Autumn at Grand Portage State Park

(Above: High Falls, Grand Portage State Park)

Today's adventure brought me to one of my favorite hikes, the Middle Falls Trail at Grand Portage State Park. With several hundred feet of elevation change each way along the trail and a very rugged trail surface with lots of rocks and tree roots, the Middle Falls Trail is not for everyone. For those that do make the trek, however, its a very rewarding hike.



(Above: Awesome Aspens on the Middle Falls Trail)

Autumn is my favorite time of year to hike this trail. There is a nice variety of color as you progress through the various elevations along the course of the trail. Also, due to its rugged nature and its remote location at the northeast end of Minnesota's north shore, the trail sees relatively little traffic.



(Above: Middle Falls)

(Below: Golden fall colors glow behind the Pigeon River at Middle Falls)



(Below: Looking upstream at Middle Falls)



(Below: "Patterns in wood" - This tree had fallen and blocked the trail, and had been cut by a chainsaw crew. This cool pattern in the wood was revealed after being cut by the chainsaw.)



(Below: Trapped at Middle Falls)