Plan a Cool Fall Drive With Minnesota DNR Fall Color Finder

One of the best parts about fall here in Minnesota is the brilliant orange, yellow and red colors to which the leaves change each year. And now the Minnesota DNR has an easy way to make sure you don't miss them. 

With the Fall Color Finder, available at the Minnesota DNR website (find it HERE), you can see current fall color conditions from various points across the Land of 10,000 Lakes-- and estimates of when a particular area will be at peak color.

The sight includes fall color reports from state parks, plus and interactive map that illustrates where the color is peaking, as well as a calendar of events, and a place for you to share your own fall color photos-- and check out photos other Minnesotans have uploaded, as well.

It even has a section on what causes the leaves to change color each year, and what effect the weather can have on fall colors. All of which should give you a great idea of where to go to 'fell the wow of fall' here in Minnesota.

Because there's nothing more disappointing than heading out to check out the brilliant fall colors, only to find that the leaves have already fallen and the Minnesota countryside is bathed in its winter shades of grey and brown. (Which happened to my wife and I a few years ago. On a drive to Lake City, we were apparently a few days late, because all the way-cool fall colors had already vanished. If only we'd known about the Fall Color Finder!)