Hill Annex Mine State Park32. Stairs are iced over, but still have some spots for you to get your footing. Bear Head LakeState Park4. Snowshoe or spikes required. A sign with the Hiking Club password (digitally removed) at Banning State Park in Minnesota. Normally the State Park has Prairie and Bison Tour. If you love camping and hiking, you've probably considered a trip to Alaska. Yesss! My name is Jenn. Snowshoes not really needed - we just did it in our ice cleats. This is down on the trail a little and not really marked. This trail is pretty flat so it is suitable for most abilities. function ml_webform_success_2601308(){var r=ml_jQuery||jQuery;r(".ml-subscribe-form-2601308 .row-success").show(),r(".ml-subscribe-form-2601308 .row-form").hide()} They are well labeled and hard to miss. A Hiking Club kit can be purchased at most state parks for $14.95 (as of 2021). If you forgot your bike, they have some for rent. The falls in the town of Sandstone is also lovely and typically there are very few other hikers at that location. The Hiking Club Trail at SaintCroix State Park is a 4.0 mile hike that starts by the St. Croix Lodge Visitor Center. The trail started directly from the parking lot. Reliance on any information appearing on this website is entirely at your own risk. Want adventure in your inbox every month? Trail was packed down well. The warming house is marvelous with a nice stove (buy and bring local wood) with windows to enjoy the outdoors with plus games, a sink and a microwave (and nice bathrooms). The MN State Park Passport Program is great for those that love to explore but maybe need areason to go see them all! I believe that theres a sense of adventure inside of everyone, waiting to be discovered. The Minnesota State Park's Hiking Club program encourages hikers to hike a designated Hiking Club Trail at most state parks. Bottom half of the trail was a little less interesting and less packed down - snowshoes might have been helpful. Easy in all seasons. Beautiful! Welcome to This Big Wild World travel blog! If you told my kid that over the course of a couple of years, theyd hike 100 miles, they would have said you are crazy. Moose Lake State Park55. Photos (107) Directions. We started off at the Southern parking area, near the closed visitors center. We really enjoyed it. That means that if you purchase through a link, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Ice right at the beginning that was difficult to climb up with spikes but its just a couple patches and then the rest of the trail was great. Stairs ARE slippery! How much does it cost to get into MN State Parks? It is a bit icy now (mid-January) but its still worth the views. Look for waterfowl in the pond. I absolutely LOVE this post. Always nice to connect with another MN State Parks Passport Club enthusiast Hmmm, Ive done some looking around and cant seem to find which one came off the list. As you travel to each park, stop by the main office and get your passport stamped. Thankfully we had a full day to explore some of the trails in the park. Each one sleeps up to 6 people. It's great to hear that people are still enjoying this! Its a short way from the parking area, so if you are beat, it wont take too much more energy to get up close and personal with them. The Hiking Club is run by the Minnesota DNR, the organization that manages the state parks and recreation areas. Segments of this hiking trail are shared with horses. Perfect. If not, they will post a sign telling you where to go. This path pretty much runs in parallel to the River Bluff Trail. Worth being along the river. For more info, visit this page. You can also try and spot them at the Bison Observation Tower near the park campground. I didnt brave the stairs at the end however. Required fields are marked *. More information about the program can be found here. reviewed Minneopa State Park Loop October 23, 2022 Hiking reviewed Lake Pepin Overlook Loop October 23, 2022 Hiking James Greene reviewed Whitewater State Park Dakota Trails Loop October 23, 2022 Hiking We hiked only part of the Dakota trail which covered all of one rim to Chimney Rock. Grab your passport at a park office or online for under $15 and then collect your stamps as you explore each of the 75 state parks and recreation areas. Learn more about how to apply the principles of Leave No Trace on your next outdoor adventure. The hiking is 24.4 miles alone! Get your rewards. Monson LakeState Park54. Be sure to ask the park staff for their tips on the best trails while youre getting your passport stamped. Patches are awarded for completion of every 25 miles (from 25 to 175 miles). Like most of the MN State Parks, the hiking club trail at Blue Mounds takes you through the best parts of the park. Home | About Me | Contact Me | Blog | Disclaimer. MagneyState Park38. Update your log. Perfectly packed down trails. Half of this was groomed. This page was last edited on 17 October 2020, at 09:38. ALLTRAILS and the AllTrails Mountain Design are registered trademarks of AllTrails, LLC in the United States as well as certain other jurisdictions. St. Croix Island State Recreation Area61. Eagle Rock is a tall rock in the middle of the prairie, but what makes it unique is if you are standing there you can see Minnesota, Iowa, and South Dakota, all at once. But in her free time, she loves to hike and adventure with her dogs, Sasha and Glia. Pro Tip: Visit any State Park during one of their free days. The trail is wide and flat. If you are planning to visit for the day, expect to pay around $7. If you want to skip the paved section, follow the red route, which is 4.25 miles. Ice packed snow & slushy. At 100 miles, you also earn a free night of camping. Home | About Me | Contact Me | Blog | Disclaimer. Any other time and you are risking heatstroke. More information about the program can be found here. If you are feeling adventurous, you can also take the trail into Levrune. The programs work great together and give you a good reason to get out and explore. The hiking trails will lead you to a lot of the park highlights including, waterfalls, overlooks, geological wonders, and historic sites. SchoolcraftState Park66. Hello, fellow Minnesotan! Ill need to hit this one again soon. It wont take long before you realize you are already collecting your first reward. Ended up turning around . Goes along a snowmobile trail for a short section, but it's plenty wide, so no concerns. Cascade RiverState Park12. Do you and your dog love to hike? Write the password in your Hiking Club book, along with the park name and the distance you hiked. Just like the Parks Passport Program, it costs $14.95. 2021Outdoor Project. FrontenacState Park22. Did out and back instead of loop due to deep snow. On the first day of Spring and Fall, the sunrise aligns perfectly with these rocks. For being the first day of 40 & Sunny I was shocked only seeing one person in the 4 miles I went, not mad at it. The 100 miles patch. WhitewaterState Park73. I loved getting to explore some of the trails, including the bike area. The Hiking Club is based on the same idea as the Passport Club, visiting awesome sites and filling your logbook. For me, this is where the real beauty starts. Nerstrand Big WoodsState Park57. Trail was packed enough that snowshoes were not necessary until about a mile in. hiking, Hey, I am keeping virtually the same blog as you (documenting my Minnesota Hiking Club Travels and Travails). This comment has been removed by the author. well packed. The MN State Parks Passport Program also has a Hiking Club. Clicking on them doesnt cost you anything. Thank you so much for writing it! Great views of the lake and along the river. The Minnesota State Parks Hiking Club program encourages hikers to hike a designated Hiking Club Trail at most state parks. Great hike! This trail is great for birding and hiking, and it's unlikely you'll encounter many other people while exploring. Each Hiking Club trail has a unique password that you will find on a sign about halfway through your hike. Beautiful views of the forest and river. We believe good things come from people spending time outside. Well packed, great for hiking or snowshoeing. They radiate with spectacular pins and purplish colors due to iron oxide. I just picked up both the hiking club and passport club kits yesterday while I was at Minnepoa State Park. Segments of this hiking trail are shared with horses. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Its a great deal if you plan to go to a park more than once a year. Cant wait to join (thanks for sharing)! Youll need Avenza Maps if you plan on hiking. window.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function() { Trail was packed down of snow but a mile and half in it was soft and trudging . So without further ado, here are the trails. Soft packed snow . some downhill sections have ice underneath and require caution. Some trails are 1 mile and some are 6 miles, but they all are beautiful and well worth the exercise. link to The Epic Road Trip to Alaska: Is it dog friendly? Please respect the outdoors by practicing Leave No Trace. Lovely hike! BUT absolutely worth the effort, such a beautiful hike, I would do it again in the same conditions again. Went out from the boat landing to the canoe in campsites for the first time ever. Great trail, relatively level, and a fantastic view at the end. I hope this gets you off on the right foot! See bison at Minneopa State Park and hear coyotes howling in Blue Mounds State Park? Like someone else said lots of hills! All rights reserved. Old Grade to River View to Wide Sky Trail, Nevers Dam to Walter Mondale River Trail to Old Logging Trail, Lookout Mountain Loop (Hiking Club Trail), William O'Brien State Park Upper Park Trail. Beautiful hike around the bluffs under a fresh blanket of snow. Your email address will not be published. At the southern end of the park, spanning 1,250 feet is a line of rocks, set east-west in the prairie grass. It didnt take me long to find out that there are a lot of MN State Parks and it became hard to juggle them all. Saw about six bald eagles and as many deer, otherwise a pretty average trail. Ice packed snow & slushy. Some are wheelchair accessible, like the one at Big Bog State Recreation Area. I highly recommend going either in the morning or evening hours to capture the sun on the cliffside. The loop is about a mile and a half long and crosses a road into an upland hardwood forest. Areas need to be careful but otherwise it was great . An easy hike is to High Falls, cascading 60 ft over the basalt cliffs. Way better sites then I was expecting even stocked with wood. There are 75 in total. Great views today! It gives you unlimited access to the parks for the year. Beautiful trail, double tracked and well groomed all the way around the island, especially considering the warmer weather recently. Gooseberry FallsState Park27. You basically hiked from Lake Superior to the Cities. Sign up to receive our newsletter packed with the best adventure guides, travel ideas, news, and articles. During the morning hours. Our dogs had a blast, Trail is good but very icy. A Hiking Club password is found on all of these hikes. $35 for a whole year of gorgeous local trails? Highly recommend. Lots of deer on the move and visible. Split Rock Lighthouse State Park69. Winter hiking, the trail is not plowed. Fromepic hikes around the worldto adventures closer to my home inMinnesota, Im here to help you discover what adventure means to you! There may be affiliate links within the post. Stamp any piece of paper you can find and paste it into your book. The next morning, around 7:30 we went back and could enjoy ourselves a little more. The goal of the Hiking Club is to help Minnesotans get outside and explore new destinations within the state. No one else on the trail. Click on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. Red River State Recreation Area59. Beautiful hike! Poles were super helpful, as long as they didnt sink off to the side. Very icy on stairs. Dog are allowed on the trail when on a leash. If we havent convinced you to join yet, maybe you just need a little more information about the amazing hiking opportunities in Minnesota. A Hiking Club password is found on all of these hikes. For $14.95 you can be a part of this too. Pro Tip: Finding the Hiking Club Passwords is a great motivator to get younger kids to start hiking. Hiking at Blue Mounds State Park is one for the record books. Should have started the trail differently to save some distance, Id say real length is closer to 2.5 miles. Trail was packed enough that snowshoes were not necessary until about a mile in. Beautiful trail. While there are 75 Minnesota state parks and recreation areas, only 68 of them have a designated hiking club trail. This meant that the snow wasnt packed down well. Minneopa Falls, Bison and so much more at Minneopa State Park, 75 reasons to join the MN State Parks Passport and MN Hiking Club, Minnesota State Park Pass Hacks, Tips, and Free Days, 28 Fun Things To Do in Minnesota This Spring 2023, 28 FUN Things To Do During Winter in Minnesota, Everything You Need to Know Before Your First Polar Plunge Plus Tips, 21 FUN Things to do in Duluth in the Winter, White House Tour Experience: All the Details You Need Before Visiting. The park also has a small population of coyotes and deer. We hiked the Quarry Loop to Wolf Creek Fall, 5.5 mile out and back. A Hiking Club password is found on all of these hikes. Thanks for taking the time to discuss this, I feel strongly that love and read more on this topic. Went hiking there last week and did the hiking club trail and never saw or found the placard that has the password. Make sure to stop near mound creek. The tour lasts 90 minutes and goes inside the enclosure in an open-air truck. February day. Then. Trail is packed down . The trail used to run through a heavily wooded area, but a devastating storm on July 1st, 2011 produced straight-line winds that topped 100 miles per hour. Park is basically closed but you can park and then hike or cross country ski. We also live in Minnesota and are huge fans of outdoor adventures. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Flat, but really rutted and icy right now. Rolling hills and not very challenging landscape. Especially this time of year! The parent in me was going worst-case scenario and wondering how badly they could hurt themselves. All I can say is, Blue Mounds State Park did an amazing job at making nature fun for kids. For more information on our privacy policy, please visit our Privacy Policy Page. Check out Minnesota State Park Pass Hacks, Tips, and Free Days to find all the days. Afton State Park2. Minnesota is one of the most underrated states for outdoor adventurers. One is simply a passport that upon arrival, you get a stamp for each park you visit. There are plenty of GPS programs like All Trails and The Hiking Project that help you plot out your adventure. The Minnesota State Park Hiking Club includes trails in 68 state parks scattered across the state and more than 175 miles worth of walking/hiking in those parks to help get a solid idea of what each state park has to offer. Forestville/Mystery CaveState Park18. Print/PDF Map. William O'Brien State Park Upper Park Trail. You park at the gate and walk about 1/2 mile to the trail. Well packed, but icy in some places, traction/spikes are helpful, snowshoes aren't needed though. The biggest draw to Blue Mounds State Park is the Sioux quartzite cliff line. Park during one of the MN State park in Minnesota to iron oxide main office and get your.! 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