Fall Colors on the St. Louis River: Whitewater Rafting Duluth, MN

Sure, summer is over but that doesn’t mean enjoying time on the water has to end just yet. Mid to late September and early October are great times for whitewater rafting near Duluth, Minnesota on the St. Louis River to view the changing colors of the forest. Also, there are a lot of species of birds migrating along the St. Louis River as well. Some twenty-six species of warblers, colorful little songbirds, hop and flutter along in the day light hunting insects. Autumn along the Louis offers up plenty of beauty to be enjoyed

The other bonus is that September and October are usually wetter than late July and August. Fall rains supply more bang for the buck as the trees and plants are no longer soaking up as much water. Fall rains usually raise the St. Louis to some fun rafting levels.

Although the water can be chillier, as is the air, you just have to dress for it. If you wear poly long under wear with fleece or wool over that as an insulating layer you will be toasty. Cover those layers with a Gore-tex rain suit and some wool socks then you are all geared up for some fall rafting. We also supply wetsuits to those in need of more warmth. There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad gear. Dress for it and you will be loving life.

For those that like smaller groups, with the cooler weather, school having started and the tourism season winding down, trip sizes are typically smaller. This can afford you and your group a slightly more intimate adventure experience. Although, regardless of trip size our guides goal (besides safety and fun) is to create a fun and personable experience…and fall colors help that.

The backdrop of fall against the dark rock and rootbeer colored waters offers up incredible scenery—and great photo opportunities too! The river produces yellow and oranges in the silver and sugar maples along the river banks, radiant yellow and white of paper birches, fiery reds of forest understory plants such as red osier dogwood, and so many more varieties of plants and colors.

All of our trips employ a professional photographer whom kayaks along to take pictures of your group. Besides photos of your group paddling rapids, our trip photographer also throws in a few great autumn landscape shots. This allows for you to capture your autumn memories for a long time after—need proof for Facebook or Instagram, right?

So this fall if you want to go whitewater rafting in Duluth, Minnesota and see some fall colors too, give us a call!

Fun Fact: Why Leaves Change Color

As autumn settles in, cooler nights and shorter days prompts trees to shut down their production of plant materials. Trees stop producing chlorophyll, a green pigment in the chloroplasts of the leaf that absorbs incoming sunlight and gives leaves their color.

As Chlorophyll trapped in the leaves begins to breakdown, other pigments that are present in the leaf begin to show their true colors: From the carotenoids we get brilliant yellows and blazing oranges seen in poplars, birches and maples, from the anthocyanins we see fiery reds in certain maples and oaks. And from the tannins we see rich browns. The varying amounts of chlorophyll and other pigments mixing in the leaf determine the leaf’s autumnal display.

For whitewater rafting near Duluth, Minnesota the Louis and her colors are a must see!

Category(s): Blog Posts