Minneapolis is a nature lover's paradise year-round, thanks to its abundance of outdoor activities enjoyed by locals and visitors alike. Visiting Minneapolis in fall is one of the best times to experience the bounty this region has to offer, and Minnesota fall foliage is second to none! Whether you're exploring the changing leaves in the city's parks, enjoying crisp mornings at the lakes, or immersing yourself in our arts and sports culture, Minneapolis offers endless opportunities for outdoor adventures in the fall. Follow along with this fun three-day autumn itinerary, and you'll experience the best outdoor attractions Minneapolis offers while creating unforgettable memories in the fresh fall air. Prepare for a fantastic adventure with local sports, waterfalls, coffee, picnics, and more!

Three days of outdoor adventures are sure to tire you out with all the fun things we've got planned. Choose from these comfortable and nearby hotels to round out your stay in Minneapolis:

• Element Minneapolis Downtown: A great stay for exploring the North Loop neighborhood and Warehouse District, nearby the light rail and Target Field.
  
• Hewing Hotel: An upscale boutique hotel with a rooftop terrace offering a bar, a sauna and a heated pool.
• Radisson RED: A vibrant, contemporary hotel in Downtown East, just a short walk from the light rail station, the Mill City Farmers Market and many other Minneapolis landmarks.
  

Start your first fall day at one of Minneapolis' cozy cafes for a delightful cup of locally-roasted coffee and mouthwatering pastries. Try one of Gray Fox Coffee's three downtown locations for a unique seasonal latte spruced up with housemade concoctions—like maple spice syrup or cashew creme drizzle—or stop into North Loop's Backstory Coffee Roasters for a fall-fruited sweet danish and a cup of their featured brew. Once you're well-provisioned (and caffeinated), take your second coffee to go and head to the world-renowned Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. Explore the monumental artistic marvels, including the iconic Spoonbridge and Cherry sculpture, set against the backdrop of red, orange, and yellow fall foliage.

Once you've snapped oodles of selfies in front of the sculptures, take the blue and yellow Irene Hixon Whitney Bridge from the eastern edge of the garden over to neighboring Loring Park. There you'll be able to spy turtles basking in the pond, enjoy the children's play area, and let your four-legged friend off leash at the dog park. After working up an explorer's appetite, grab lunch without heading indoors at one of Minneapolis's restaurants featuring all-season patios. The Butcher's Tale offers a seasonal patio and year-round heated beer garden along with house-smoked meats, and laid-back Lago Tacos in Uptown features a fire pit and firecracker shrimp tacos on their great all-weather patio.

We couldn't mention things to do outside in Minneapolis without suggesting you catch a Minnesota Twins game at Target Field (with regular home games stretching into late September) when you're ready to take a seat but stay outdoors. The open-air baseball stadium is exposed to the elements, so bring plenty of sunscreen and cozy blankets, weather depending! No matter the fall temperature, you won't go hungry thanks to Target Field's epic concessions offerings featuring local flavors like Kramarczuk's sausage, Red Cow's bacon burger sliders, Mac's fish and chips, and fresh pies from Pizza Lucé. If college football is more your speed, enjoy a Minnesota Gophers game at the outdoor Huntington Bank Stadium located on the University of Minnesota Campus. Home games are scheduled through late November!

If you’re more of a farm lover than a sports fan, head to a local orchard for some apple picking, fresh cider donuts, pumpkin patches, petting zoos, hay rides, and corn mazes for that quintessential Upper Midwest fall feeling. There are dozens of apple orchards within a short drive of Minneapolis—some of our favorites include Afton Apple Orchard in Hastings, Fall Harvest Orchard in Delano, and Pine Tree Apple Orchard in White Bear Lake. At most regional orchards, fall festivities begin in late August/early September and last all season long.

Apple lovers will also delight in the offerings at the University of Minnesota AppleHouse, located near the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum about 30 minutes from downtown. Known as the home of the Honeycrisp (which was developed in the late 70s by UMN’s Horticultural Research Center), the AppleHouse is the place to go to be among the first to sample little-known and brand new varieties from the university’s research orchards.

After the day’s activities, enjoy a nightcap Old Fashioned at Hewing Hotel's year-round rooftop lounge, complete with outdoor seating, fire pits, and stunning views of the Minneapolis skyline decked out with fall leaves.

Kick off your second day of autumnal outdoor activities in Minneapolis with coffee and a house-baked seasonal scone from Fireroast Coffee and Wine, followed by a leisurely round of golf at the public Hiawatha Golf Club. This picturesque 18-hole gem was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2023 to honor its place as the first golf course in the upper Midwest to admit Black golfers (in the late 1930s). Local tip: rental clubs and carts are available, and you can easily book a tee time and keep the game's score on the Play Golf Minneapolis app.

After your game, enjoy a classic Minneapolis brunch outdoors on the patio at Guavas Cuban Cafe or the Tipsy Steer Hiawatha before exploring Minnehaha Regional Park. In addition to providing plenty of natural photo ops in front of its namesake 53-foot waterfall, Minnehaha Falls, the park also hosts a free disc golf course, several playgrounds, historical sites and statues, surrey and bike rentals, a riverfront dog park, and several public gardens that bloom well into fall. You could spend a whole day gazing into the falls surrounded by autumn foliage or strolling through the park (and we've got the to-do list to prove it), but if you're hankering for more outdoor things to do in Minneapolis, it's time to head to nearby Lake Nokomis.

You can reach Lake Nokomis from Minnehaha Falls by foot or bike along Minnehaha Creek for even more quintessential fall Minneapolis outdoor fun. Enjoy the lake's pickleball court, playground, fishing piers, certified Monarch Waystation garden, and nearly three miles of walking and biking paths. (If some relaxation is understandably calling you instead, claim a spot on a tree-covered bench or the sandy beach and take in the autumnal views overlooking the lake.) Continue to unwind and relax after your outdoor adventures with dinner on the terrace at Okome House, a locally owned eatery offering Japanese comfort food like donburi rice bowls, brothy udon noodles, and a huge selection of onigiri (filled rice balls). Sip your way through their sake selection under the stars, fall leaves, and cafe lights and head to sleep confident that the Minneapolis outdoor fun will continue tomorrow.

Begin your third day with a trip to one of Minneapolis's fresh farmers' markets for coffee and more local flavors. Fall is without a doubt the best time to visit the farmers market, as late-summer produce mingles with new delights like winter squash and world-famous apples. From the year-round Minneapolis Farmers Market on Lyndale and Mill City Farmers Market to the Northeast Farmers Market just across the Mississippi from downtown Minneapolis, the regional bounty of the Upper Midwest is on display and ready to be enjoyed. Many Minneapolis farmers' markets feature international vendors, fresh produce and prepared foods, handmade gifts from local makers, children's activities, and live music. Grab a coffee or kombucha from a farmers market vendor and stroll as you gather ingredients for a classic Minneapolis picnic—a loaf of bread baked that morning, fresh fruit and vegetables, dips and pickles, meats, and cheeses, the options are endless. Take your time to chat with the passionate local farmers, ranchers, fishers, and food makers to find out just what makes Minneapolis such a special place for nature (and food!) lovers.

Take your picnic finds to Boom Island Park to enjoy your local feast, enjoy excellent views of the changing leaves and Downtown Minneapolis, and get an up-close-and-personal exploration of the Mississippi River. If you're ready to get on the water, Minneapolis is home to one of the only paddle-share programs in the Western Hemisphere! Reserve a kayak on the Paddle Share website, pick up your vessel at one of the stations along the river, and hit the water. Rentals in the fall run on weekends only and for a limited time. If you're looking for a local's perspective on the mighty Mississippi, the Minneapolis Water Taxi picks up passengers from Boom Island Park for private hour-long chartered pleasure cruises of the water from St. Anthony Falls to the Lowry Avenue Bridge, rain or shine.

For more nearby outdoor adventures in Minneapolis, spend the afternoon at Theodore Wirth Regional Park. Boasting over 740 acres of public land west of Downtown Minneapolis, Theodore Wirth is the largest park in the Minneapolis park system and offers plenty of fun outdoor activities in fall. Enjoy the changing colors of the foliage along Wirth Lake, Skyline Trail, and Bottineau Way. If you're a mountain biker, several routes near Theodore Wirth and Brownie Lake Park offer intermediate to expert single-track trails. The Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Bird Sanctuary is a haven for flying fauna and those who love to watch them, and you’ll also be able to enjoy disc golf, a golf course with skyline views, an archery range, lake beaches, and fishing piers.

For your final outdoor meal in Minneapolis, head back towards the heart of town and make your way along St Anthony Main's cobblestone-lined, riverfront streets to the tranquil Aster Café. Nestled under the autumn-hued trees and overlooking the Mississippi and Minneapolis skyline, this restaurant and bar offers live music, fresh sharable plates, and an excellent wine list to help you raise a toast to three perfect fall days in Minneapolis.