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Roadsides show flashes of fall color

Many park officials report trees displaying early fall color. In general, fall color is progressing throughout the entire state of Minnesota, with the prairie grasses and fall wildflowers nearing peak fall color. Minnesota’s fall color season may occur earlier than usual due to unseasonably cool temperatures throughout much of the state. On average, peak fall color arrives in the northern one-third of the state the middle of September to early October. One exception is the North Shore Drive where trees along Lake Superior turn color a week later than inland trees due to the warming effect of the lake. Bear Head Lake State Park -ElyA few of the maples, paper birch, and quaking aspen are beginning to turn red, orange and yellow. One-quarter of the pin and choke cherry are turning red, and one-half of the spreading dogbane is now yellow. Nearly all of the wildflowers are at full bloom, including yarrow, tansy, brown-eyed Susan, swamp blue asters, greater goldenrod, flat-top asters, pearly everlasting and butterfly weed. All roads and hiking trails are colorful. Visitors will have a chance to see park residents such as the otter family, beavers, muskrats, loons, and pine marten. Please note that the campground is near capacity most weekends, and reservations are recommended. Tettegouche State Park -Silver Bay Roughly 10 percent of the inland maples are now red, orange and yellow. The birch and aspen are showing hints of yellow. Inland forest maples typically reach peak the last week in September. Along the North Shore of Lake Superior, the maples usually reach peak the first or second week of October. Birch and aspen are next to turn. Please note that area State Park campgrounds are full most nights. Gooseberry Falls Two Harbors There is some early color change in the maple trees and just a hint of color in the other trees. The best place to view the emerging fall color is along the river trails. Blooming wildflowers include daisies, pearly everlasting, aster, turtlehead, brown-eyed Susan, sunflower, tansy, fireweed and goldenrod. Some hawks are beginning to migrate. Berries now ripe and ready for picking include raspberries, thimbleberry, Juneberry, rose hips, high-bush cranberries, pin cherries and choke cherries. The campground is filling most nights, and the parking lot is full most weekends, -consider visiting the park during the week. Peak fall color typically occurs the third weekend in September

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