When do the leaves change in Minnesota?
The North Shore's birch and maple hillsides drop straight into Lake Superior, while the Superior Hiking Trail traces some of the Midwest's boldest fall overlooks.
Peak: September 27–October 1
Color builds from September 18 · mostly bare by October 19
48 weather points cover Minnesota, and the model shifts their answer 9 days earlier, which is what it takes to match 2 published peak dates from smokymountains.com. Minnesota is running 4 days earlier than its own average this year. Minnesota does not turn all at once, and the gap from the earliest corner to the latest runs about 4 days. How the forecast works
Known for
Things to do in fall in Minnesota
13 iconic stops, including scenic drives, farms, haunts, and the views locals plan their October around.
Gooseberry Falls State Park
State parkPeak October 3
Minnesota's most-visited state park, established 1937 near Two Harbors, centers on multi-tiered waterfalls where the Gooseberry River drops…
North Shore Scenic Drive (Highway 61)
Scenic drivePeak September 30
This All-American Road runs 154 miles from Duluth's Canal Park to the Canadian border near Grand Portage, hugging Lake Superior below the…
Lutsen Mountains
ViewpointPeak September 28
The Midwest's largest ski area turns its lifts over to leaf-peepers each fall, with the Summit Express Gondola climbing about 1,000 feet up…
Aamodt's Apple Farm
OrchardColor nearby peaks October 4
Family-run near Stillwater since 1948, this orchard is a Twin Cities fall-weekend fixture built around U-pick Honeycrisp apples, wagon…
Sever's Corn Maze & Fall Festival
Corn mazeColor nearby peaks October 4
The Peterson family cut the first corn maze in the Midwest here in 1997, and Sever's is now cited as the second-oldest hand-cut maze in the…
The Dead End Hayride
Haunted attractionColor nearby peaks October 5
Billed as Minnesota's scariest haunted hayride, this attraction at Pinehaven Farm in Wyoming, north of the Twin Cities, bundles a wagon…
Color nearby peaks October 2
The Twin Cities' largest corn maze - nearly 20 acres re-cut to a new design each year - anchors this fall festival in Brooklyn Park, at the…
Anoka Halloween
Fall festivalColor nearby peaks October 2
Anoka bills itself as the Halloween Capital of the World, home to a 106-year-old civic celebration that fills historic downtown through…
Farms & harvest
Cider & donuts
Guides
Frequently asked
- When do leaves peak in Minnesota in 2026?
- Peak color is predicted for September 27–October 1 (best estimate September 29). Color starts around September 18 and trees are mostly bare by October 19.
- How reliable is the Minnesota forecast?
- The forecast blends recent-year weather normals with photoperiod and elevation; it tightens as the season approaches. Against published peak dates the model lands within a few days for most regions, but it can be a week or more out. Mountains and coastlines are the hardest. Higher elevations turn roughly one day earlier per 300 m.
- When is Minnesota's autumn season?
- Minnesota is in the northern hemisphere, so its color season is autumn (September to November). The turn takes roughly 31 days end to end, centered on September 29, and the last 11 of those are thinning canopy rather than color.
- What are the best things to do in fall in Minnesota?
- The iconic stops: Gooseberry Falls State Park, North Shore Scenic Drive (Highway 61), Lutsen Mountains, Aamodt's Apple Farm, Sever's Corn Maze & Fall Festival, The Dead End Hayride. Every one is mapped on this page with its peak-color timing.
Nearby & similar
Cities in Minnesota
Local peak timing and things to do in fall, computed for each city.
Season by season
2026 (forecast)
Peak September 27–October 1
September 18 → October 19