Best Times and Places For Fall Color Rides With Help From the MN DNR

Image Credit: MN DNR

Fall is one of my favorite times of the year for bicycling and the Minnesota DNR has several tools available to help you experience the color changes throughout the state.  The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Fall Color Map has now gone live and will be updated by State Park and State Recreation Area (SRA's) staff by noon every Thursday.  With the wet Spring Minnesota has had and a good growing season during the Summer, trees are very healthy and a magnificent color display is expected throughout the state now through mid-October. 

To coincide your bike rides with the peak color changes using your smartphone or tablet, the MN DNR also has a Fall Colors Mobile version that is integrated with Google Maps.  It will display a map for typical peak colors around the state and provide a list view or  map view of State Park and SRA's with percentage of color change.  Click on any listing for more details on where to go, what you'll see and other things of interest.  Each listing also has links to events, a map view and the corresponding MN DNR webpage.

Minnesota has 24 State Trails with scenic views to check out the fall colors.  Whether you prefer to ride on paved, aggregate or natural surface trail, there are many miles to explore.  Visit the Minnesota State Trails Start Up Guide to pick a trail that is right for you.

I published a four part series of posts entitled "Favorite Trails for Fall Color Rides" two years ago that list some of my favorite places to ride during the Fall.  These are some really fun trails with great scenery.  They can be read at the following links:  Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4.  Give them a try, they will not disappoint.

Image Credit:  MN DNR

If adventure riding or forest roads are a little more your style the Minnesota DNR has a page with information about biking in Minnesota State Forests.  There are over 2000 miles of forest roads and thousands of logging trails to explore.  See my post Explore Minnesota's State Forests by Mountain Bike With Resources From the MN DNR.

Fall is a wonderful time of year for biking and with a little help from the MN DNR you can find out where and when to go for a great riding experience.