Bloomington is ultra-photogenic during any season, but B-Town's beauty reaches an unreal level come fall. Between the fiery rolling hills, the stunning landscaping on the Indiana University campus, and the golden-toned leaves reflecting in our many lakes, Bloomington's fall features are an Instagram dream-come-true. If you're on the hunt for the best fall foliage shots to share on your social media while you're visiting, we've got you covered.
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Beanblossom Bottoms Nature Preserve
Beanblossom Bottoms is one of Bloomington's best outdoor attractions, and fall is a great time to explore it. The wetland habitat is home to an array of wildflowers, birds, and endangered species. The fiery fall foliage somehow makes the preserve feel more whimsical than any other season — and it makes for an incredible nature photo.
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Bloomington's Urban Trails
Bloomington is home to nine paved trail systems, and four of them connect with one another. Take in Bloomington's breathtaking fall foliage and get some exercise with a walk or bike ride on the B-Line Trail, Bloomington Rail Trail, Clear Creek Trail, or Limestone Greenway — explore them all for the ultimate experience!
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Charles C. Deam Wilderness
Another of Bloomington's best outdoor attractions, the Charles C. Deam Wilderness is a nearly 13,000-acre protected area within the Hoosier National Forest. As you may have already gathered, its huge expanse of towering trees makes it one of B-Town's top fall photo destinations. In addition to the beautiful forestry, the Deam is home to the 110-foot Hickory Ridge Fire Tower, which offers an incredible view of the Hoosier's fall-toned treetops — a view you won't find anywhere else in Monroe County.
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Fire Towers
Monroe County and the surrounding areas are home to four fire towers. Brown County State Park, Hoosier National Forest, McCormick's Creek State Park, and Morgan-Monroe State Park all have their own tower. The towers range from 75-feet to 110-feet high to get to the top. Not only are the unique, climbable towers an adventurous activity, it is also a picturesque one!
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Fowler Pumpkin Patch
Fowler Pumpkin Patch is your quintessential pumpkin patch, complete with a corn maze, petting zoo, hayrides, u-pick pumpkin patch, and more. One could argue that it's the most fall destination in the area — be sure to check it out for some seasonal fun and great photos.
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Griffy Lake Nature Preserve
Griffy Lake is a nature preserve and lake that offers a range of outdoor activities, including kayaking, fishing, hiking, and picnicking. The lake is nestled in a valley surrounded by beautiful rolling hills full of centuries-old trees. Located just down the street from IU's grounds, it's a bit of a hidden gem that will truly take your breath away the first time you discover it. It's all the more magical during fall while the trees are orange, red, and yellow — you won't want to miss out on this destination for both the experience and the photos.
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Indiana University
Indiana University exudes a regal beauty during all seasons of the year, but it stands at its most stunning during fall. The way the limestone architecture and the fall-toned foliage play off one another is truly breathtaking. Be sure to visit the prettiest spots on campus for the best photos — although just about every square foot of the university's grounds is photo-worthy!
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Leonard Springs Nature Preserve
Leonard Springs is a beautiful nature preserve that features two caves, a spring, and an abundance of forestry — the latter of which, like so many other locations on this list, makes it a gorgeous destination during fall. Visitors and locals love to capture photos of the aforementioned features, as well as the wooded staircase on the Leonard Springs Trail.
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Monroe Lake
The largest inland lake in Indiana resides in Bloomington, and it offers tons of incredible views to share on Instagram — especially during fall. Head to Monroe Lake's shoreline to capture the fall foliage reflecting in the water, trek through the surrounding Hoosier National Forest for a glimpse at the lake through the autumn-toned trees, or rent a pontoon from a local marina for unique views of the landscape from the lake itself.
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Oliver & Butler Wineries
Bloomington is home to two fantastic wineries: Butler Winery and Oliver Winery. Butler Winery is Indiana's fourth oldest winery, located just 15 minutes from the Indiana University campus, and Oliver Winery is one of the nation's most renowned wineries, located just 10 minutes north of IU off of Interstate 69. Both offer whimsical, secret-garden-esque landscaping that's especially magical in the fall.
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Tibetan Mongolian Buddhist Cultural Center
The TMBCC is dedicated to fostering, preserving, and sharing the Tibetan & Mongolian cultures with the Bloomington community and the United States as a whole. Their grounds offer many beautiful views of colorful cultural architecture, decor, and design that are ultra-stunning when surrounded by the orange, red, and yellow leaves.
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Want to see your most Instagrammable fall B-Town photos in one of the galleries above? Post your Bloomington shots on IG using #VisitBtown or tag us at @VisitBtown and you just might find them here in the future!
