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Minnesota has many wonders to offer this short season and you can start planning day trips to make the most out of it. From apple orchards, pumpkin patches, corn mazes to colorful foliage … our MPR News colleagues hand-picked some of their favorite places and activities from all across the state. You’ll 

This will probably be the pick of half the newsroom! But we've always gone to 

 in Washington County. Nice topography. You can roam around or hop on the tractor-pulled hay wagon. You can sample the apples before you walk in. Our kids are adults now and still love it.

The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum is one of my favorite places to enjoy a relaxing fall afternoon and see all the beautiful fall colors if I can't make it to Duluth! There are so many trails and beautiful gardens to wander through — and many 

 throughout the season! If you're lucky — 

’ Food Truck may be there selling Apple Cider Mini Donuts!

— Ellie Roth, APM Reports investigative intern

Enjoy great hikes and views in Red Wing 

Usually in the fall, I am just getting ready to hunker down and try to stay warm. However, I tend to go to the river down by Red Wing to check out the fall colors — when it's not an election year, that is. 

 has good hiking trails and great views. When I do go, it's just for the day.

My husband and I do have a tradition of going to an apple orchard to pick apples for our anniversary. We go to 

 in Jordan, Minn., and we make apple crisp with them afterwards. We make a whole day out of it. 

We got ourselves a candle from there last year and we burn it to remind ourselves of that orchard every season now. We’ve been to different orchards around southern Minnesota, but I have a feeling we’ll be going back to that one this year. A lot of kids go there too since there’s activities for them.

— Hannah Yang, senior regional reporter 

I do like everything apple: probably my favorite thing about fall. Apple pie, apple crisp, apple cider. Some great orchards in the St. Croix River valley are 

I do like fall foliage, just not the change in weather. A great place to see fall foliage is probably not much of a secret: 

 on the North Shore is a little hike but great view of both Lake Superior and the inland side of “the mountains:” you can see how the microclimates of Lake Superior work, colors turn much sooner inland without the modifying effect of Lake Superior on the lake side of the hills.

Visit the spooky and mesmerizing Fargo-Moorhead

OK, so I'm new-ish to Fargo-Moorhead which means I have to go to every. Fall. Thing.

 stood out to me because I crave all things terrifying. There's the Insane Clown Room and Dark Maze with some other spooky-sounding themes, $22 a pop. It starts Sept. 22 and runs through Halloween.

in Moorhead is on Sept. 23-24. I'm talkin' barrel train rides, a pumpkin sale and crafts. $15/family and all proceeds go toward local folks with disabilities.

 in Glyndon, Minn., opening that same weekend through Oct. 29. Read: petting zoo and duck races. $6 a person.

One more! Speaking of Buffalo River, its state park has been gorgeous each time I've ventured there. Locals say the fall colors there are spectacular (bonus: if you count the water's reflection, that's two times the pretty colors.) Send photos if you go. Here are 

— Amy Felegy, associate digital producer

Biking and hiking at the Minnesota River bottoms

One of my favorite places to enjoy fall is the network of natural-surface trails along the Minnesota River bottoms between Mendota and Bloomington, Minn. Sinewy braids of single track weave through the flood plains, perfect for exploring by biking and hiking. 

Though the exact route can change due to flooding and other natural forces, you can find a patchwork map of the existing trails 

 and at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services website 

. Trail conditions vary by season, but members of a 

Hidden treasures in central and southwest Minnesota

Where I currently live in the St. Cloud area, I like to visit 

 for a hike. There are lots of great trails to stroll by the changing leaves and take in the fall colors. And after your hike, it's just a short drive to 

 in St. Joseph, Minn., where you can reward yourself with a refreshing fall beverage.

Back in southwest Minnesota, where I grew up, one of my favorite places to visit (and another quarry!) is 

. It's not just fall leaves here — beautiful wild flowers and the changing colors in the monument's Tallgrass Prairie also offer fun fall sights.

This will be my third fall in Minnesota and I never enjoyed the season that much until I moved here. I am still amazed by the colorful midwestern foliage and one of my favorite places to enjoy it is in northern Minnesota. 

In 2022, my husband and our best friends went on a day trip up north from the Twin Cities. We started our day bright and early, had a gigantic and delicious brunch at 

 in Duluth and then had a great time at Gooseberry Falls State Park in Two Harbors, Minn. We did some trekking, took great photos of the landscape and watched the sunset at Lake Superior’s shore. A hundred percent recommended.

— Nicole Johnson, assistant digital producer

With this map, you can easily locate all of these great recommendations in one place. Scroll in, and out, pick your favorite and plan your adventure. 

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Discover the best fall activities in Minnesota, from apple orchards to pumpkin patches and corn mazes. Plan your day trips now to make the most of your autumn. MPR News staff share their favorite places and activities from all across the state.

Ben Hovland | MPR News 2022

Huttner, Paul

Fall leaves brighten the ridges of Minnesota's North Shore

Andrew Krueger | MPR News

Courtesy of Ben Hovland

Piles of rocks throughout Quarry Park and Nature Preserve

Where to embrace the charm of fall in Minnesota

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