Visit A Minnesota State Park To Watch Beautiful Waterfalls And Changing Leaves

Gooseberry Falls State Park may get overlooked for some of the other high-visibility, must-visit destinations along the Great Lakes. However, visitors to this Minnesota state park — tucked along the shoreline on the western end of Lake Superior — can watch beautiful waterfalls and admire a kaleidoscope of changing leaves in autumn. Additionally, the park affords outdoor enthusiasts the opportunity to pursue a variety of activities such as hiking, birding, nature watching, fishing, cross-country skiing, and camping.

Located less than an hour to the northeast of Duluth on the lake's north shore, Gooseberry Falls State Park is situated along the Lake Superior Circle Tour road trip route. Visitors hoping to catch a glimpse of the fall color palette painting the landscape should look at visiting between late September and October. To ensure they hit the prime time, leaf peepers can keep up with the progression of the fall foliage on the Fall Color Map maintained by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. It is important to monitor the map as different areas in northern Minnesota — even those adjacent to Gooseberry Falls State Park — see their leaf colors changing at drastically different rates.

While autumn's leaves are stunning, Gooseberry Falls State Park features multiple waterfalls that are really the main attraction year-round. However, the falls tend to be most dramatic during both the spring, when runoff increases the flow of Gooseberry River, and the aforementioned fall season, when colorful leaves bracket the waterway. The Upper and Middle Falls can be seen from the road bridge and Gitchi-Gami State Trail as they cross over the river. The Lower Falls is just downstream from the Middle Falls, while the Fifth Falls area is upstream of the Upper Falls.

An accessible trail leads to the main falls area between the Middle and Upper Falls. From there, visitors can utilize various sections of the 20 miles of hiking and 15 miles of biking trails within the park to view each of the falls, as well as the lake shore. The Riverview and Gitchi Gummi trails take hikers past the Middle and Lower Falls, while the Fifth Falls Trail winds past the Upper Falls and Fifth Falls. There are relatively few creatures to beware of when adventuring in the Great Lakes region. However, black bears are found within Gooseberry Falls State Park, so it's not a bad idea to carry bear spray and know how to use it.

Those interested in overnighting at Gooseberry Falls State Park have a few options. The campground has about 6 dozen sites for tents and RVs up to 40 feet. There are also three group tent camping sites that can hold groups as large as 50 people. None of the sites has electricity, and reservations should be made online ahead of time. As fall moves into winter, a few tent sites and vault toilets remain available for cross-country skiers and snowmobilers.