6 Fun Things to Do for Fall in Minnesota
Fall is an Incredible Season in Minnesota
Fall might be the most beautiful season in Minnesota. With cooler temperatures, and colorful leaves, pumpkins, and hot apple cider, the only disappointment is that the season seems to end so quickly. Perhaps that just makes us appreciate this magical season even more as we savor each quickly passing day. Read on for the six best things to do for fall in Minnesota.
1. Pick Your Own Apples
Not many things say fall like apple orchards. Picking your own apples is a great activity for adults and children, and it’s an opportunity to spend the day outside enjoying the cool weather.
Most apple orchards offer pies for sale and additional activities like a hayride or walking through sunflower fields. Some highly recommended apple orchards are:
- Fireside Orchard & Gardens in Northfield, Minnesota
- Afton Apple Orchard in Hastings, MinnesotaÂ
- Pine Tree Apple Orchard, White Bear Lake, Minnesota
- Montgomery Orchard, Montgomery, Minnesota
2. Take a Hike and Go Leaf Peeping
Hiking is one of my favorite things to do all year long, but it’s especially stunning during the fall. In Minnesota, we are spoiled because we have so many incredible hikes with breathtaking views. From the North Shore and Lutsen Mountains to Bluff Country and the Great River Drive, it can be hard to determine the best place to go. It’s best to use the DNR’s fall color tracker so you can go hiking where falls colors are at their peak. You could spend roughly four weeks chasing the colors from Grand Marais to Winona. Here are a few of the best spots for incredible views.
- Arcola Bluffs in Stillwater
- Barn Bluff in Red Wing
- Bean and Bear in Silver Bay
- Cascade River State Park in Lutsen
- Interstate State Park in Taylors Falls
- Johnson Overlook in Silver Bay
- Lutsen Mountains in Lutsen
- Oberg Mountain in Tofte
- Pincushion Mountain Grand Marais
- Sugar Loaf in Winona
- White Sky Rock in Lutsen
3. Visit a Pumpkin Patch
Who doesn’t love a pumpkin patch? Just like apple orchards, these are great places to bring friends, family, and children. Often these types of places have additional activities, like corn mazes, hayrides or pies, and ciders for sale. The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum is also a great place to visit during the fall. They create several incredible pumpkin displays that make for a great photoshoot. They also have the AppleHouse where you can buy apple cider donuts, pies, freshly picked apples, and mums. Many places also offer pumpkins for purchase that are great for both carving and eating. My favorites include:
- Little Hill Berry Farm in Northfield, Minnesota
- Peter’s Pumpkins in Shakopee, Minnesota
- Emma Krumbee’s in Belle Plaine, Minnesota
4. Take a Scenic Drive
While hiking is my favorite way to see the fall colors along the bluffs and rivers, a scenic drive can be great if you want to cover more ground. We are so spoiled in Minnesota to have incredible scenic byways with some jaw-dropping views. Some of the best include:
- The St. Croix Scenic Byway
- The North Shore All American Scenic Byway
- Historic Bluff Country Scenic Byway
5. Grab Drinks on a Patio
We love checking out new breweries, and we really love sitting on a patio, grabbing a snack from a food truck, and trying a flight of new beers or ciders. Also, a lot of breweries have fire pits to keep you warm as the cold weather rolls in. Some of our favorite breweries with great outdoor seating areas:
- Imminent Brewing in Northfield, Minnesota
- Bald Man Brewing in Eagan, Minnesota
- Boom Island Brewing in Minnetonka, Minnesota
- Indeed Brewing in Minneapolis, Minnesota
6. Visit a Museum
Museums are great year-round, but they can be an especially great fall event on those cold days. Some of the museums we visit most often are the Museum of Russian Art and the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Both have great exhibits that are always regularly updated. We also really love the Minnesota Marine Art Museum in Winona, which has Monet, Van Gogh, underwater photography, and furniture from the Titanic.
Enjoy This Beautiful Season
There are so many great things to do in Minnesota during the fall. I hope these six ideas give you some inspiration so you can fully enjoy the cool weather and changing colors! Unfortunately, fall can feel very fleeting in Minnesota, so make the most of it and savor each day before it’s over. Looking for more ideas? Check out my post on a fall day trip to Winona, Red Wing, Stillwater, and Montgomery!
4 Comments
M.K. Dymock
Take a scenic drive by a river means a lot more in Minnesota than Utah. 🙂 Here it means squinting really hard.
Kristen Glazer
Haha it’s a popular thing here!
Samantha South
You listed some breweries I haven’t been to and will need to check them out!!
Kristen Glazer
I have been to all of them and personally recommend each spot. Let me know what you think when you check them out!