Outdoors

 Good things come in trees: Northern Minnesota hitting peak fall color
While swaths of northwestern Minnesota are past peak, most areas north of St. Cloud are in their prime for leaf-peeping. Parts of the eastern Twin Cities have also reached peak season for fall foliage. What are you waiting for?
Minnesota native Eddie Taylor training to climb Everest with first all-Black team
There’s not a lot of mountain climbing happening in Minnesota. But it was his upbringing in Detroit Lakes — visiting national parks and skiing with his family — that set Eddie Taylor up to join the first all-Black team of climbers training to take on Mount Everest next year.
Fat Bear Week has a champion: All hail 480 Otis
Who is the fattest bear of all? For the fourth time, the answer is 480 Otis, a brown bear who didn't let his lack of two canine teeth stop him from packing on the pounds.
Dwindling Alaska salmon leave Yukon River tribes in crisis
Two salmon species have all but disappeared from Alaska's Yukon River this year, prompting the state to shut down fishing in an effort to save them. The ban has created desperation in tribal communities.
With last remaining fire-related closure lifted, the BWCA is now fully reopened
The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is now fully reopened to visitors, after a summer of closures due to wildfires. Officials announced Friday that the last remaining closure order in the wilderness was now lifted.
How the drought is impacting Minnesota's fall colors; and leaf-peeping tips
After a summer of high heat and drought across Minnesota, the DNR’s fall color expert had predicted this year's season would be a bit of a flop. But as we enter the first weeks of fall, her predictions have taken a turn.
Leaf now! Head north this weekend for Minnesota's best fall colors
Fall colors are starting to pop across the state. Most areas north of St. Cloud are either at peak or are approaching peak fall colors. Here are some recommendations on where to go for the best leaf peeping.
Droughts are causing leaves to turn brown and wither before they can reach peak color. Heat waves have prompted leaves to fall before autumn even arrives. And extreme weather events like hurricanes strip trees of their leaves altogether.
As mountain biking booms in Minnesota, pro builders help meet the demand for trails
Minnesota is in the midst of a mountain bike trail-building boom. In just the past few years, more than 100 miles of single-track trails have been built in the northeastern corner of the state. And as the trail mileage has grown, so have the number of niche companies that have sprouted up to build them.