Minnesota State Parks in fall

Fall is my favorite time of year and I love exploring new places where I can see the leaves changing. Last October, I headed up to Minnesota to explore some of the many state parks.

I stayed in Minneapolis and all of the parks I visited were an hour to hour and a half drive. Minnesota has this very helpful fall color website to keep you updated on all the parks and where the leaves are changing the fastest.

The first park on my list was Banning State Park in Sandstone. Banning is very popular in the fall and was the busiest of all the parks I visited.

I hiked the Quarry Loop Trail, which is 2.5 miles with 144 feet of elevation gain. It was an easy hike with beautiful scenery and you pass remains of historic buildings once used by the quarry.

Part of the trail runs along the Kettle River. Grab a seat on the rocks and enjoy the view!

Next, I visited Lake Maria State Park located in Monticello. I hiked the Bjorkland Trail, which is 1.9 miles with 127 feet of elevation gain.

I think some of the prettiest views at Lake Maria were just driving on the roads through the park though!

The last park I had time to visit in Minnesota was Nerstrand Big Woods State Park in Nerstrand. I hiked on the Hidden Falls Trail to Beaver Loop, which is 2.7 miles with around 300 feet of elevation gain.

Unfortunately, the falls were pretty low because of the lack of rain, but there was some good color in the trees along the trail.

Looking back, I think Banning State Park was my favorite. Which state park in Minnesota is your favorite for fall foliage?

Check out more to do near Minneapolis: Minneapolis, apple orchards and a day trip to Wisconsin.