverway from the summit. Looking north, the Old Man of the Dalles rock formation is visible. From St. Croix Falls, take Wis. Hwy. 35 south. Turn right/west into the park and follow the entry road to the parking lot across from the Lake O’ the Dalles.

St. Croix County
Tucked within Wisconsin’s dairy country is a hilly, wooded region that gives day hikers the chance to get back to nature. Glen Hills County Park offers a plethora of trails amid 700 acres of maple and oak trees. The 2-mile round trip Glen Lake East Trail goes downhill to a campground. Before hitting the trail, though, head to a scenic overlook of Glen Lake, ringed by red pines and hardwoods. From U.S. Hwy. 12 in Wilson, take County Road W north. Turn left/north onto Rustic Road 4 then go left/northwest onto Thompson Lane, which dead ends at the parking lot.

Pierce County
Hikers can walk through a rare old growth oak forest on the Purple Trail at Kinnickinnic State Park. The 1.2-mile loop sits near the confluence of the St. Croix and Kinnicknnic rivers. Pioneers and 19th century logging companies cut most of the trees in this part of Wisconsin, but the trail passes through one of the few woodlands to escape the ax. The oaks are majestic, especially when their leaves turn tan, orange and brown in autumn. The trail includes a deck overlooking the confleunce where eagles can be spotted. From Prescott, take Wis. Hwy. 29 east then turn left/north County Road F north. Turn left/west onto 820th Avenue then left/south into the park; follow the entry road west all of the way to its end and park in the St. Croix Picnic Area Lot.

Autumn hikes on Minn.-Wis. border, Part I

Mount Charity, Minnesota

If living in a border county or traveling near the Wisconsin-Minnesota state line, plenty of great autumn trails await.

Southern and central Minnesota’s border with Wisconsin follows the Mississippi River from Prescott, Wis., south to the Iowa border. Maple, basswood, oak, aspen and birch dominate.

Minnesota

Dakota County
Day hikers can enjoy modern sculptures in a forest setting at the Caponi Art Park in Eagan. A variety of pathways head through the 60-acre site that in autumn is made all that more magical by the changing leaves of birch, maple and basswood. Most of the sculptures were created by Italian-born Anthony Caponi, who as an adult adopted Minnesota as his home. From Interstate 35 in Eagan, take Diffley Road east. Turn right/southeast and park in the lot. The art park is on both sides of the highway with an underpass connecting them.

Goodhue County
Hikers can traverse the top and the base of a bluff looming 430 feet above Lake Pepin at Frontenac State Park. The 2.6-mile Bluff Side Loop Trail offers impressive views as it heads up and down the steep bluff with a series of wooden stairs and switchbacks. Fall is a particularly good time to visit with the bird migration through the area at its peak and the leaves resplendent in an array of harvest colors. A couple of picnic spots along the way offer vistas of the lake below with the visible Wisconsin shoreline about two miles away. From the park entrance, go left/northwest on County Road 28; follow the road to its end, where it loops back upon itself and forms a parking lot.

Houston County
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 there. 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 County
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.

Washington County
The fresh scent of pine needles upon the pathway and the gentle rush of water along the river’s rock walls instantly lulls you into a feeling of serenity on the Riverside Trail at William O’Brien State Park. The 1.5-mile trail loops through a floodplain and typically is open during summer and autumn when water levels have gone down. Roughly half of the trail follows the river, mainly through a good mix of hardwoods common to a floodplain forest in this region. During autumn, their leaves turn gold, red, orange and brown. Across the water is Wisconsin, and with the two undeveloped shorelines, tranquility reigns. From Marine on St. Croix, Minn., take Minn. Hwy. 95 north into the park. Turn right/east onto O’Brien Trail North/County Road 33. The road curves south, dead ending in a parking area alongside Lake Alice. The trail begins at the picnic grounds immediately east of the parking lot.

Winona County
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 river valley below, a blue ribbon surrounded by the yellows of various birch and aspen. From Interstate 90 at 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.

Wisconsin

Pierce County
Hikers can walk through a rare old growth oak forest on the Purple Trail at Kinnickinnic State Park. The 1.2-mile loop sits near the confluence of the St. Croix and Kinnicknnic rivers. Pioneers and 19th century logging companies cut most of the trees in this part of Wisconsin, but the trail passes through one of the few woodlands to escape the ax. The oaks are majestic, especially when their leaves turn tan, orange and brown in autumn. The trail includes a deck overlooking the confluence where eagles can be spotted. From Prescott, take Wis. Hwy. 29 east then turn left/north County Road F north. Turn left/west onto 820th Avenue then left/south into the park; follow the entry road west all of the way to its end and park in the St. Croix Picnic Area Lot.

***

Amber, orange and crimson leaves surround and reflect off of the blue waters at Nugget Lake County Park east of Ellsworth. The Nook Trail and the Lake Overlook combine for a mile-long round trip that gets you up close to 117-acre Nugget Lake and to a great vista of it. From Ellsworth, take U.S. Hwy. 10 east. Turn left/north onto County Road CC then right/east onto County Road HH, which curves south. The park entry is on the road’s right/west side. Park in the lot where the road runs out.

Pepin County
Day hikers can explore a bluff steeped in majestic white oaks and legend high above Lake Pepin. The Maiden Rock Bluff Trail runs 1.4-miles round trip in west-central Wisconsin overlooking beautiful Lake Pepin. It’s located in the Maiden Rock State Natural Area, which preserves a blufftop prairie that turns golden in autumn. From Stockholm, take County Road J north. Turn left/northwest onto County Road E then go left/west into Long Lane. The road dead ends at a grassy parking lot on the blufftop. A trailhead is a few yards east of the lot and heads north from the road.

***

Day hikers can enjoy a walk alongside a lake and through the woods on the Silver Birch Park Trail. The 0.6-mile round trip trail runs through Silver Birch Park to Holden Park Campground. As if it were a mirror, Silver Birch Lake impressively reflects the blue sky and clouds on days when the wind is low. The reflection seems to stretch forever – not surprisingly as the lake’s surface area covers 145 acres. A tree canopy covers the walking path, which makes for a nice autumn stroll when leaves change color. From Durand, head west on Wis. Hwy. 25 then turn left/south onto County Road P. Go left/south onto Silver Birch Road. At County Road NN/Round Hill Road, turn right/west. The next left/south is the park entry road.

Buffalo County
Day hikers can see ancient fossils on a spectacular vista that one time sat at the bottom of the sea. The 0.22-miles round trip Buena Vista Overlook Trail marks a must-see for anyone traveling the Wisconsin side of the Mississippi River. Located in Alma’s Buena Vista County Park, it’s an easy walk and a spectacular one in autumn. From the vista, a rainbow of leaf colors lead downhill to large swaths of gold around the Mississippi River. From Wis. Hwy. 35 in Alma, turn east onto County Road E; known as North Street in town, it curves and becomes Second Street then curls again as ascending the bluff. Near the top, turn left/north onto Buena Vista Road. The road dead ends at the park entrance.

Trempealeau County
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.

La Crosse County
Hikers can head through an oak woodland to the top of a bluff at Wisconsin’s Hixon Forest Nature Center. The 3-mile round-trip Lookout Trail, reached via a segment of the Sumac Trail, sits at the edge of the La Crosse metro area. The trail is exceptional during autumn when acorns and leaves cover the trail beneath a harvest-hued canopy. Fall leaves in their expansive canopy range from brown and wine-red to orange-red on the white oaks and the golden leaves, which are far richer than the yellows of the sugar maple, of the shagbark hickory. Also look for the hickory’s fragrant, edible nut; it has a sweet flavor. From U.S. Hwy. 53 in La Crosse, go east on La Crosse Street. Turn left/north onto Wis. Hwy. 16/Losey Boulevard North then right/east onto Bluff Pass Road and right/south onto Milson Court. The road ends at a gravel parking lot.

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Autumn colors and great views await in the Greens Coulee-Savanna Oaks site in Onalaska. The Mississippi River Valley Conservancy's 81 acres includes a scenic bluff that rises 400 feet above the valley floor adjacent to the city’s Greens Coulee Park. A 1.4-mile lollipop-plus route heads to the bluff's peak, where reds, oranges and yellows fill much of the fall canopy along the way. From the intersection of U.S. Hwy. 53 and East Main Street in Onalaska, take the latter east. Turn left/northeast onto Green Coulee Road then right onto Clifford Drive. Look for the kiosk at the of the cul-de-sac, where parking is available.

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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.

Vernon County
Hikers can step back in time and walk through the woods as in the days of old at Wildcat Mountain State Park. The rugged 2.5-mile Old Settlers’ Trail includes 390-feet of elevation change as heading through a forest of sugar maple, basswood and oak, all very colorful in autumn. An additional 0.8-mile round trip spur goes to the Taylor Hollow Overlook, which offers a fantastic view of the village of Ontario in the coulee below. From Westby, take Wis. Hwy. 27 north. In Cashton, turn right/east onto Wis. Hwy. 33. Once in the park, go left/east past the park office and at the split turn left/northwest to the Upper Picnic Area. Park there; a connector trail goes north to the Old Settlers’ Trail.

Natural area preserves rare oak savanna

Bur oak leaves usually turn brown in autumn,
but they can be bright yellow under the right conditions.

Minnesotans can walk one of the best remaining oak savannas – a rapidly disappearing ecosystem – at the northern edge of the Twin Cities.

Each autumn, the Helen Allison Savanna Scientific and Natural Area brightens the landscape in harvest hues, as the bur oak’s brown and the pin oak’s dark scarlet leaves rise above the golden grass. While no maintained trails run through the savanna, old logging trails and degraded footpaths can be used for a 0.8-mile round trip hike (named the Bur Oak Trail here for convenience sake).

To reach the trailhead, from Minn. Hwy. 65 east of Bethel, take 237th Avenue east. Turn right/south on Gopher Drive, which becomes 229th Avenue. Go right/south on Durant Street; the junction of 229th and Durant marks the natural area’s northeast corner. In a little more than 1000 feet, park off the side of the road and head west into the natural area.

When Euro-Americans arrived some two centuries ago, oak savanna once covered around 8700 square miles of Minnesota, stretching in a band from north of what is now the Twin Cities to the Iowa border. Today, just 1 percent of that savanna remains.

A transition area between prairie and woods, the savanna attracts a lot of wildlife, including white-tailed deer and turkey, which feed on the plentiful number of acorns that drop from the trees, while the red-headed woodpecker enjoys bugs in the oaks’ trunks.

Bur oak
The dominant tree in the savanna is the bur oak. It can grow quite tall – up to 98 feet – but most Minnesota savannas have far younger and hence shorter trees. Their trunks also are massive, reaching up to 10 feet in diameter.

Not surprisingly, a big tree like the bur oak produces big acorns – in fact the bur oak bears the largest of all North American acorns. Some of them reach up to 2 inches in length and 1.5 inches wide.

If conditions are right, the bur oak’s leaves will turn yellow in autumn. Older bur oaks often boast gnarly branches, making it a perfect Halloween tree.

The bur oak is Minnesota’s ninth most common tree. Though king of the oak savanna, it can be found in every county of the Gopher State.

Pin oak
Northern pin oak also is common in the savanna. Though considered a medium-sized tree and usually shorter than the bur oak, in has been known to achieve some impressive height and girth. The record pin oak in Minnesota rose 95 feet tall with a diameter of 4.5 feet before toppling in a wind storm.

While usually paling in size to the bur oak, the pin oak more than makes up for it with its autumn leaves. They typically turn either a deep maroon or a rusty red. As winter arrives, the color diminishes to brown.

Pin oak also is less prevalent in Minnesota than the bur oak. You won’t find it in most western prairie counties or the northern aspen-oak forests.

While many of Minnesota’s oak savannas have been plowed under into farm fields or paved over into urban areas, the suppression of fire also has contributed to the ecosystem’s demise. Without natural fires, shrubs – especially the invasive buckthorn – take over the grasslands. Bur oaks persist, though, as those older than 12 years are fire-resistant thanks to their thick bark.

As trails are not maintained in the natural area, you’ll want to wear pants, long-sleeve shirt, and hiking boots while traversing it.

The oak savanna continues north of the natural area at the University of Minnesota’s Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve. While the trails there are in much better shape than those at the Helen Allison, stick to the latter. Scientific research is underway at Cedar Creek, so casual visitors aren’t allowed.

Minnesota day trail crosses black ash forest

Black ash leaves in autumn.

Day hikers can walk through a black ash forest at Bell Prairie County Park near Little Falls, Minn. But go quick – though Minnesota’s fourth most common tree, the black ash faces a very real threat from an invasive species that could wipe it out.

The roughly 1.25-mile Black Ash Trail (the trail actually is unnamed but is called that here for convenience sake) cuts through and circles a black ash forest at the park. Along the way, you’ll also cross an oak savanna and head alongside a red pine stand, making for a great autumn hike.

To reach the trailhead, from Little Falls take County Road 76/Haven Road north. Turn left/east onto County Park Road and enter Belle Prairie. At the first road junction, park off the side of the main road. Walk the paved road that splits to the right/west. A jeep trail appears on the right/north; that’s the trailhead.

The trail curves through an oak savanna, though the tree cover is thicker here than in what typically is thought of as a grassy plain. That’s because the savanna is evolving toward a forest.

In about a quarter mile, a side trail branches to the right/north. Continue left-straight/west.

Black ash forest
At the next junction, go right/north then left/west. You’ll enter the black ash forest, which circles a lowland that experiences seasonal flooding.

Black ash’s oblong leaves grow in sets of up to 11 on a long stem. During autumn, the leaves turn a yellow-green with patches of dark red to brown hues.

The tree itself grows between 35 to 75 feet high with trunk diameters of 12 to 24 inches. Thick, cork-like gray bark covers the trunk.

Black ash prefers swampy areas in cold climates. Its range stretches from western Newfoundland to southeastern Manitoba, and south across the Midwest from Illinois to northern Virginia. Historically common in its range, more than a billion black ash trees grow just in Minnesota.

Its days may be numbered, though. The emerald ash borer reached Minnesota in the mid 2010s after ravaging the tree’s cousins – green ash and white ash – across much of the northeastern United States.

The exotic metallic green beetle’s larvae feeds on the tree’s inner bark, disrupting the plant’s ability to transport water and nutrients, resulting in its death. The beetle likely arrived in North America via solid wood packing material imported from Asia. It was found near Detroit in 2002.

Virgin pine
At 0.38 miles, the trail junctions a loop heading through a red pine stand. You can skirt the stand and the black ash grove by going left/southwest.

No other large, native trees fill the same role as black ash in its range. If it disappears, large swaths of Minnesota forests could become brushlands of tag alder and invasive buckthorn. That in turn could affect the water table in those lowlands, as a black ash forest pulls out far more moisture from the ground than scrubby brush does.

Views of the Mississippi River appear following the next trail junction at about 0.54 miles. Its fairly narrow here compared to what you’ll find downstream just south of the Twin Cities.

At the next three trail junctions, veer left/east. This takes you along the south side of the black ash forest. To the south, you’re certain to see tall white pines rising from the woods; the pines there are nearly 200 years old.

Upon reaching the next trail junction, you’re at the east end of the loop around the black ash forest. Go right-straight/northeast at the next two trail intersections. You’ll then arrive at the single-lane road you walked in on.

The trail through the black ash forest often is muddy, so always wear hiking books and try to hike no sooner than a couple of days after a rainfall. You’ll always want to carry insect repellent, though in fall the chance of bugs bothering you is low.

Black Ash Trail map. Click for larger version.

Fall color hikes abound in Albert Lea area

Myre-Big Island State Park, Albert Lea, Minn.

There’s no better way
to experience autumn

colors in the Albert Lea 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 Albert Lea to hike. Some are right out your back door, while some are a day trip that you can do in an afternoon.

Myre-Big Island State Park (Albert Lea)
Gold, red and orange maples and chartreuse-colored basswood leaves light up Myre-Big Island State Park in Albert Lea. The leaves usually reach their peak about mid-October on the looping 1.5-mile Big Island Trail. This trail circles the 120-acre wooded island in the middle of Albert Lea Lake. In Albert Lea, take County Road 46 east. Turn right/south onto County Road 38. Park in the lot when the road ends on Big Island.

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.

Ochee Yahola County Park (Northwood, Iowa)
Autumn leaves fill tiny Ochee Yahola County Park. A 0.95-mile round trip jeep trail runs along the park’s east side; the trail can be extended by walking on degraded footpaths and jeep trails winding through the woods. From Albert Lea, take U.S. Hwy. 65 south. Turn right/west onto County Road 1. At the state line, go left/east onto Iowa Hwy. 1 then right/west onto 495th Street. Park off the side of the road at the first jeep trail on the road’s right/north side. Walk the jeep trail north to the end of the woodline.

Rice Lake (Iowa) State Park (Lake Mills, Iowa)
Autumn colors can be enjoyed in the woods surrounding a pretty lake at small Rice Lake State Park. You’ll have to rely on game trails and degraded footpaths through the forest. Colors usually peak in early October. From Albert Lea, take U.S. Hwy. 69 south to Lake Mills, Iowa. On Main Street, turn left/east then go right/south onto 225th Avenue. Take a left/east onto 425th Street then a left/north onto 235th Avenue into the park. Follow paths into the woods east of 235th Avenue.

Rice Lake (Minnesota) State Park (Owatonna)
The glorious autumn colors of maple, oak and aspen can be enjoyed at Rice Lake State Park. The 2.4-mile Hiking Club Trail loops through several such woods and cross meadows featuring bur oak. About half of the trail runs alongside scenic Rice Lake. From Owatonna, take County Road 19/Rose Street east. Turn right/south onto County Road 40 into the park. When the park road splits, go left/southeast and follow it the parking lot at the walk-in and group campsites; follow the turf trail to the trail shelter.

Northwest Nature Park (Waseca)
Walkers can enjoy autumn leaves along pathways at Northwest Nature Park. About 0.75 miles of hiking trails run through the park in three small loops. From downtown Waseca, take Minn. Hwy. 13 north. Turn left/west onto 13th Avenue NW and then left/south onto 12th Avenue NW. Upon arriving at Northwest Park, leave your vehicle parked against the curb and walk west past the playground. At the trail junction, go right/northwest. The loops begin in about 0.13 miles on the trail’s left/west side.

Pihl’s Park (Blue Earth)
Finding woodlands with great autumn leaf displays in the prairie always is a challenge. Among the best places to look for such woodlands are lakes. Such a spot can be found at 20-acre Pihl’s Park. A small woods with a nature trail borders a small portion of Rice Lake with colors peaking in late September through early October. From Blue Earth, take Interstate 90 east. Exit right/south onto Minn. Hwy. 22. Go right-straight/south onto County Road 118. The park entry is on the right/west.

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 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 Willmar MN area

Sibley State Park, Willmar, Minnesota

There’s no better way to experience autumn colors in the Willmar,

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 Willmar to hike. Some are right out your back door,

while some are a day trip that you can do in an afternoon.

Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center (Willmar)
A visit to Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center offers a two-for-one fall color experience – the brilliant purples of prairie grasses and the autumn leaves of maples, oaks and basswoods on the hills. Try the 0.56-mile Kemp Trail, which circles a pond through the woods while dipping briefly into the prairie. From Willmar, take U.S. Hwy. 71 north. Turn left/west onto 122nd Avenue NE/County Road 29. Follow Hwy. 29 when it curves right/north. Go left/west onto the learning center and leave your vehicle at the Trailhead Building. The trail heads northwest near the building into the woods.

Sibley State Park (Willmar)
Hikers can enjoy a panoramic view of fall colors at Sibley State Park. The 3.3-mile Mt. Tom Trail (also known as the Hiking Club Trail) loops through the center of the park’s oak woods as ascending a hill about 200 feet above the surrounding terrain. From Willmar, drive north on U.S. Hwy. 71. Enter the park by turning left/west onto County Road 48 then taking a right/north onto the road to the park office. Once past the office, the road splits; go right/east and park in the interpretive center lot at the road’s end. The trail heads northwest from the lot.

Harvey Waterfowl Production Area (Willmar)
A small woodlands brightens the prairie in autumn colors at the Harvey Waterfowl Production Area. A 0.15-mile one-way path passes trees and leads to the woods near a large pond frequented each fall by migrating birds. Extend the trail into the woods via game trails and degraded footpaths. From Willmar, take U.S. Hwy. 12 east. Turn left/north onto 560th Avenue then right/east onto 290th Street. The entry to the waterfowl area is in 0.66 miles on the right/south; park along the country road.

Lagoon Park (Montevideo)
Autumn colors abound alongside the Chippewa River at Lagoon Park in Montevideo. A 0.6-mile trail combined with the campsite road loops beside a wide meander in the river. From the junction of Minn. Hwy. 7/29 with Canton Avenue in Montevideo, take the latter east. Turn left/north onto North Parkway Avenue. After going under the highway, go left/west onto Forest Avenue. Leave your vehicle in the lot at the park’s southwest corner.

River Warren Outcrops Scientific and Natural Area (Redwood Falls)
One stretch of the Minnesota River in the prairie that brims with harvest colors is River Warren Outcrops Scientific and Natural Area. A 1.6-mile trail loops through the woodlands. Bur oak covers the rock outcrops area above the river while silver maple, American elm, rock elm, and the rare (for Minnesota) Kentucky coffee tree rule the floodplain forest. From Redwood Falls, take County Road 101 north; upon crossing the Minnesota River, it becomes County Road 1. Turn left/northwest onto County Road 15. After passing County Road 21, watch for the natural area driveway and parking lot on the left/south.

Monson Lake State Park (Benson)
Hikers can enjoy the fall colors of oak, ash and basswood as well as sparkling lakes at Monson Lake State Park. The wooded 2-mile round trip Hiking Club Trail passes Monson and West Sunberg lakes, where migrating waterfowl stop over during autumn. From Benson, take Minn. Hwy. 9 east. Turn right/south onto 160th Avenue NE, which when it swerves left/east naturally becomes 15th Street NE. The park entry is on the left/north with the road ending at a parking lot. The trailhead is at the lot’s southeast corner.

Glacial Lakes State Park (Starbuck)
Hikers can cross a terrain deeply shaped during the last ice age and enjoy autumn colors because of it. The 4.8-mile Mountain Lake Trail at Glacial Lakes State Park features a kame, rolling hills, and kettle lake. Yellow-leaved basswood and russet-colored oaks thrive on the kame, a hill created when a melting glacier deposited sediment, while crimson sumac, golden quaking aspen, and orange wild plum fill the flat spaces between the low hills. From Starbuck, take Minn. Hwy. 20 south. Go left-straight/south on County Road 41, which curves left/east into the park. Once past the entrance station, take the third left/east and park in the lot at the road’s end.

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.

Fall color hikes abound in Victoria MN area

Carver Park Reserve, Victoria, Minnesota

There’s no better way to experience autumn colors in

the Victoria 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 Victoria to hike. Some are right out your back door, while some are a day trip that you can do in an afternoon.

Carver Park Reserve (Victoria)
A colorful maple and oak forest await day hikers at the Carver Park Reserve. The 4.8-mile Lundsten Lake Loop passes two lakes as winding through the forest. A bridge crosses part of Lundsten Lake, offering beautiful reflections of the harvest-hued canopy. From Minn. Hwy. 5 in Victoria, take County Road 11/Victoria Drive north then turn left/southwest onto Carver Park Road. Park where the road ends in a roundabout.

Lake Minnetonka Regional Park (Chanhassen)
Shady woodlands await hikers at Lake Minnetonka Regional Park. A 1.8-mile trail, most of it unpaved, heads through a thick forest of tall trees. From Chanhassen, take Minn, Hwy. 5 west. Turn right/north onto Rolling Acres Road, a left/west onto Minn. Hwy. 7, then a right/north onto County Road 44. The park entry is on the right/east. Go right/southeast onto Old County Road and park in the first lot. Walk the road northwest then go left/west onto Minnetrista Regional Trail. The woods is on the other side of County Road 44.

McKnight Lake (Chaska)
Hikers can enjoy the reflections of autumn colors as heading around tree-lined McKnight Lake. A 1.8-mile round trip trail loops around the lake and, should you wish to walk farther, connects to other trails. From the junction of U.S. Hwy. 212 and Minn. Hwy. 41/North Chestnut Street in Chaska, take the latter north. Turn left/west onto West 82nd Street then left/south onto McKnight Road. Watch for a dirt path going east and park off the side of the road there.

Minnesota Landscape Arboretum (Chanhassen)
Day hikers can enjoy a variety of autumn leaf colors at the famous Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in the Twin Cities. The 1.6-mile Ridge and Oak Trails Loop runs through woodlands at the 1100-acre arboretum. While the University of Minnesota facility is known for its gardens and award-winning tree collection, it also boasts a large natural areas, which the loop takes you through. Throughout the walk, sugar maple, sumac, birch and oak dominate. In Chanhassen, head west on Minn. Hwy. 5. Enter the Arb by turning left/south onto Arboretum Drive. After passing through the gatehouse, turn left/south when the road splits and park in the lot at the road’s end. The trailhead is on the park’s south side.

Gale Woods Farm (Minnetrista)
Autumn colors and a harvest vibe abound at Gale Woods Farm near Minnetrista. A 2.1-mile limestone trail rambles through the park’s rolling hills and past two lakes and a working farm featuring sheep, pigs, cows and more. From Victoria, take Minn. Hwy. 7 west. Turn right/north onto County Road 44 then left/west onto County Road 110. Go left/northeast onto County Road 11 (Extended) into the park.

Minnesota hike heads through maple forest

Trails at Maplewood State Park head through a maple forest.

Cow Lake Trail map. Trail outlined in purple.
Click for larger version.

Day hikers can enjoy the bright splendor of a maple forest during an autumn hike in east-central Minnesota.

The 4.6-mile unnamed lollipop trail – called here the Cow Lake Trail for the major waterbody it circles – sits in Maplewood State Park. The route is a combination of mowed grass and a wide dirt path, and leashed dogs are allowed.

To reach the trail, 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.

Kames and kettles
The mowed grass trail heads uphill into an oak savanna with sumac alongside the path. At 0.2 miles, the trail enters the woods.

The park sits in a boundary zone between the hardwood forest of the east and the great prairie of the west. Located near the Red River Valley, the Alexandria Moraine runs through the park, dotting it with kames and kettles.

Kames – large piles of sand and gravel deposited by melting glaciers during the last ice age, can rise up to 1500 feet here. In contrast, kettles formed when blocks of ice broke off from retreating glaciers and their weight depressed the surface; as the ice melted, the basin filled with water, forming a lake.

At 0.3 miles, the trail leaves the woods. Bass Lake is on the left/east. Any children hiking with you will be delighted to find that the trail here includes walking across a beaver dam.

Mesic forest
After the dam, the trail re-enters the woods. Sugar maple, basswood, American elm, and oak – known as a mesic forest – dominates. Ironwood, aspen, tamarack, and red cedar also can be found in the park and along the trail.

If visiting in spring or summer, the forest floor is a wonderful spot to look for wildflowers. Trillium, bloodroot and liverwort all thrive here. Scattered among the colorful blooms are boulders carried and left by glaciers during the last ice age.

The trail soon joins an old dirt road and crosses a series of small hills. At 1.1 miles, it reaches a four-way intersection; the crossing trail is for horses. Continue straight/south and head on to the loop.

You’ll be able to spot Cow Lake through the trees at about 1.4 miles. The hills turn steeper as entering a maple and paper birch woods.

Sugar maple and paper birch
The sugar maple is among the few plants whose leaves turn different colors from tree to tree. Sugar maples contain three different pigments in their leaves. Each autumn when trees stop making food from chlorophyll, the leaves’ greenness disappears and those pigments stand out. Which pigment appears depends on how much sunlight they receive and genetics.

If a sugar maple is in the shade, it’ll turn yellow. If it’s in the full sun, expect red. The proportion of sun of shade, as well as the leaves’ DNA, affects how they change throughout the day from yellow to red to orange. Usually the top of the tree and its sides turn red first with the inlaid portion of the tree yellow.

Set against the maple is the striking white bark of paper birch with its yellow autumn leaves. The vaguely heart-shaped leaves have a leathery feel to them.

Native Americans used the paper-like bark to make everything from canoes and wigwams to baskets and cups. Today, the birch still is useful in making a variety of products, whether it be spools and toothpicks, snowshoe frames or flooring, paper pulp or interior finish.

Paper birch doesn’t much like shade, so it must grow fast to outcompete other trees for canopy space. They typically rise 66 feet high, but some have reached double that height. The sugar maple still beats it out, though, usually growing between 80-115 feet high, so birch often will stick to wetter soil, which maples don’t like.

Quaking aspen
At 1.7 miles, the trail enters a small grass and thistle meadow. The exposure to the sun is short-lived, though, as in a tenth-mile the trail re-enters the woods.

You’re now on the bottom side of loop. A small kettle pond on the right is visible through the trees, as you head downhill through large quaking aspen and elm.

The quaking aspen’s flat, spade-like leaves flap at the slightest breeze. In autumn when the leaves turn amber, that makes for quite a show, especially so on trees that grow at least six stories tall and under ideal conditions can reach 10 stories.

Quaking aspen is the most abundant and widespread tree in Minnesota and the most common of the 35 populus tree species – which includes poplar, aspen, and cottonwood – across North America. A pioneer species, it quickly replaced northern Minnesota’s great pineries and the continent’s many forests when they were logged off in the 1800s. Prevention of forest fires has allowed the quaking aspen to maintain its hold.

American elm
A rare find in most mesic forests these days is the American elm, which was almost wiped out when Dutch elm disease spread through its populations in the early 20th century. The tree is large – usually 50 to 70 feet high with a diameter of 24-48 inches.

Its wide-spreading branches droop at the ends, making for a showy display of yellow leaves in autumn. Though somewhat shade tolerant and fast growing to outpace other tall tree species, the elm is common on rich bottom lands, and in Minnesota that usually means the southern portion of the state.

Back on the trail, look for a beaver sign at 2.1 miles and as coming to the loop’s east side, a small kettle pond on the right at 2.4 miles.

A tenth of the mile from the pond, a path diverges right/northeast. This is part of the equestrian trail crossed earlier. Stay on the main trail by going straight/north. The hiking trail is shared with horse riders from there to the four-way intersection where the loop began.

At 2.8 miles, you’ll reach an open meadow on the loop’s north side. Cow Lake is on the trail’s left in the distance to the west, and Beer Lake is on the right/north.

Prairie flowers
A variety of common prairie wildflowers grow in the meadow. Among them are beardtongue, prairie rose, showy milkweed, and wild onion.

The trail runs along Beer Lake’s southern shore at 2.9 miles and then leaves the waterbody behind 0.4 miles later and re-enters the woods and its brilliant autumn leaves.

Next up are two spurs, neither of which leads to anything not already seen on the trail. One spur at 3.4 miles heads north through the woods to a hike-in campsite and then another spur goes south to Cow Lake and a campsite along it.

At 3.5 miles, you’ll reach the four-way intersection where the loop began. Go right/north on the stem trail, and retrace your steps past Bass Lake back to your vehicle.

Vista offers 30-mile views of autumn colors

Autumn colors spread across the forest around Skibo Vista Overlook.

Skibo Vista Overlook map.

Day trippers can enjoy sweeping 30-mile views of autumn colors at Minnesota’s Skibo Vista Overlook.

Located on Iron Range, the overlook is an easy stroll, consisting of a mere 250 feet of sidewalk. It is located along the 78-mile Superior National Forest Scenic Byway, which connects the Iron Range to the North Shore.

To reach the overlook, from Hoyt Lakes take Lake County 15 (aka Skibo Outlook Road, Forest Route 110 and Forest Route 128) south. After passing Lake County 129, the lookout is on the left/east.

Located 20 stories above the terrain below, the overlook sits on the Laurentian Divide. One of the continent’s great watershed divides, water on the north side of the Laurentian makes its way toward Hudson Bay while that to the south heads either to the Gulf of Mexico or the Atlantic Ocean. The divide stretches from Triple Divide Peak in northwestern Montana, cuts through Minnesota’s Iron Range, and ends on the Labrador Peninsula at the 60th parallel.

Glacier-shaped terrain
Surrounding the overlook are the Toimi Drumlins. Formed during the last Ice Age, viewed from above the drumlin field looks somewhat like a basket of eggs. Drumlins are a series of elongated, teardropped-shaped hills. Around Skibo Vista, each drumlin ridge is about a mile long, a quarter-mile wide, and 30-50 feet high.

Exactly how the drumlins formed is debated among geologists, but all agree that they were shaped by the glacier’s direction – the ridge’s tapered end points the way the glacier was flowing. Here the drumlins run in a southwest-northeast direction.

Quaking aspen dominates the drumlins’ tops. Their flat leaves easily flutter in the wind, in autumn giving the appearance of moving yellow seas below the overlook. Surrounding them is evergreen balsam fir.

In the distance to the west and southwest are tamarack lowlands. Tamarack is among 20 species of trees in the world that are “deciduous conifers,” meaning they grow cones and sprout needles like conifers but each autumn their needles change colors and fall, just as deciduous trees lose their leaves. Each September, the tall tamaracks – they usually grow between 33-66 high with a trunk two feet in diameter – turn a brilliant gold.

Changes
Mixed amid the aspens and tamaracks are pockets of hardwood forests. Sugar maple, basswood, American elm, and oak populate these enclaves, offering hues of orange, red, yellow and brown.

On a clear fall day, it’s quite a view, with multiple Iron Range towns nestled amid the harvest colors. Soaring eagles and migrating hawks often can be spotted overhead.

Not surprisingly, an observation tower for the Superior National Forest used to stand at the overlook, as it’s a perfect spot to watch for forest fires. A concrete foundation is all that remains of the tower.

Collectively called the Laurentian Mixed Forest, the view didn’t look like this during Minnesota’s early days as a state. When this was Native American land Euro-American settlers arrived, this area was much more like the boreal forests to the north. Red and white pine dominated, with aspen, paper birch, spruce, and balsam fir finding niches. After the pine was cut, aspen and paper birch took over. More change likely is to come in the decades ahead, as global warming allows the the hardwood forest pockets to gain a foothold.

Fall color hikes abound in Stillwater MN area

Brown's Creek State Trail

There’s no better way to experience autumn colors in the Stillwater 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 Stillwater to hike. Some are right out your back door,

while some are a day trip that you can do in an afternoon.

Brown’s Creek State Trail (Stillwater)
Hikers can enjoy fall colors alongside a river and creek on Brown’s Creek State Trail. The 5.9-mile (one-way) trail connects Stillwater and the Gateway State Trail in Grant. A mile of the trail parallels the St. Croix River while another two miles sticks to its namesake creek. Leaves usually peak late September to mid October. From downtown Stillwater, take Minn. Hwy. 95 north. Park in either lot on the road’s right/east before or after Laurel Street. The trailhead runs north from Laurel Street east of the lots.

Lake Elmo Park Reserve (Lake Elmo)
A variety of autumn colors can be enjoyed in the maple-oak forests at Lake Elmo Park Reserve. The 3.8-mile Eagle Point Trail loops around the wooded lake for which the route is named. Paper birch, ash, cottonwood, as well as several types of evergreens, dot the landscape. From Minn. Hwy. 36 in Lake Elmo, take County Road 17/Lake Elmo Road south. Turn right/west onto County Road 14/Stillwater Boulevard then left/south onto Keats Avenue and enter the reserve. After passing the Nordic Center, go right/west into a parking lot. The trail is on the lot’s west side.

William O’Brien State Park (Marine on St. Croix)
Day hikers can learn about the power of floods on the St. Croix River via the Riverside Trail at William O’Brien State Park. The 1.5-mile trail loops through a floodplain and typically is open during summer and autumn when water levels have gone down. The fresh scent of pine needles upon the trail and the gentle rush of water along the river’s rock walls instantly lulls you into a feeling of serenity. Roughly half of the trail follows the river, mainly through a good mix of hardwoods common to a floodplain forest in this region. During autumn, their leaves turn gold, red, orange and brown. Across the water is Wisconsin, and with the two undeveloped shorelines, tranquility reigns. From Marine on St. Croix, take Minn. Hwy. 95 north into the park. Turn right/east onto O’Brien Trail North/County Road 33. The road curves south, dead ending in a parking area alongside Lake Alice. The trail begins at the picnic grounds immediately east of the parking lot.

Battle Creek Regional Park (Maplewood)
Tan-colored oak and yellow-leaved birch await hikers at Battle Creek Regional Park in Maplewood. The 1.5-mile Battle Creek Loop passes tree-lined ponds and crosses ridgelines overlooking oak-filled gullies. From Interstate 94 east of St. Paul, exit right/south onto White Bear Avenue then turn left/east onto Upper Afton Road. Go right/south onto Winthrop Street then right/west into the park’s lot.

Big Marine Park Reserve (Forest Lake)
Hikers can enjoy a walk through a woodlands and on long pier at Big Marine Park Reserve. The unnamed trail in the Washington County park runs 0.75 miles round-trip. The turf trail leaves from the park’s western side, entering a deciduous forest, which makes for a colorful walk among yellow, orange, red, russet and olive leaves in autumn. From Forest Lake, take Minn. Hwy. 97 east. Turn left/south onto County Road 15/Morning Trail North. The park entry road (aka Lomond Trail North) is on the left/east. When the entry road splits, go straight/west, following it to the last/northernmost parking lot (the road loops back onto itself at the lot).

Osceola Bedrock Glades State Natural Area (Osceola, Wis.)
Fantastic river views beneath a colorful forest canopy await hikers on the this pair of trails near Osceola. Not to be confused with Ridgeview Trail at the adjacent Osceola Bedrock Glades State Natural Area, this pair of trails actually are two loops that only locals really know about. They run through the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway and the Osceola State Fish Hatchery on a bluff overlooking a St. Croix River back channel. The oranges and reds of maples dominate here with the occasional pine grove.

Fall color hikes abound in St. Cloud MN area

Quarry Park and Nature Preserve

There’s no better way to experience autumn colors in the St. Cloud 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 St. Cloud to hike. Some are right out your back door,

while some are a day trip that you can do in an afternoon.

Munsinger and Clemens Gardens (St. Cloud)
Walkers can enjoy the reflection of autumn colors off of the Mississippi River at Munsinger and Clemens Gardens. A 1.25-mile round trip walking path runs north-south through Munsinger Gardens with a spur to Clemens Gardens. St. Cloud State University sits on the river’s opposite shore. From the junction of U.S. Hwy. 10 Third Street SE in St. Cloud, take the latter southwest. Turn left/south onto Wilson Avenue SE, then right/west onto Seventh Street SE, and lastly left/south onto Riverside Drive. Park along Riverside south of 10th Street SE; the gardens are west of the street.

Quarry Park and Nature Preserve (St. Cloud)
Scarlet and golden leaves with tinges of orange await hikers at Quarry Park and Nature Preserve. The 2.3-mile Quarry Park Outer Loop circles the preserve’s perimeter, staying in the woods almost the entire way. Fall colors typically peak late September to early October. In St. Cloud, from the southern junction of Minn. Hwys. 15 and 23, take the latter southwest. Turn left/south onto 28th Avenue then left/east onto County Road 137. The preserve’s entrance is on the right/south.

Saint John’s University’s Abbey Arboretum (St. Joseph)
A vast woods of red and white oak await hikers at Saint John’s University’s Abbey Arboretum. The 3-mile Chapel Walk heads through the colorful autumn forest with the leaves reflecting off the crystal blue surface of Lake Sagatagan. The trail starts on the beach at the lake’s northwest side and runs to Stella Maris Chapel. Legend says that if you’re a Bennie (a student at the College of Saint Benedict) walking with a Johnnie, in the future you’ll end up in the chapel exchanging marriage vows. From Interstate 94 northwest of St. Joseph, exit south onto St. John’s Road. Turn left/east onto Prep School Road then right/west onto Water Tower Road. Park in one of the spots off the street then walk west and go left/south onto Beach Fire Lane to the lake.

Lake Wobegon Trail (Albany)
For lovers of fall color, late September to early October is an excellent time to hike the Lake Wobegon Trail. For those two weeks, sugar maple, ash, aspen and staghorn sumac usually are at their peak. A stretch of the flat trail that is mostly wooded and away from busy Interstate 94 is the 6.4-mile round trip segment between downtown Albany to Peach Drive at Avon Hills Forest Scientific and Natural Area. Park along Fifth Street between Railroad and Church avenues, then take the trail east.

Birch Lake State Forest (Melrose)
A diverse array of autumn leaves await hikers at Birch Lake State Forest. A 1.7-mile round trip unnamed lollipop trail heads through a forest of oak, red maple, ironwood, birch and aspen. From Melrose, take County Road 13 north. Turn right/east onto County Road 17, left/north onto Birch Lake Road then right/east onto Birch Lakes Forest Road. Park in the first lot for the campsites 30-35. At the first trail intersection, go straight/west then at the next intersection go left/east.

Englund Ecotone Scientific and Natural Area (Foley)
A pin and burr oak woodlands can be enjoyed at Englund Ecotone Scientific and Natural Area. You’ll need to rely on game trails and degraded footpaths to get through the forest, though. Still, the hike is worth it, as this is one of the few remaining natural areas in a rapidly urbanizing county. From Foley, take Minn. Hwy. 25 north. Turn left/west onto Little Rock Road, left/south on U.S. Hwy. 10, and then left/east onto 85th Street NW. When 85th Street splits, take it right/southeast. The road ends at the natural area.

Clear Lake Scientific and Natural Area (Clear Lake)
A profuse array of autumn leaves await at Clear Lake Scientific and Natural Area. Northern red oak, northern pin oak, and white oak, with some bur oak and red maple, dominate the canopy. A southern terrace forest along the Mississippi River boasts American elm, box elder, silver maple, green ash, hackberry and basswood. You’ll have to rely on game trails and degraded footpaths to traverse the site. From Elk River, take U.S. Hwy. 10 west. In Clear Lake, turn left/southwest onto County Road 24, then right/west onto 90th Street SE, and finally 58th Avenue South. Watch for the natural area’s driveway on the road’s right/west side; park there.

Bell Prairie County Park (Little Falls)
Day hikers can walk through a black ash forest at Bell Prairie County Park near Little Falls, Minn. But go quick – though Minnesota’s fourth most common tree, the black ash faces a very real threat from an invasive species that could wipe it out. The roughly 1.25-mile Black Ash Trail (the trail actually is unnamed but is called that here for convenience sake) cuts through and circles a black ash forest at the park. Along the way, you’ll also cross an oak savanna and head alongside a red pine stand, making for a great autumn hike. The emerald ash borer reached Minnesota in the mid 2010s after ravaging the tree’s cousins – green ash and white ash – across much of the northeastern United States. From Little Falls take County Road 76/Haven Road north. Turn left/east onto County Park Road and enter Belle Prairie. At the first road junction, park off the side of the main road. Walk the paved road that splits to the right/west. A jeep trail appears on the right/north; that’s the trailhead.

Lake Maria State Park (Monticello)
In an area where farm fields and now urbanization dots the landscape, there remains a spot that early French explorers called the Bois Grand – or as Laura Ingalls Wilder later described it, the Big Woods – a vast continental forest of maple and basswood. In Lake Maria State Park, the 3.6-mile Big Woods Loop Trail loops through a remnant of the famed woods that pioneers found when they arrived in Minnesota and Wisconsin. The fall colors usually peak in October, turning the canopy above you brilliant hues of yellow, orange and red. Bring a picnic lunch for the lake. From Monticello, take County Road 39 west. Turn right/north onto County Road 111 then enter the park by going left/west onto Park Road. After passing the park office, turn left/south onto the road leading to the Trail Center, where there is a parking lot and trailhead.