Get ready for fall colors

Fall color tapestry below Sawmill Dome, September 2010

The best time for hiking the North Shore is here. Clear your calendars for some adventurous treks through lovely forests with the best Lake Superior views of the year.

Bean Lake in a bowl of fall colors/

Be sure to head for one of the great ridgeline overlooks. On one side, Lake Superior glimmers in a deep dark blue. On the other side, a tapestry of color spreads out beneath you. Some of my favorite fall color overlooks are on Oberg Mountain, Leveaux Mountain, and Sawmill Dome.  

The birch trees are already changing at North Shore state parks. Head seven miles in from Finland on Lake County Road 7 to explore George H. Crosby-Manitou State Park and the Yellow Birch Trail, which should be lovely this next week. Smoke from the Pagami Creek fire may be blowing that way, so be ready to shift plans east or west depending on the wind conditions.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources predicts an excellent fall color season. Drought in the Ely area has triggered early colors in the region’s birch trees. Check on the latest fall colors with a report from the DNR.