Tired of being shut in, locked down, and cooped up? The best cure for cabin fever is the open road! With so many gorgeous, accessible spots in Minnesota, why wait for spring to start ticking them off your bucket list? We’ve assembled 12 scenic destinations that showcase the best of our state in every season. So, fill the gas tank and fire up the map app. You’ve got a lot miles to cover.
January - Hegman Lake Pictographs, Ely
More than 500 years ago, artists from the Ojibway tribe painted vibrant pictographs of sacred animals, mythological beasts, spirit beings, and other symbols on the rock walls bordering a stretch of Hegman Lake. January is an ideal time to see these remarkably preserved treasures of Minnesota’s Native American heritage. Nestled in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness just 15 miles north of Ely, you can access the pictographs by hiking the enchanting Echo Trail and walking across the frozen lake. Learn more about their history here, and find detailed hiking directions at Hegman Lakes Hike and Paddle Route.
February - Central Park Ice Skating Loop, Maple Grove
From backyard ponds to indoor rinks, there’s no lack of places to ice skate in Minnesota. But if you’re looking for outdoor family fun that offers something for skaters of every level, then grab your skates and head to the Central Park Ice Skating Loop. Winding along 810 feet around festively decorated islands, the 20-foot-wide loop provides plenty of room for speed skaters to glide ahead while novices plod comfortably along in the slow lane. When the chill hits your bones, head over to the firepit and thaw out before another round. Forgot your skates? No problem. You can rent them on the spot. Skate any time you like on weekdays from 10 am to 3 pm, but remember that reservations are required from 4 to 9 pm, Monday – Friday, and weekends 10 am to 9 pm. Mask and social distancing protocols should be observed.
March - Gooseberry Falls, Two Harbors
The Land of 10,000 Lakes boasts more than 100 waterfalls, each possessing their own special beauty. But the most celebrated of them all is Gooseberry Falls. Located in Gooseberry Falls State Park, this stunning trio of waterfalls tumbles over a rocky gorge before rushing into nearby Lake Superior. Easily accessed from a convenient parking area, visitors can view the falls from above, or hike down to the base for a closer look. Covering nearly 1,700 acres, the park has miles of hiking and mountain biking trails that wind through dense forest and monolithic rock formations. Plan your trip by visiting the Gooseberry Falls State Park page from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
April -Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, Chaska
Sprawling across 1,200 acres, the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum is home to some of the most beautiful gardens, restored native landscapes, and art collections in the state. Its innumerable attractions include rose gardens, a hosta glade, a tranquil Japanese garden, and nearly 30 other carefully cultivated displays of flowers, herbs, and native plants. In the spring, the Arboretum’s Three-Mile Drive comes alive with breathtaking displays of redbuds, crabapples, cherry, and roadside displays showcasing 39,000 blossoming tulips. NOTE: Spring displays are immensely popular, and traffic can be dense. Plan your visit well in advance. Walking on the grounds is limited to reservation-only during the pandemic.
May - Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden, Minneapolis
When the warm weather finally comes, Minnesota explodes with blooms. If you live in the Twin Cities metro area, you don’t need to trek to distant prairies for a colorful dose of cone flowers, yellow cups, bluebells and clover. Tucked away in Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis, the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Bird Sanctuary offers a bucolic respite from the frenetic pace of city life. The 15-acre garden is home to over 130 species of birds, countless butterflies, and innumerable frogs, turtles, and squirrels. Trails wind through quiet, shaded groves into sunny stretches of prairie. You can see all the blooms in as little as an hour but bask in their peaceful glow long after your visit. Keep up with the latest by following the sanctuary’s Facebook page.
June - Aspelund Winery and Peony Gardens, Kenyon
What’s more intoxicating than the heady scent of flowers in June? The fruity bouquet of wine, of course! These two eternal trappings of the good life are artfully paired at Aspelund Winery and Peony Gardens in southern Minnesota. Vinted from cold-climate grapes and a variety of fruits, including plum and peach, these Minnesota-made wines can be enjoyed on an outdoor patio. The surrounding gardens feature acres of peonies that bloom throughout the spring and summer. NOTE: During the pandemic, the winery is open the third Saturday and Sunday of each month. Orders can be placed online and picked up curbside. Check out Aspelund’s website for details and updates.
July -Mille Lacs Lake Beach, Father Hennepin State Park
California might have better surfing, but Minnesota has more shoreline! When you add up all the sandy stretches hugging our lakes, it totals 44,926 miles. That’s 9,449 more miles than the Golden State. So, with all that waterfront real estate, our biggest problem is deciding where to lay our beach blankets. Although many Minnesota beaches are beautiful, the mile-long stretch of sand along Mille Lacs Lake in Father Hennepin State Park is a treasure. Whether you want relax and soak up some rays, explore forested shoreline, or simply watch a shimmering sunset over the water, the beach has it all. And you won’t have to book a flight to experience it.
August -Sunflowers at Treasured Haven Farm, Rush City
With their towering blooms of yellow, sunflower fields are a magnificent feature of Minnesota’s summer landscape. For a close look at these photogenic beauties, head out to Treasured Haven Farm. Every year, hundreds of acres of the colorful “happy flowers” are grown, harvested, and pressed into organic sunflower-seed oil. First cultivated more than 5,000 years ago by Native Americans in present-day Arizona and New Mexico, the crop was traditionally used for breads and cakes, as well as for dying textiles, moisturizing skin and hair, and treating snakebites. Today, Minnesota is the third largest producer of sunflowers in the United States.
September - Black Beach, Silver Bay
Along the north shore of Lake Superior, not far from Silver Bay, a stretch of charcoal beach is bordered by the imposing cliffs of an ochre-hewed island just offshore. Pristine, yet otherworldly, the unusual beach draws more visitors every year. Although it looks like it formed from the depths of some ancient volcano, Black Beach was created from taconite tailings dumped by local iron-ore processors. At the height of that industry, the waters were clouded and poisoned, and the fish retreated far out in the lake. After the taconite producers shut down, the waters gradually cleared and wildlife returned. Visitors can swim in a protected cove, and eat at a cluster of picnic tables. Silver Bay is planning to expand accommodations with a 63-unit campground for tents and RVs. Learn more about Black Beach at Superior Hiking.
October - Kerfoot Canopy Tour, Henderson
Looking for a new spin on your annual fall-colors tour? Instead of looking up at the trees, take an adrenal-surging dive through the canopy on a zipline. Hosted by Minnesota Ziplines & Adventures, the Kerfoot Canopy Tour takes you high above trees in the Minnesota River Valley and sends you flying through a kaleidoscope of intense fall colors. The course includes 14 different zip lines, and a dramatic suspension bridge set 170 feet above the forest floor. It’s a much more memorable way to kick off fall than downing a pumpkin-spice latte—and a whole lot more exciting, too.
November -Minneapolis Parks System
Spanning 6,800 acres and encompassing lakes, riverbanks, biking and walking paths, gardens and nature sanctuaries, playgrounds and a golf course, the Minneapolis Parks System is a state treasure, and one of the finest in the United States. Even in late fall and well into winter it is frequented by joggers, bikers, ice-fishers, cross-country skiers, snowshoers, and legions of kids on sleds. Whether you come to work out, take a stroll, or just sit in peace watching the birds, the Minneapolis Parks System offers a year-round respite from the crowded confines of urban living.
December - Bentleyville Tour of Lights, Duluth
In a state where Christmas-light displays are a celebrated artform, Bentleyville is the glowing epicenter of Minnesota’s holiday spirit. Opening in Duluth’s Bayfront Festival Park just before Thanksgiving and running through the Christmas holiday, Bentleyville boasts one of the nation’s largest walk-through lighting displays. Conceived as an ambitious home-lighting display by Nathan Bentley of Esko in 2001, the annual event grew in size and scope over the years, eventually requiring the waterside park in Duluth to hold legions of visitors from across the state. Today, the event enlists 600 volunteers who labor more than two months to set up the tour’s millions of lights. Hundreds of thousands of people visit every year. Due to the pandemic, the 2020 event was drive-through only. Depending on vaccine distribution, similar restrictions could apply in 2021. Check the Bentleyville website for updates.