We hiked Maplewood State Park on Aug 13th, 2022.

Minnesota is home to over 10,000 lakes. The trail we hiked took us past four different lakes however, the 9,250-acre park has 8 major lakes, 7 small lakes, and many ponds. A pelican statue greeted us as we began the trail.

The winding trail led us through the forest.

At times the forest was so quiet. The air was still, the birds were silent, and the small critters were absent. With heavy dark clouds covering the sky, the forest became a bewildering and mysterious place. The lake views echoed this energy.

Scattered throughout the forest were the most amazing mushrooms.

Fall colors were beginning to pop on some of the leaves.

The final stretch of the trail led to an open prairie. Several horses shared the trail with us.

Our hiking adventure was 7.4 miles.