How to Plan a Fall Vacation to Duluth, Minnesota
Situated on a hill overlooking Lake Superior, Duluth, Minnesota offers fine dining and shopping experiences, as well as ample opportunity to get outside and enjoy nature. Many attractions are open year round, and fall is a great time to come visit and take advantage of the off-season rates and smaller crowds.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
Find a hotel. Many tourists choose to stay in the Canal Park neighborhood, a former industrial district that has been revitalized and now hosts many restaurants, shops, art galleries and more. Canal Park offers easy access to downtown, the Lakewalk, the Aerial Lift Bridge and Park Point Recreation Area, and many hotel rooms boast stunning views of Lake Superior. Hotel rates usually drop considerably after Labor Day.
-
2
Prepare for the weather. Autumn temperatures in the northland can range all the way from the eighties to below freezing (ask locals about the Halloween blizzard a few years back). Throughout most of September and October, however, the weather is usually crisp and pleasant, with temperatures in the fifties and sixties.
-
-
3
Drive along Skyline Parkway, a scenic road that traverses the city's hilltop, for breathtaking views of the lake, city and harbor. Skyline Parkway is also an excellent place to see the leaves turning color. Fall colors are usually at their peak in the northland around the first week of October.
-
4
Duluth is a great place to go birdwatching, especially in the fall when the birds are migrating south. Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory, located high above the eastern edge of town, has trained naturalists on site every day through September and October to help you identify birds and learn about their role in the ecosystem. You might even get the chance to see some of the raptors up close and personal when the Hawk Ridge staff releases them after banding. Near the end of September is Hawk Weekend, which offers interpretive programs, banding demonstrations and field trips.
-
5
With over 100,000 acres of green space within city limits, Duluth is a dream town for outdoor lovers. Take a hike through one of the city's dozens of parks, look for late-blooming wildflowers like asters and goldenrod, view beautiful waterfalls, pick wild apples and watch birds and other wildlife.
-
6
Visit during October, and get the pants scared off of you on the William A. Irvin Ship of Ghouls, a haunted ore carrier. Not for the faint of heart!
-
7
Many popular tourist attractions are open year-round, but with limited hours outside of the busy summer season. You can touch sting rays, watch otters play, and see sturgeon, eels and other freshwater fish up close at the Great Lakes Aquarium. Visit tigers, kangaroos, bears and monkeys at the Lake Superior Zoo. Take a tour of the harbor on the Vista Fleet Sightseeing Cruise. See the city or go up the shore to Two Harbors on the North Shore Scenic Railroad. Step back in time at Glensheen, a Jacobean Revival mansion nestled in a 7.6 acre wooded estate on the shores of Lake Superior. View fine art at the Tweed Art Museum or at the Duluth Art Institute.
-
1
Resources
- Photo Credit Sonya Welter
