Heli-Color: Aerial Tours Showcase Duluth’s Fall Foliage

Duluth, Minn. — As autumn settles in, cooler temperatures and vibrant fall colors transform the region. In Duluth, a local helicopter company is seizing the opportunity to showcase the stunning scenery through aerial tours. Fox 21’s Maria Vollom takes us along for the ride.

There’s a certain magic in being high above, where the bustling city seems so small. Alec Salazar, a Pilot at Lake Superior Helicopters, has the privilege of showcasing the Northland’s beauty through daily tours.

“I love taking someone up for the first time and seeing their reaction. Being in a helicopter is its own unique feeling and seeing someone experience that for the first time is just awesome,” Salazar said. 

Each turn of the helicopter reveals stunning views and a spectrum of colors—some areas remain vibrant and green, while the outskirts of Duluth are already transforming.

“After the colors change up here on the hill, they’ll start to change down by the lake.” Salazar went on to say, “So we’ll really have a very long fall color season, it’s going to be great.”

We soared over the St. Louis River and Lake Superior, circling iconic landmarks like Canal Park and the Aerial Lift Bridge. We also made our way to Ely’s Peak and Jay Cooke State Park – showcasing some brilliant fall foliage. 

Of course, there is so much more northland to explore–and Lake Superior Helicopters has a range of tours to choose from. 

“So we have our regular tour routes starting from 15 miles all the way up to 60,” Salazar continued on, “and we may be coming out with a special fall color route that emphasizes the color more.”

If you still need convincing as to why you should take flight, “If you’re here for a visit, it’s one of the best ways to see everything–and if you’ve lived here your whole life, it’ll give you a completely new perspective on everything,” said Salazar. 

While this flight has landed, the fall color season is just taking off.