Best Places to See Fall Colors in the South Metro (+ When They Peak)

TL;DR: Fall colors usually peak in the Twin Cities around mid-October, and peak only lasts about a week. You don't need to drive to the North Shore. Our top 5 free spots are Schaar's Bluff (Hastings), Lebanon Hills (Eagan), Murphy-Hanrehan (Savage), Vermillion Falls (Hastings) and Miesville Ravine (near Cannon Falls). Want more? Keep scrolling for 5 bonus spots and two scenic drives.

Every year we see the same posts. "Driving up the North Shore this weekend!" Hours in the car each way. Bumper to bumper the whole drive.

Here's the thing. Some of the best fall color in Minnesota is 20 minutes from your house.

When do fall colors peak in the south metro?

Short answer: mid-October, give or take a week.

Colors start up north and roll southeast. As of Oct. 1, the DNR's fall color map had northern Minnesota at 50 to 75% of peak, and the St. Cloud area was only at 10 to 25%. The metro is a little behind that.

Peak has been showing up later over the years, too. About 50 years ago, the metro usually peaked in late September. Now it's usually mid-October, and last year it didn't hit until late October.

Two things to know for 2026:

• Peak is short. Most spots only look their best for about a week. When you see color, go.
• The drought could change things. This was a hot, dry summer. The DNR says the area southeast of the Twin Cities (that includes Hastings) may have duller colors that drop sooner than usual.

Our tip: check the DNR Fall Color Finder on Thursday and plan your weekend from there.

The top 5 (all free)

1. Schaar's Bluff, Hastings

📍 8395 127th St. E, Hastings (off Highway 55, west of town) 💲 Free. No parking permit needed.

This is the one. Schaar's Bluff is part of Dakota County's Spring Lake Park Reserve, and the trail runs right along the top of a bluff above the Mississippi River. The river gets really wide here (it's called Spring Lake), so the overlooks feel huge.

• A little over 3 miles of mostly dirt trail, with a paved trail that keeps going for about 3.5 miles
• Several overlooks of the river
• Picnic area with big shade trees, which is perfect for a fall picnic

Heads up: parts of the trail run right along the cliff edge, and there's no fence in spots. Keep kids and dogs close.

👉 More from Hastings

2. Lebanon Hills Regional Park, Eagan

📍 Visitor center: 860 Cliff Rd., Eagan 💲 Free entry and parking

Lebanon Hills is Dakota County's biggest park at almost 2,000 acres. It sits right between Eagan and Apple Valley and has a ton of lakes and ponds, oak savanna, prairie and woods.

• Easy pick: the Jensen Lake loop. It's about 2.2 miles all the way around the lake, with a few boardwalks and small hills. Start from the Jensen Lake trailhead off Pilot Knob Road, not the visitor center.
• Longer pick: the Voyageur trail, a 5.3-mile loop through aspen, oak savanna, prairie and marsh.
• Lots of oak here, and oaks tend to turn later and hold their color longer, so this is a good one for late October too.

Want to see the visitor center? It has nature displays and a cool moss-covered roof.

👉 More from Eagan

3. Murphy-Hanrehan Park Reserve, Savage

📍 15501 Murphy Lake Rd., Savage 💲 Free. Three Rivers parks are free to enter and free to park.

If you want a real hike, go here. Murphy-Hanrehan is hilly, with glacial ridges and thick forest. It has over 21 miles of hiking-only trails, and loops run from a quarter mile up to about 6 miles.

• Three Rivers says the southern half of the park has the best fall color.
• Park at the trailhead on Murphy Lake Road near Hanrehan Lake Boulevard.
• Wear real shoes. The hills are no joke.

It's also one of the best spots in the Twin Cities for songbirds. The Audubon Society calls it an Important Bird Area.

👉 More from Savage

4. Vermillion Falls, Hastings

📍 Off Highway 61 on 21st St. E in Hastings, where Highway 61 crosses the Vermillion River 💲 Free

A 35-foot waterfall right in town, on the south side of Hastings. You can park, walk over and see it in two minutes.

• The observation deck looks straight down on the falls.
• A working flour mill sits right above the falls, and people have been milling here since the 1850s. Follow the trail east along the gorge to Old Mill Park, where the stone pillars from an 1856 mill are still standing.
• There's also a pedestrian bridge over the gorge.
• The gorge has trees on both sides, so fall color plus the waterfall makes for a great photo.

This is the easiest spot on the list for little kids or anyone who doesn't want to hike.

While you're in Hastings, check out Point Douglas, the ghost town right next door.

5. Miesville Ravine Park Reserve, near Cannon Falls

📍 27970 Orlando Trail, Cannon Falls 💲 Free

Most people have never heard of this one, and that's the best part. Miesville Ravine is about 1,600 acres of deep ravines, oak and maple forest, and bluff prairie in the Cannon River valley. Trout Brook runs through the whole park, and the DNR lists the entire stream as trout water.

• A little over 2 miles of hiking trail
• Way fewer people than the bigger parks
• Oaks and maples mean lots of orange and red

It's about 20 minutes south of Hastings, so you can pair it with Vermillion Falls on the same afternoon.

5 bonus spots

These are worth the trip too. A couple of them cost a few bucks.

Whitetail Woods Regional Park, Farmington. 17100 Station Trail. Free, open 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Has a nature play area for kids and camper cabins if you want to stay overnight. More from Farmington.

Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge, Bloomington and Burnsville. The Bluff Trail (9551 Old Cedar Ave. S, Bloomington) is almost 5 miles through wooded hills and springs. For a quick one, the Hillside Trail at the visitor center (3815 American Blvd. E) is less than half a mile and has an overlook platform. No entrance fee.

Fort Snelling State Park, St. Paul. The 3-mile loop on Pike Island goes through floodplain forest right where the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers meet. You'll need a state park permit: $7 for the day or $35 for the year.

Afton State Park, near Afton. River bluffs, prairie and sandy riverbanks on the St. Croix, about 20 minutes north of Hastings. Same $7 state park permit.

Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, Chaska. 18 kinds of maple trees and a 3-mile scenic drive you can do from your car. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the gate for ages 16 and up. Kids 15 and under get in free. Buy ahead, because they can sell out.

2 scenic drives

Highway 61 from Hastings to Red Wing. About 30 minutes down the Mississippi River valley. When you get to Red Wing, hike up Barn Bluff for a view over the town, the river and the forests. The DNR says color around Red Wing usually peaks mid- to late October, a little after the metro, so this is a good one for later in the month.

County Road 6 along the Minnesota River, Belle Plaine to Henderson. Yellow and gold hardwoods along the river valley, with small towns along the way. Want to keep going? Highway 93 takes you to Le Sueur.

Tips before you go

• Go early or go on a weekday. The popular spots fill up on peak weekends.
• Sunny days look best. The bright reds need sunny days and cool nights. Cloudy days still work, but the colors pop more in the sun.
• Check the color map Thursday night. The DNR Fall Color Finder updates through the end of October.
• Make a day of it. Pair a hike with lunch in downtown Hastings, or a stop at an orchard. Speaking of orchards, here's the story of Carpenter Nature Center's apple orchard.

Looking for more to do this fall? Check out outdoor recreation and seasonal events in the south metro.

Top photo: Lebanon Hills Regional Park by Joe Passe, CC BY-SA 2.0.