1 Fall chairlift rides
Hyland Ski & Snowboard Area, Oct. 4 and 5, 4-9 p.m. Enjoy the fall colors while riding a chairlift up Mount Gilboa, one of Hennepin County's highest points. Festivities at the top of the hill include live music, food vendors and birds-of-prey demonstrations, plus a lantern-lit trail leading back down the hill. $5. More information at www.threeriversparks.org.
2 Fall colors walk
Afton State Park, Oct. 5, 10-11 a.m. Strike out for an hourlong hike through this geologically diverse park, with its prairie grasses and its deep, dramatic river bluffs, just as the fall colors begin to peak. Meet at the visitor center for this naturalist-led hike. 651-998-1303 or www.mndnr.gov.
3 Accessible hike
Gooseberry Falls State Park, Oct. 5, 11 a.m.-noon Join a naturalist for a tour of the park's upper falls. This hike promises a leisurely pace on paved trails, accessible to wheelchairs and walking aids (with a slight incline). Hikers should meet outside the Visitor Center by the art column. 1-218-834-3855 or www.mndnr.gov.
4 Leaf Days
Maplewood State Park, Oct. 5 and 6, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.