Great autumn hikes in Owatonna MN area

Rice Lake State Park, Owatonna, Minnesota

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

hike. Some are right out your back

door, while some are a day trip that

you can do in an afternoon.

Rice Lake 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.

Nerstrand Big Woods State Park (Faribault)
Hikers can walk through a large stand of white oak in Minnesota’s famed Big Woods at Nerstrand Big Woods State Park. The 2.4-mile round trip White Oak Trail runs through the park’s center. A temperate hardwood forest, American elm, basswood, sugar maple, and red oak dominate the canopy while ironwood, green ash, and aspen ruled the understory. Nerstrand Big Woods preserves 1280 acres of a forest that is now virtually gone. When pioneers arrived in the area during the mid 1800s, the Big Woods covered 5000 square miles, stretching in a diagonal strip 100 miles long and 40 miles wide across Wisconsin and Minnesota. From Faribault, take County Road 20/Cannon City Boulevard northeast. Turn right/east onto County Road 30 then right-straight/east onto County Road 88. When the road splits, continue left-straight/east. Go left/north into Nerstrand Big Woods and park at the lot for the picnic area.

Frontenac State Park (Frontenac)
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. The trees change with the elevation; the trail at the top of the bluff is a mix of aspen, basswood, elm, maple and oak while cottonwood, maple and willow dominate the trail along the bluff’s bottom. Fall colors usually peak in late September to mid-October. 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.

Iron Horse Prairie Scientific and Natural Area (Dodge)
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.

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.

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.

Fall color hikes abound in Faribault MN area

River Bend Nature Center in Faribault

There’s no better way 

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

River Bend Nature Center (Faribault)
Golden aspen and orange-yellow maple leaves await hikers at River Bend Nature Center in Faribault. One great option at the park is the 1.4-mile Owl and Trout Lily trails, which form a loop through a floodplain forest. Part of the trail runs alongside the Straight River. From First Street NW in Faribault, take Sixth Avenue SE south. Turn left/east onto Division Street East then right/south onto 10th Avenue SE, which when it curves east becomes Fifth Street SE. Next, turn right/south onto Rustad Road. Park at the lot for the interpretive center.

Nerstrand Big Woods State Park (Faribault)
A picturesque waterfall awaits hikers at Nerstrand Big Woods State Park. The 1-mile round trip walk via Hidden Falls Trail is especially beautiful in autumn with yellow, orange, red sugar maple and ironwood, bronze-colored basswood, and russet-leaved oak lining the path. Hidden Falls sits in a glade amid this northern hardwoods forest, and boasts a 12-foot drop over a 90-foot wide ledge. From Faribault, take St. Paul Avenue/Cannon City Boulevard northeast. Turn right/east onto Nerstrand Boulevard, which becomes Kane Avenue when it curves north, then go left/west onto County Road 40. Take the first/north to the parking area; from there, walk east on the White Oak Trail to the Hidden Falls Trail.

Sakatah Lake State Park (Waterville)
Day hikers can visit the classic Big Woods of old at Sakatah Lake State Park. The 2.4-miles round trip Oak Tree Trail and Big Woods Loop heads through a forest of basswood, oak and maple, all resplendent in harvest hues during fall. From Waterville, take Minn. Hwy. 60 east. Turn left/north at the park entrance. When the park road splits, go right/northeast. Park in the first lot. Hike the side of the road back, crossing the Sakatah Singing Hills State Trail. The Oak Tree Trail is the next junction; go right/west onto it. The trail leads to the Big Woods Loop.

Rice Lake 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.

Cedar Lake Farm Regional Park (New Prague)
Yellow, orange and russet leaves in a farm setting make for a trip into autumns past at Cedar Lake Farm Regional Park. A 0.4-mile paved path circles through the wooded farmstead, passing a barn, corn cribs, and small beach along Cedar Lake. From New Prague, take Minn. Hwy. 19 east. Turn left/north onto County Road 89, right/east onto County Road 2, then left/north onto Juniper Avenue. A large lot for the park is on the right/east.

Ritter Farm Park (Lakeville)
Maple and birch stands await hikers at Ritter Farm Park in Lakeville. The 3.2-mile Mader Loop combined with the Matterhorn Trail either heads through or skirts the park’s woodlands. From the junction of Interstate 35 and 185th Street/County Road 60 in Lakeville, take the latter east. Turn right/south onto Kendrick Avenue, right/west onto 195th Street West, then right/north onto Ritter Trail. At the second split in the park road, go left/northwest. The road ends in a parking lot with the trail leaving from the north side.