Leaf peeping

Fall colors in Minnesota

Typical peak runs Sep 25 – Oct 9. Pick the week, then the place.

Photo: Eagle Mountain

Fall color in Minnesota typically peaks between Sep 25 and Oct 9, with the middle of the season around Sep 30. The earliest typical peak we track is at Kab-Ash Hiking Trail (around Sep 18) and the latest is at Low Rollers (around Oct 13). We track 1,131 places here: 526 campgrounds, 448 hikes, 131 mountain biking trails, 19 waterfalls, and 4 summits. Above 1,000 ft, color typically peaks around Sep 30; under 1,000 ft, around Oct 5.

When to go

Week by week

How many places are in their typical peak window each week, with the top pick. Today’s week is highlighted.

  1. Sep 1 – 7

    1 places
    NIGH CREEK SPUR MTop pick · hike

  2. Sep 8 – 14

    19 places
    Shell-PaunessTop pick · hike

  3. Sep 15 – 21

    357 places
    Meadow on the Grand PortageTop pick · hike

  4. Sep 22 – 28

    877 places
    Merrill Logging TrailTop pick · hike

  5. Sep 29 – Oct 5

    Busiest

    1,062 places
    Eagle MountainTop pick · summit

  6. Oct 6 – 12

    This week

    771 places
    Bobolink LoopTop pick · hike

  7. Oct 13 – 19

    253 places
    Low RollersTop pick · hike

  8. Oct 20 – 26

    50 places
    Voyageur TrekTop pick · hike

  9. Oct 27 – Nov 2

    3 places
    Lebanon Hills CampgroundTop pick · campground

Elevation

Color walks downhill

In Minnesota, the higher the ground, the earlier the turn. Each row is a 1,000-foot band.

  1. 1,000+ ftSep 30
  2. 0–1,000 ftOct 5

Dot = median typical peak for places in that band. Bands with fewer than 10 places are left out.

This week

In typical peak now in Minnesota

Places whose usual window includes today.

Plan ahead

Coming up next

Typical peak starts within the next three weeks.

Where

By park and forest

Typical timing for the public lands with the most places, and the best-known spots in each.

Hikes

Best fall hikes

Trails ranked by how much hardwood forest surrounds them and how consistent the timing is across years.

Camp

Campgrounds in the color

Wake up in it. Check availability and any seasonal closures before you go.

Views

Summits and waterfalls

Overlooks for the big picture, falls for the doubled-up reflection.

Ride

Mountain biking through the color

Singletrack with a canopy overhead.

Everything

Map and full list

Every place we track in Minnesota, grouped by where it is in its typical window.

  • In typical peak now (100)

In typical peak now

Today falls inside the usual peak window for these places.

Questions

Fall colors in Minnesota: FAQ

When is peak fall color in Minnesota?

Across the 1,131 places we track in Minnesota, typical peak runs from Sep 25 to Oct 9, with the middle of the season around Sep 30. Where you are in the state matters: higher elevations come earlier and valleys later.

Where do leaves change first in Minnesota?

Among the places we track in Minnesota, Kab-Ash Hiking Trail has the earliest typical peak, around Sep 18. The latest is Low Rollers, around Oct 13. Above 1,000 ft, color typically peaks around Sep 30; under 1,000 ft, around Oct 5.

What are the best fall hikes in Minnesota?

Hikes with strong typical color in Minnesota include Merrill Logging Trail, SUMMIT VIEW, Lake Erin Hiking, Woodland Trail, and Tettegouche Trail. They are ranked by how much of the surrounding forest is hardwood and how consistent the timing has been across years.

Is this a forecast?

No. These dates are typical timing: when leaves have usually reached peak in past years, from NASA satellite vegetation data from 2017 to 2024 and USGS forest cover. A warm, dry or very wet year can shift them by a week or more, so treat them as a planning window, not a prediction for this year.

Keep going

Nearby states

Typical timing from NASA MODIS vegetation data (2017–2024) and USGS NLCD 2021 forest cover. Not a forecast. Timing is typical, not a forecast. How we time it.