Fall Foliage Trip Suggestions - IA, MN, or WI

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khardbored

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Oct 20, 2012
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Middle of the Midwest
Family has some time off the week of Oct. 16-22. We'd like to head a little north from the DSM area to see some Fall Foliage.

Per the national foliage map, it would be peak at that time in NE Iowa, SE Minnesota, and SW Wisconsin.

What are some national/state parks, cool outdoor locations we should consider for a 2 or 3 day trip in that area you might recommend? Wife, myself, and 2 Jr. High age boys. We are OK with some limited hiking (a mile or two) & climbing, but we're not master outdoorsmen. We're staying in motels! ;) We'd like to stay within a 6 or so hour drive of Des Moines.

Also, if you had general recommendations of places the boys might like in that area, I'd take those suggestions, too!

Screenshot 2022-10-03 10.06.27 AM (1).png
(The area circled would be the best bet for that week)
 

isucy86

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Apr 13, 2006
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Dubuque
One area you might check out is the Marquette/Prairie du Chien area. Yellow River & Pikes Peak State Parks on the Iowa side and Wyalusing State Park on Wisconsin side for hiking. Effigy Mounds is just north of Marquette.

Can also head up to Gays Mill area about 45 minutes NE of Prairie du Chien and hit up apple country.
 

BoxsterCy

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Sep 14, 2009
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Minnesota
One area you might check out is the Marquette/Prairie du Chien area. Yellow River & Pikes Peak State Parks on the Iowa side and Wyalusing State Park on Wisconsin side for hiking. Effigy Mounds is just north of Marquette.

Can also head up to Gays Mill area about 45 minutes NE of Prairie du Chien and hit up apple country.

A note on Wyalusing, a day pass for a vehicle is $11 and the view of the valley can be into the low fall afternoon sun. With the price of fuel $11 isn't that much but since Iowa state parks don't charge it can come as a surprise. Pikes Peak is better for fall color viewing IMHO.
 

Al_4_State

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Stay in Decorah.

If you want a beautiful short (but not too short) hike, go to Coldwater Spring State Preserve between Cresco and Bluffton. Park at the west lot, and follow the trail across the creek (wear shoes or boots that can get wet) and follow the trail to the mouth of the cave. Possibly the most beautiful place in Iowa.

Yellow River Forest is excellent, and I also love Beaver Creek Valley State Park in Caledonia MN.
 

DeereClone

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Nov 16, 2009
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Breitbach's in Balltown for a meal and looking over the river. (take the River road from Balltown north to Pikes Peak)

Pikes Peak State Park for river views and some light hiking.

Prairie Du Chien - Stark's, Cabela's, some shopping for the wife.

Gays Mills - Apple Orchards

La Crosse - fun place to stay for a night with good restaurants, hotels, bars

Lanesboro MN area - good bike trails if you like that. More bed and breakfast places to stay vs hotels.

I'm sure the Galena area is fun in the fall but I have never been there this time of year so can't say for sure.
 
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madguy30

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Nov 15, 2011
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If you do WI, Viroqua is a good home base with some nice places to eat.

30ish minutes in about any direction would put you in the middle of good sights. I'd guess the Kickapoo Valley Reserve is very nice for it.
 
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KidSilverhair

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Lanesboro is incredibly picturesque - just the way the town is laid out, the river with a waterfall, bike/hiking trails along the river …

My wife and I lived in Rochester for three years in the late 80s-early 90s and never got there. We took a weekend road trip up that way in 2020 and were gobsmacked that we never visited before.

Another vote for Yellow River State Forest - it’s amazing this time of year.

In fact, our whole 2020 weekend trip was right in the area you marked on your map. We drove up to Rochester to visit some old haunts and stayed over Saturday night - then Sunday we headed east through Lanesboro .. I think maybe we just stayed on Highway 16 all the way to the Mississippi (however we went, the views and foliage were spectacular), then took the Great River Road south through Lansing to Harpers Ferry (through Yellow River State Forest) and I think all the way to Guttenberg before heading back to CR.
 

Al_4_State

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If you really want a unique and stunning leaf viewing experience, I’d recommend floating the Upper Iowa. Use White’s in Bluffton. If you only wanted to spend an hour or two on the River, you could do that Chimney Rock bridge to Bluffton stretch.
 

Kinch

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Sep 19, 2021
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Keep your options open. colder weather earlier than usual has the trees just starting to turn in SE Iowa.
 
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Kinch

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Lots of great sugar maple trees in ne Iowa, which have some of be most vibrant colors.
 
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MNCYWX

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Feb 7, 2010
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Circled area is up in my neck of the woods.

Lanesboro, as mentioned, is a must Spring-Fall. Lots of trails, fishing, river tubing/kayaking and many shops/stores. Mystery Cave and Niagara Cave aren't too far away. So much to do there.

Decorah is well worth it with some good eats and Goliath and Pulpit Breweries.

Winona is a fun town with a fantastic farm to table upscale restaurant, Nosh Scratch Kitchen, and Island City Brewery too. Lots of history being a river town too. Sugar Loaf is a good hike too.

La Crosse has a vibrant downtown. Just missed Octoberfest though.

Whitewater State Park and nearby Elba Fire Tower offer some great hiking through the color with some good views and some nice vertical climb. All mentioned are rather picturesque.

Rochester has some unique and upscale restaurants if that is your thing and hotels but no need to go out of your way.

Really... if you're looking for great fall color, just drive up the Mississippi River Valley Bluffs. There will be no shortage. I'd guess peak color would be around Oct 15th based on how the trends are going now.
 

Kinch

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Sep 19, 2021
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Circled area is up in my neck of the woods.

Lanesboro, as mentioned, is a must Spring-Fall. Lots of trails, fishing, river tubing/kayaking and many shops/stores. Mystery Cave and Niagara Cave aren't too far away. So much to do there.

Decorah is well worth it with some good eats and Goliath and Pulpit Breweries.

Winona is a fun town with a fantastic farm to table upscale restaurant, Nosh Scratch Kitchen, and Island City Brewery too. Lots of history being a river town too. Sugar Loaf is a good hike too.

La Crosse has a vibrant downtown. Just missed Octoberfest though.

Whitewater State Park and nearby Elba Fire Tower offer some great hiking through the color with some good views and some nice vertical climb. All mentioned are rather picturesque.

Rochester has some unique and upscale restaurants if that is your thing and hotels but no need to go out of your way.

Really... if you're looking for great fall color, just drive up the Mississippi River Valley Bluffs. There will be no shortage. I'd guess peak color would be around Oct 15th based on how the trends are going now.
I love to go to Mabes. Also Beaver Creek Valley State Park just across the border is a fun place to tent camp.
 
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