Minnesota’s Favorite Fall Hike Is Worth A Day Trip From St. Cloud [GALLERY]
As a state full of parks and trails it can be hard to pick a favorite when it comes to scoping out the fall colors. My personal favorite is Taylor's Falls, Minnesota because that is where I proposed to my wife! (Spoiler alert: she said yes).
Amy Barrett from Explore Minnesota recently joined Jay Caldwell on WJON and she said that the most popular spot for fall color viewing seems to be Maplewood State Park in Pelican Rapids.
Maplewood State Park's Hallaway Hill offers sweeping views of red, brown, orange and yellow fall colors. It is a perfect hike for the whole family as it is just a half-mile to the top. Otherwise, Maplewood State Park also features a driveable, five-mile trek through the park with 'shady hollows, wooded knolls and prairie restoration.'
The fall colors are currently at 10-25%, which is well before peak, meaning you have plenty of time to plan your trip!
The ash trees are the first color on the landscape showing marvelous golden yellow hues and the reds, oranges, yellows and scarlet colors of sumacs are adding great color to the lower canopy and field and forest edges. Sugar maples are beginning to show patches of orange and yellow hues. The prairie grasses are coming into their autumn glory with beautiful blends of bronze, golds, browns, maroons and blues. The big bluestem grasses are notably vigorous and tall due to bountiful spring and summer rains.
The park itself spans 9,250 acres and features eight major lakes. There are 25 miles worth of hiking trails, 20 miles of horse trails and 21 miles of snowmobile trails during the winter months.
Park admission costs $35 for an annual pass or $7 daily. Online reservations are available as well.