Tour Preview

Hike the Lost 40 this fall for the perfect chance to break away from the fast-paced summer and just enjoy a quiet hike in the old growth forest. Watch for purple flowers of large-leaf aster and bits of fall color among those tall pines.

Looking for a great autumn picnic spot? Sit here next to the old Ranger Station along Little Cut Foot Sioux Lake and imagine the life of the early rangers. Listen for the last calls of the loons and enjoy the fall colors along the lake.

Autumn hiking at it's best! We can't think of a better time to hike along the North Country trail than September and October.

Surround yourself with the colors of sugar maples, red oaks, quaking aspen and paper birch. In early fall, take in the purple and gold of wildflowers along the trail. Purple asters and goldenrod mix with pink-red rose hips and winding grape-vine.

Another of our favorite autumn picnic spots---sit under the big CCC-built log picnic shelter and enjoy the Camp scene. Take a self-guided tour around the outside of the buildings and enjoy the fall air.

Joyce Estate is definitely at the top of our list for fall hikes. Just the drive to the site along the Edge of the Wilderness National Scenic Byway makes the trip. Now imagine hiking through the fall colors of the boreal forest.....aspen, birch, maple leaves in full color around you.

Take the time to visit the site. It's 1 1/2 miles from the north trail head through that autumn Forest. Don't forget to bring your picnic lunch along so you can snack and enjoy the view from the historic log cabins along Trout Lake.

Norway Beach in the Off-Season

Norway Beach is known for tall pines, but visitors are often surprised by the amount of maple, birch and aspen colors found in the area.

The off-season at Norway Beach is a great time to stop by for lunch in the log picnic shelter and a bike ride along the paved Migizi trail. (The Migizi starts near the boat landing and is also a wonderful trail for a short hike in the autumn.)

Campers can pull up to a site at the Chippewa loop which is open until September 24. (The Cass, Norway and Wanaki Loops close for the season on Labor Day.)

Get the cameras ready for some wonderful fall color!

Shingobee Hills: A stunning fall overlook and year round recreation fun.

Shingobee Hills is best known as a winter downhill sledding and cross-country skiing area, but the fall color panaromic view from the top of the sledding hill draws visitors in the fall.

Start with the big view, and then venture down the Shingobee Trail. Enjoy the 8-mile looping trail through the colorful autumn forest, or continue on your trek by connecting with the North country National Scenic Trail.

Grouse-hunters also enjoying hiking the Shingobee trail, so always good to wear orange anytime your are hiking in the fall.

Recreation Lake is a nice stop along the trail, and many continue the walk over to the bridge on the Shingobee River. Nice easy hike.

• The Forest Supervisor's Office in on the National Register of Historic Sites. Built in 1936 by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Company 705, it continues to be utilized as the main headquarters for the Chippewa National Forest.

• Look for: Crews traced, notched and grooved each log by hand, under the guidance of Ike Boekenoogen, a master craftsman. Each layer of logs was tightly fit and required no chinking or nailing.

• Look for: 16,000 lineal feet of red pine logs, each 10-16 inches in diameter used for outer walls and partitions. Heavy wooden pegs set into drilled holes allowed the logs to settle without shifting.

• Look for: Hand-hammered ironwork on the doors and hinges. Gnarled frost-cracked maple stair rails add even more character to the interior of this log building. Walk up the hand-hewn split log steps to take in the glacial boulder fireplace.

• Look for: The split and matched boulders that make up the 50-foot fireplace in the center of the building. Measuring 14 x 14 feet at the base, the fireplace tapers to 10 x 10 at the top. It is made from 265 tons of rock. Nels Bergley of Walker, Minn. was the designer and builder.

• Look for: the rock in the fireplace that is shaped like a Forest Service shield.

Cut Foot Fall Camping : There are five area developed campgrounds open in the fall, including One-gume, East Seeleye and NorthDeer Lake (all open until 10/14), the Cut Foot Sioux Horse Camp (open to 10/22) and South Deer Lake campground (open to 11/14).

Looking for a more primitive experience? Ask about the backcountry, or dispersed, camping opportunities in the area. Visitors can access these sites via car, trail, boat, or paddle!

Fall Drives: Travel up Highway 46 along the Avenue of the Pines. There are a number of great stops along the way, including the Zon Memorial Site (part of the Cut Foot Experimental Forest) and the CCC Camp off Forest Road 2171 (Horse Camp Road).

Stop at the Continental Divide Wayside Rest just six miles north of the Cut Foot Sioux Visitor Center. Hike 1.5 miles to the Farley Hill Lookout Tower along a glacial esker. (Tower is not open to climb) Enjoy autumn at Cut Foot Sioux!

Best Fall Color Campground

• Stony Point Campground is our pick for best fall color campsite. The rocky shoreline and maple forest provide a full-color show in September and October.

• Just the drive in to Stony Point is enough to give you a moment to pause and appreciate the season! The trees form a canopy of color of the road in to Stony Point Campground.

• Learn your maples! Sugar maple, red maple and even the box elder (in maple family) provide the stunning fall color in the campground and along the trail.

• The Big Lake: Stony Point juts out into Leech Lake, the third largest lake in the state. It is 103,039 acres with 232 miles of shoreline. Average depth of the lake is 18 feet and is 150 feet at the deepest spot.

• Spend time at Stony Point and you will notice a lot of fishing boats anchored just off the point. The lake is well-known for walleye and muskie fishing, and DNR reports show 44 different fish species (includes minnows, shiners, etc).

• Tree Tales: Look for the remnants of elm trees in the campground--signs of the impact of Dutch-elm disease in the 70's.. Look for signs of old maple-sugar camps as you hike the trail.