See Fall From the Treetops

The height can make newbies wary when climbing up to zip-line platforms, but the snug harness and exhilaration of speeding above the trees — with fall colors on fast forward — make any nerves vanish in a blink.

Sand Creek Adventures, a 4-mile detour off the byway along Highway 21 south of Jordan, guides visitors through its high ropes course and the zip line across Sand Creek. Kerfoot Canopy Tour tucks into the woods above the Minnesota River with its zip lines set up between Belle Plaine and Henderson.

For a fall treat and thirst quencher post-adventure, look out for the lively yellow facade of Minnesota’s Largest Candy Store, which offers sweets and sodas galore alongside pumpkins, apples and pastries. Mousse Sparkling Wine Co. is also just a short drive away. Located in Jordan's historic downtown, it specializes in Prosecco and Champagne-style bottles that range from floral and fizzy to soft and just the right amount of sweet. 

Learn About Native American History & Heritage

St. Peter’s Treaty Site History Center discusses a pivotal treaty between Europeans and Dakota Indians that allowed settlers into the valley, but led to starving tribes and an uprising that sparked the U.S.-Dakota War in 1862. Sites throughout the valley reflect this painful part of Minnesota's past, with extensive exhibits at New Ulm’s Brown County Historical Society; Reconciliation Park in Mankato, where 38 Dakota were hanged; and battlefields and ruins at Fort Ridgely near Fairfax.

Tours of the Lower Sioux Agency, and a chance to camp in teepees near Granite Falls’ Upper Sioux Agency State Park, allow visitors to imagine life on the prairie before settlers arrived.

Go Hiking, Biking & Paddling

Hikers can check out the cool, wet gorges at Mankato’s Minneopa State Park with its 39-foot waterfall and a resident herd of buffalo. When rain has been plentiful, Minnemishinona Falls on the other side of the Minnesota River drops 42 feet into a ravine. To the west, Redwood Falls boasts the state’s biggest municipal park: Ramsey Park, which also has camping through mid-October, a 20-foot waterfall and a small zoo with bison, elk and deer.

Mankato offers numerous bike loops throughout the river valley, plus the Sakatah State Trail that stretches to Faribault. The most popular local ride follows the Red Jacket Trail to historic Rapidan Dam, a popular rest stop for cyclists on the annual Mankato River Ramble thanks to the nearby Rapidan Dam Store. While it was closed due to severe flooding in the summer of 2024, a temporary location is currently operating out of the former Wagon Wheel Cafe space in downtown Mankato. 

Bent River Outfitter rents canoes, kayaks and paddleboards and offers shuttles to paddlers who want to explore local rivers, including the Blue Earth River with its deep grottos and gorges. They also host guided paddles by appointment only and require a group of six or more.

Celebrate the German Way

New Ulm, known for its distinctive and historic German architecture and culture, embraces a traditional Oktoberfest celebration the first two weekends in October, tours at sixth-generation Schell’s Brewery, music, dancing, wine-tasting and a grape stomp at Morgan Creek Vineyards, and the chance to shop early for German Christmas ornaments at Domeier's German Store. 

Don’t miss climbing the Hermann the German statue that rises 102 feet high for a sweeping view of the Minnesota River Valley cloaked in its brightest colors.