More than 100 trails from across the state listed in Minnesota’s Best Autumn

A new travel guidebook describes more than 100 day hiking trails to enjoy fall colors in Minnesota, including those in the Hastings-Cottage Grove area.

Minnesota’s Best Autumn Hikes, by hiking guidebook author Rob Bignell, covers trails from the North Shore to the Driftless Area and from the Lakes of the Woods to the western prairies, as well as border counties in neighboring states. It was released Aug. 27.

“When it comes to fall colors, Minnesota is almost beyond compare,” Bignell said. “You can hike to vistas some 170 stories above orange and red woodlands. You can head along amber-leafed river valleys and to waterfalls. You can walk amid yellow- and crimson-colored forests that stretch for miles around you.”

The guidebook explores trails in every county and many of the state’s major geographic features. It describes trees that can be seen at each sight, from the sugar maple’s rainbow of harvest colors to the various oaks’ orange, scarlet and tan leaves.

For the Hastings-Cottage Grove area, the guidebook lists several trails, including those in Spring Lake Park Reserve, the Carpenter Nature Center, and Vottage Grove Ravine Regional Park, as well as those in or near the neighboring communities of Prescott, Rosemount, St. Paul, and Red Wing.

The book provides a plethora of information about each featured trail:

• Driving directions to the trail

• Where to park and find the trailhead

• Course the trail takes

• Scenic points to look for on the trail

• Autumn leaves and wildlife you might spot

• Interesting tidbits about regional geology and history “Many of these trails are perfect for families with children,” Bignell said. The trails run from a tenth of a mile to seven miles in length, with most only one to three miles long. His son Kieran hiked many of the trails with him.

Minnesota’s Best Autumn Hikes is the latest in several bestselling hiking guidebooks Bignell has authored. Several of his books about Minnesota hiking trails, including Headin’ to the Cabin: Day Hiking Trails of Northeast Minnesota and Day Hiking the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway, have hit No. 1 on Amazon.com lists during the past eight years. His most recent guidebooks, Minnesota’s Best Wildflower Hikes and Wisconsin’s Best Wildflower Hikes, in May topped the Amazon.com’s bestsellers list for Minnesota Travel and Wisconsin Travel ebooks respectively.

An avid backpacker and long-time editor, Bignell is uniquely qualified to write about hiking, especially for families. A former newspaper and magazine editor, his journalism work has won several awards, from editorial writing to sports reporting. In 2001, The Prescott Journal, which he served as managing editor of, was named Wisconsin’s Weekly Newspaper of the Year.

This is Bignell’s 31st hiking guidebook and his seventh about Minnesota. He lives with his son in western Wisconsin.

The book can be purchased online at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09CKK6H3H.

Book specs: “Minnesota’s Best Autumn Hikes”

• Publish date: Aug. 27, 2021

• Publisher: Atiswinic Press

• ISBN: 978-1948872140

• Price: $23.95 (paperback), $2.95 (ebook)

• Pages: 172 (paperback)

• Cover: Paper (paperback)

• Trim Size: 5.5 x 8.5 (paperback)

• Website: https://dayhikingtrails.wordpress.com

Minnesota’s Best Autumn Hikes author Rob Bignell.