Year after year, the North Dakota landscapes turn into canvases full of vibrant colors as summer transitions to winter. Whether it just be within the tree rows on the side of the road, or in the dense trees along the rivers and lakes, all the leaves turn into sights like none you have ever seen. If you're looking for the absolute best places to see in order to experience the season at its most beautiful, I have the ultimate fall foliage road trip in North Dakota just for you. Get ready to experience the best!
This road trip mainly covers the north and east-central portion of North Dakota, so those of you in western North Dakota should check out our North Dakota natural wonders road trip, which is based on that part of the state. Many of the places featured on that trip are just as beautiful in the fall as these are! As for you, Central North Dakotans - the ND Parks & Rec site has some great recommendations for awesome fall foliage viewing in North Dakota.
There are plenty of things to do in fall in North Dakota, but this adventure takes the cake. This trip is almost seven and a half hours long and is not round trip, so you will probably want to extend this over multiple days in order to have enough time to stop along the way. For driving directions,
1. Lindenwood Park, Fargo
To start out, we're beginning in a park within Fargo itself. Lindenwood Park is full of trees that are absolutely stunning in the fall, and it's free to get in and great for a quick stroll through the fallen leaves to start out with.
2. Driving north near the Red River
As you go north along I-29, there are a lot of chances to take a short detour to see the Red River in all of its autumnal glory. You can do this within Fargo and Grand Forks as you go through them, or make a slight change in the route to head a little ways eastward toward the Minnesota border to see it for yourself. No matter what you decide to do, you'll be greeted with the most splendid fall colors in North Dakota. In fact, you might just want to try all the best scenic drives in North Dakota during the fall.
3. Turtle River State Park, Arvilla
The next stop is the wondrous Turtle River State Park, a perfect view into the beauty of the season. The dense forest will be full of bright colors of the changing leaves and the trails along the river and through the foliage are picture perfect.
4. Icelandic State Park, Cavalier
The third spot you'll stop at is the Icelandic State Park, surrounding Lake Renwick not far from Cavalier. The lake looks fantastic when surrounded by all of the red and yellow hues of the changing leaves. This would be a great stop for a scenic lakeside picnic.
5. Pembina Gorge, Walhalla
Not far from the Icelandic State Park is the next location, the absolutely breathtaking Pembina Gorge. This place is known for the amazing autumn views of the forests surrounding the gorge. Bring a camera out for this stop, because you'll want to capture these sights forever.
6. Lake Metigoshe, Bottineau
At this point you will be driving through the Turtle Mountains, full of some of the prettiest fall colors in North Dakota. Lake Metigoshe is the best stop within these to see just how amazing they are in person. The vibrant colors of the leaves reflect beautifully on the calm waters of the lake and create a masterpiece.
7. Devils Lake, Devils Lake
Heading south from Bottineau and through some more scenic drives, you will find your way down to Devils Lake. The Grahams Island State Park is a park surrounding the lake that offers great opportunities for trails and awesome lake views. The trees around the lake will be utterly gorgeous at this time of year.
After this, you can either head east from Devil's Lake back to Grand Forks and then south on I-29 to return to Fargo, or take the long way and go further south from Devil's Lake to Jamestown and go east from there. Of course, you could do this entire route in reverse or any other way if you choose; just change the starting point and order on Google Maps. It's easy!
What are your favorite things to do in the fall in North Dakota? Share your best adventures in the comments! If you're looking for more autumn destinations, check out these places to go in the fall in North Dakota. If you have any suggestions about amazing autumn wonderlands in this beautiful state of ours, tell us about them by filling out this form.
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