Yellow flashes, but best fall color is yet to come

Sep. 9—There are a few flashes of yellow, but overall peak fall colors are weeks out yet, experts say.

"Just a few are starting," said Ashley Steevens, park manager at Minneopa State Park near Mankato. "We're starting to see a few now. I tell people to check the fall color finder as that's updated weekly and can give people the most updated information."

She's referencing a Minnesota Department of Resources guide to fall colors, which can be found online at DNR.state.mn.us/fall_colors/index.html and is your handiest tool in planning where and when to spot prime fall colors in the Mankato region and beyond.

"They're definitely starting to turn," said Ashlee White of Visit Mankato. "Normally we're seeing colors later in September to mid-October, but the DNR says we're about 0 to 10% turned so far. You can go online to get an idea of where to check out colors. It's a cool tool."

Numerous people drive through what's known as the Minnesota Scenic River Valley Byway, White said. Folks come both just to see the colors as well as participate in a variety of fun events.

"I would say still plan for late September to early- to mid-October for peak colors," she said.

One of her favorite Mankato-area spots for viewing fall colors is Red Jacket Valley Park, with the trestle giving an aerial look over the Le Sueur River, doubling as a gorgeous location for a sunset view, she said.

Or trek to North Mankato, which has a scenic overlook on Lookout Drive. Bluff Park in North Mankato also promises pretty overlooks for fall color viewing, White said.

"I would also suggest Minneopa State Park," White said. "You've got the bison and there's a stunning overlook there. You get gorgeous fall colors and the opportunity to see the bison herd. It's a really cool and fun drive to get there, too. It's picturesque the whole way through."

Steevens, park manager at Minneopa, of course agreed, saying her state park is home to 250,000 visitors annually. It's anyone's guess how many of those are visiting in the fall.

"Minneopa is a beautiful setting for fall colors," Steevens said. "We have two sides to our park. We have our side with the waterfall, which is very hard wooded. It's a beautiful location for those fall colors and seeing the trees. Then we go over to the other side of the park, with open prairie and a mix of hardwoods, and the bluff line that overlooks the Minnesota River Valley."

She recommends Minneopa also because of what she calls a "phased fall color effect," whereby different parts of the park are changing colors at different times in the fall season.

"We have a lot of those low-land species in there, which are changing color a bit sooner," Steevens said. "And then in the later part of fall, the oaks are starting to change colors. We have an extended fall color season because of the different species."

But if you're choosing just one time to visit the state park, she steers you toward late September or early October "to really start to see good fall color. The best thing people can do is monitor the DNR fall color report. It's updated mid-week for those making weekend plans."

Among the Mankato area's fall events that droves turn out for is the Mankato Marathon, which is scheduled for Oct. 20-21 with a 5k, 10k, half marathon and full. Another popular event that draws a crowd is the Mankato River Ramble on Oct. 8.

"Everything starts and ends at the Land of Memories," said Jodi Erickson, a River Ramble organizer. "Because of the beauty we have here in town, we like to showcase it. A lot of people don't know of the trails we have around here, so that's one reason we do the River Ramble is to get people out on their bicycle and get a different view of Mankato."

Erickson hopes we get a bit more moisture this fall, so the leaves stay on the trees until at least the first weekend of October. "Last year they were absolutely gorgeous," she said. "And we're predicting another year of great fall colors while people are riding on the trails or on the road."

White said that in this area, you can't go wrong with where you choose to take in the fall splendor.

"Where we're nestled in our scenic river valley, there's really no bad location to check out fall colors," she said. "It's easy to drive around and check out different areas. On top of that, there's so many fun activities so you can combine scenery and beauty with a lot going on."