Lebanon Hills: Where to Find Incredible Fall Colors
Find Beautiful Fall Colors without Leaving the Cities
If you’ve never been to Lebanon Hills, it should definitely be on your list to check out. This massive park has nearly 2,000 acres of land, which is comprised of lakes, prairie land and hiking trails. There are also equestrian trails blocked off and cross country skiing paths in the winter.
Pro tip: If you’re meeting a friend at Lebanon Hills, be sure to specify which parking lot. There are many different entrances, so simply Googling Lebanon Hills may not take you to the right spot. Each parking lot has it’s own address, so be sure to look that up ahead of time. The pictures in this blog post are specifically from the 1100 Cliff Road entrance.
Hike, Roast Marshmallows, and Bring the Dog
Lebanon Hills has a lot to offer. Dogs are allowed. You can rent canoes and kayaks at the visitor center in the summer, and snowshoes and sleds in the winter. You can hike, fish and picnic. Mountain bike or have a fire by the bon fire rings by the visitor center.
There are also special events and programs for children. Check out their events calendar, which is always being updated.
Know Before You Go
Parking is free at every Lebanon Hills parking lot, which is really amazing! There are bathrooms and garbage cans by the parking lots, so be sure to clean up your trash or anything your dog leaves behind.
You can also follow the Dakota County Parks on Facebook to stay up to date on news and volunteer opportunities if you want to help keep the parks beautiful.
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Chasing Fall Colors
This season, I have been all about finding fall colors. Right now, the park is a beautiful sea of gold. We were lucky to have the sun out, so the lake and yellow leaves were just incredible. But if you can’t go before the leaves come down, try visiting in the winter when there’s fresh snow and a different kind of beauty.
I have been to Lebanon Hills many times for hiking, snowshoeing and even a yoga class inside the beautiful visitor center. It’s a fantastic park right here in the Twin Cities. You don’t have to drive for hours to the North Shore or the bluff region of Southern Minnesota to find a gorgeous, and free, hiking trail!
2 Comments
Josy A
The colours are soooo golden and gorgeous! Do you know what kind of trees those are? They look so pretty in the autumn light.
Also, your doggy is such a cutie! So fluffy and soooo happy to be out at Lebanon Hills with you!
Kristen Glazer
I’m not sure what kind of tree those are, but they seem to be everywhere in Minnesota! And yes, Ole is a happy boy, especially now since the weather is cool again 🙂