 |
Fall
Color Report
Peak Color Projection Sep 15-Oct 1 |
New in 2007 :: State Park Fall Color report provided by the DNR
The Blown Away Report
October 19, 2007 (final report of the season)
It's been wet and windy and the maple hillsides are pretty bare. The best of late autumn is showcased in waterfalls this year. The late season rains have raised river levels to spring-like conditions and waterfall watching is especially glorious.
If the winds continue, include stops along Lake Superior's shore for excellent wave watching. If you're in the woods, the Tamaracks have turned golden are quite pretty.
Enjoy late Autumn!
maps
| Gooseberry Falls State Park report |
updated 16 October |
R E P O R T
Leaves: past peak
Grasses: past peak
Wildflowers: past peak
Current Color:
About 75% of the leaves from the Birch, Mountain Ash and Aspen along the shore have now dropped. The tamaracks are a bright yellow and gold. Inland maples are now standing stark and bare of leaves. Hiking along the river trails still show some yellows and oranges from the birch and aspen with scattered reds from shrubs. Predicted rain over the next two days will remove a lot of the leaves that are left.
Grasses and ferns have completely turned brown.
All flowers are past peak. |
N O T E S
Peak Color Projection:
All trees are now past peak. Along the shore the birch and aspen still have some leaves on the trees. Tamaracks have turned to yellow and gold.
Best Color Viewing: Along river trails
Park Notes:
Berries out this week: only mountain ash berries remain.
Salmon Migration: Some salmon are making their way up stream.
Birds: Several birds migrating along the shore of Lake Superior
Comments: Water will still be on in the Campground for MEA Weekend. Recent rains still have the North Shore streams looking great with lots of water going over the falls. |
| Split Rock Lighthouse State Park report |
updated 10 October |
R E P O R T
Leaves: 90%
Maples are past peak and many are almost bare but birch and aspen are at or a little past peak along the shore. There are still large pockets and ridges of yellow and orange birch and aspen, with a splash of burgundy in the understory.
Grasses: 90%
Grasses are showing uite a bit of yellow, brown and gold tones.
Wildflowers: 100%
Among the wildflowers, asters, fireweed, goldenrod and pearly everlasting are still around.
|
Best Color Viewing:
Along the shoreline of Lake Superior.
Park Notes:
Migratory flocks of birds continue to pass through. Due to all of the recent rains mushrooms are popping up everywhere.
Peak Color Projection:
Inland areas are a week to 10 days past peak. The shoreline areas are just past peak, with lots of falling leaves every day. |
| Tettegouche State Park report |
updated 17 October |
R E P O R T
Leaves: 100%
Grasses: 100% lakeshore is best
Wildflowers: 100%
Current Color:
Sarsaparilla has turned colors, and asters are still colorful. Fireweed, which blooms from the bottom to the top is done blooming on top. The mountain maple are red in spots along the park roads. The ridges away from Lake Superior are bare now. The sugar maples have peaked along Highway 1 near Finland Minnesota and along the ridges. |
Peak Color Projection:
Fall color peak looks like last Weekend!
Best Color Viewing:
Nice color can be seen from the highway and throughout the park.
Park Notes:
The campground continues to be busy. Reservations are encouraged one last weekend for MEA weekend.
Berries are done and acorns are beginning to fall near the Northern red oaks.
Raptors, ducks and geese are migrating in larger numbers during the day. |
| Crosby Manitou State Park report |
updated 17 October |
R E P O R T
Leaves: 100%
Grasses: 100%
Wildflowers: 100%
Current Color:
Sarsaparilla has turned colors, and asters are still colorful. Fireweed, which blooms from the bottom to the top is done blooming on top. The mountain maple are red in spots along the park roads. The ridges away from Lake Superior are bare now. The sugar maples have peaked along Highway 1 near Finland Minnesota and along the ridges. |
Peak Color Projection:
Fall color peak was last weekend!
Best Color Viewing:
Nice color can be seen from the highway and throughout the park.
Park Notes:
Berries are done. Acorns are beginning to fall. Nighthawks are migrating in the evening skies. Raptors and some geese are migrating in larger numbers during the day. |
| Cascade River State Park report |
updated 16 October |
R E P O R T
Leaves: past peak
Grasses: past peak
Wildflowers: past peak
Current Color:
Approximately 90% of leaves are on the ground.
Peak Color Projection:
past peak |
Park Notes:
Deer, grouse and bald eagles have been sighted recently in the park.
There has not been a good salmon run this year. They started running up the river mid-September right before we had large rains. The rains led to a large increase in river flowage, which flushed them out. They have not returned since.
Waterfalls are at high levels right now and are a great sight to see!
Trails are wet with some puddles but are more than passable. Great hikes abound in the park! A half-mile hike will take you around most of the park’s major waterfalls, and is only five minutes away from the main parking area. An eight-mile day hike will take you on a beautiful section of the Superior Hiking Trail that goes up and down the Cascade River. A two-mile hike will take you to and from Lookout Mountain, offering incredible panoramic views of Lake Superior and the Superior National Forest!
|
| Judge Magney State Park report |
updated 17 October |
R E P O R T
Leaves: past peak
Grasses: past peak
Wildflowers: past peak
Current Color:
Frost, fall winds and rain have dramatically changed the landscape. New horizons have opened up through thinning leaves. The ground is covered with golden ochre and myriad shades of umber, sometimes broken up with spots of maroon, orange and red that have yet to fade. There are still flowers for the park visitor to discover, but instead of voluminous patches of color, one settles for a surviving plant or single flower. A recent visitor inventory of wildflowers included: large-leaved aster, pearly everlasting, fleabane, dandelion, evening primrose, ox-eye daisy, yarrow, Canadian hawkweed, and orange hawkweed.
Best Color Viewing:
Tours along Highway 61 reveal sky, lake, and landscapes shaped by fall. These are wide fall views. Closer up, a single brave flower; a stand-out colorful tree with leaves that have not yet succumbed; an early morning strawberry leaf touched by hoar-frost are all good picks. The fall rains have brought the Brule River water levels up; rocks that were seen during summer’s drought have disappeared from view. |
Peak Color Projection:
Most of the color has peaked except for a few hold-outs. Expect the tamarack golds and oranges to peak in most places within a week or two. Most deciduous trees are at peak or past peak; and though leaves are falling, many warm colors still remain.
Park Notes:
Birders and hikers make the trek to the Devil’s Kettle or the self-guided Timberdoodle trail. Camping is available on a first-come, first-served basis. The campground will close for the 2007 season on October 28 and will reopen in May of 2008.
The campground at Judge Magney State Park is rustic with the shower building closed for the year. Sites are available through October 27th on a first-come, first-served basis. The campground will reopen in May of 2008.
|
| Grand Portage State Park report |
updated 16 October |
R E P O R T
Leaves: past peak
Wildflowers: past peak
Current Color:
Leaves overall are past peak color. Most have already fallen to the ground, however some good color remains along Highway 61. About 60% of the leaves have fallen to the ground. The remaining 40% will likely be falling quickly over the next week. Although most of the fall color is gone, don’t let that stop you from making a trip to Grand Portage! High Falls is beautiful no matter what the time of year, and with the fallen leaves comes greatly improved visibility in the forest, making it much easier to spot wildlife.
Peak Color Projection ::
Leaves overall are past their peak color.
Bonus!! Treat yourself to some unbelieveable fall color photos from the area. Photographer Travis Novitsky's work can be seen here.
|
Best Color Viewing:
Along Highway 61 and the Lake Superior shoreline….especially from the scenic overlooks along the highway as you pass over Mt. Josephine on your way to the park. The Mt. Rose and Mt. Josephine hiking trails in the village of Grand Portage make for beautiful hikes right now as the best of the remaining color is in that area.
Park Notes: We have had a couple of moose sightings in the estuary below High Falls and along the picnic trail! Bald Eagles have also been sighted frequently in the treetops along the picnic area trail. Ruffed Grouse sightings are common throughout the park, often startling hikers who are traveling on the Middle Falls trail. Red Squirrel activity along the trails has also been very high as they work diligently on storing food for the winter.
The rain continues to fall and the water level in the Pigeon River is currently significantly higher than average for this time of year. High Falls is basking in high water glory, and is quite possibly even a higher flow than it was this past spring. It’s a great time to come and photograph the falls! On sunny days beautiful rainbows are seen in front of the falls.
|
|
More Activities to Choose From!
|
Here are links to everything you need for your next North Shore visit!
Created and updated on a hill outside of Grand Marais, overlooking Lake Superior by NinaWorks!
All Text, Images and Content Copyright © 2008
NorthShoreVisitor.com / Nina Simonowicz
All Rights Reserved |
|
|
|
