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 30–October 6
Color builds from September 18 · mostly bare by October 23
Method: daily ERA5 temperatures (Open-Meteo) drive a photoperiod + chilling phenology model; terrain shifts timing ~1 day earlier per 300 m of elevation. Temperature alone can’t tell a maritime autumn from a continental one — two places at the same latitude and the same September can peak weeks apart, because the trees differ — so each region is also calibrated against published peak dates. Estimates, not promises: typically within a few days, occasionally a week or more out. Check locally before you travel.
Known for
Things to do in fall in Minnesota
13 iconic stops — scenic drives, farms, haunts, and the views locals plan their October around.
Gooseberry Falls State Park
State parkPeak October 6
Minnesota's most-visited state park, established 1937 near Two Harbors, centers on multi-tiered waterfalls where the Gooseberry River drops toward Lake Superior. The falls and their birch-and-aspen canyon are the signature stop on the North Shore, drawing the heaviest crowds of the year during late-September color.
Don’t miss: Multi-tiered Gooseberry River falls · Minnesota's most-visited state park · North Shore's signature stop
North Shore Scenic Drive (Highway 61)
Scenic drivePeak October 4
This All-American Road runs 154 miles from Duluth's Canal Park to the Canadian border near Grand Portage, hugging Lake Superior below the Sawtooth Range through 96 waysides. Immortalized by Bob Dylan, it's Minnesota's benchmark fall drive, with birch and maple color moving south down the shore through late September.
Don’t miss: 154 miles, 96 waysides · All-American Road designation · Sawtooth Range views
Lutsen Mountains
ViewpointPeak October 2
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 Moose Mountain for panoramic views over Lake Superior and the Sawtooth Range. Rides run daily through mid-October, then weekends into early November.
Don’t miss: Gondola rides up Moose Mountain · Lake Superior panoramas · Midwest's largest ski area
Aamodt's Apple Farm
OrchardColor nearby peaks October 10
Family-run near Stillwater since 1948, this orchard is a Twin Cities fall-weekend fixture built around U-pick Honeycrisp apples, wagon rides, a petting farm, and a bakery. It's the kind of low-key harvest outing (cider donuts, not amusement-park scale) that Minnesotans return to every October.
Don’t miss: U-pick Honeycrisp apples since 1948 · wagon rides and petting farm · on-site bakery
Sever's Corn Maze & Fall Festival
Corn mazeColor nearby peaks October 9
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 country. Each fall's redesigned maze anchors a full festival ground of hayrides, a pumpkin patch, and food stands south of the Twin Cities.
Don’t miss: First corn maze in the Midwest (1997) · redesigned maze every year · full fall-festival grounds
The Dead End Hayride
Haunted attractionColor nearby peaks October 10
Billed as Minnesota's scariest haunted hayride, this attraction at Pinehaven Farm in Wyoming, north of the Twin Cities, bundles a wagon ride, a walk-through and a haunted cornfield into one general-admission ticket. The first wagon rolls out 30 minutes after sunset.
Don’t miss: Haunted hayride, walk-through, cornfield · First wagon 30 min after sunset · Set at Pinehaven Farm
Twin Cities Harvest Festival and Maze
Corn mazeColor nearby peaks October 7
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 southeast corner of 109th Avenue and Highway 169. General admission is free; a wristband unlocks the carnival, pumpkin patch and sunflower field.
Don’t miss: Nearly 20-acre corn maze · New maze design each year · Pumpkin patch and sunflower field
Anoka Halloween
Fall festivalColor nearby peaks October 7
Anoka bills itself as the Halloween Capital of the World, home to a 106-year-old civic celebration that fills historic downtown through October. The Grande Day Parade of more than 100 units marches down Main Street, joined after dark by the illuminated Light Up the Night Parade.
Don’t miss: Halloween Capital of the World · Grande Day Parade on Main Street · Month-long downtown festival
Guides
Frequently asked
- When do leaves peak in Minnesota in 2026?
- Peak color is predicted for September 30–October 6 (best estimate October 3). Color starts around September 18 and trees are mostly bare by October 23.
- 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 colors during autumn (September–November). 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.
- 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.
- What are the best things to do in autumn in Minnesota?
- Autumn — autumn (September–November) — is peak season here. Pair the color with Gooseberry Falls State Park, North Shore Scenic Drive (Highway 61), Lutsen Mountains, Aamodt's Apple Farm, Sever's Corn Maze & Fall Festival; each is on the map above with the window to catch it.
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 30–October 6
September 18 → October 23