Hiking adventures and photography
We hiked Split Rock State Park January 30th, 2025.
To be honest, we really didn’t hike much of the park. We only hiked from the parking lot to Lake Supervisor to take in the stunning winter view of the historic lighthouse. Please check out our previous hike at the park here.
The Historic Lighthouse
Our hiking adventure was .27 miles.
We hiked Gooseberry Falls State Park January 30th, 2025.
The weather was winter perfect to look at the falls.
Gooseberry Falls were almost completely frozen. It is the first time in my life seeing the falls frozen. It was beautiful!
I tried to get as close as I could to the frozen falls.
As I walked onto the frozen river to photograph a direct shot of the falls, I could hear my mom’s voice in my head say, “be careful, you’re standing on a river.” If you are not familiar with frozen waterways, rivers are much more dangerous than frozen lakes due to the current flowing below. Luckily, I made it out without falling in the river.
The view of the frozen river with a heart stomped on to the snow.
Our hiking adventure was .52 miles.
We hiked Kingsbury Creek Trail on January 30th, 2025.
The trail started right near the Duluth Zoo. We made our way around the outside of the zoo’s fence before veering off onto the main trail. Unfortunately, we didn’t see any animals.
It was a beautiful winter day to hike. The sun was shining brightly, and the temperature was a bit above freezing. It felt like a mini heat wave as we made our way along the trail.
The trail led us towards Spirit Mountain. Several people skiing were taking advantage of the gorgeous day as well.
We looped back towards our starting point.
We passed a sign in someone’s yard that made us laugh.
Today’s hiking adventure was 2.8 miles.
Today’s hiking adventure was at Lebanon Hills Regional Park.
Our hike was a bit warmer this week, but not by much. The sun kept trying to make itself known through the clouds.
We hiked along the Voyageur Trail.
The park was busy with hikers, people ice fishing, and ice skating. The great part about Lebanon Hills is there are so many different trails that people fade into the distance as quickly as you see them.
Today’s hiking adventure was 5 miles.
Today’s hiking adventure was at Veteran’s Park.
The temperature was a bit chilly today, -4 F with the air feeling like -12 F. With the sun shining, we set off on a short but beautiful winter hike.
The moon was still high in the sky as we hiked around Legion Lake.
After hiking around the lake, we decided to hike on the frozen lake.
Our hike ended at the Veterans Memorial.
Today’s hiking adventure was 2.9 miles.
2024 brought another wonderful year of hiking adventures!
Nerstrand Big Woods State Park-Nerstrand-Minnesota
Bassett Creek Park-Crystal-Minnesota
Carley State Park-Plainview-Minnesota
Memorial Park-Red Wing-Minnesota
Willow River State Park-Hudson-Wisconsin
Mines of Spain-Dubuque-Iowa
Maquoketa Caves State Park-Maquoketa-Iowa
DWP Railroad Tunnel-Duluth-Minnesota
Illgen Falls-Beaver Bay Township-Minnesota
Iona’s Beach Scientific and Natural Area-Two Harbors-Minnesota
Pattison State Park-Superior-Wisconsin
Ely’s Peak-Duluth-Minnesota
Kawishiwi Falls-Ely-Minnesota
Pine Ridge Trail-Tower-Minnesota
Minnehaha Falls-Minneapolis-Minnesota
Happy New Year! Cheers to more adventures in 2025!
Today’s hiking adventure began at Six Mile Marsh Prairie Trail.
The sun was shining brightly as we began our hike. We made our way to an old red barn that was built in 1937.
We looped around the marsh.
After completing the Six Mile Marsh Prairie Trail, we hiked along the Dakota Rail Regional Trail.
About a mile or so down the Dakota Rail Regional Trail we approached a sign for the Big Stone Mini Golf and Sculpture Garden. We decided to check it out, and I’m so happy we did! They had many fun sculptures and farm animals on the property.
We made our way back to the Dakota Rail Regional Trail to continue our hike. A sign for Gale Woods Farm appeared just off the trail. We decided to check it out since we were so close. They also had a beautiful red barn and farm animals.
The trail looped us around the property.
Whaletail Lake
Once back on the Dakota Rail Regional Trail, we hiked back to our starting point.
Today’s hiking adventure was 8.1 miles.
Today’s hiking adventure was along the Rice Creek North Regional Trail.
The sun was just beginning to rise as we began our adventure.
Lots of people were already out with their dogs enjoying the dog park. I always love seeing all the pups.
We hiked the paved trail taking in all the final moments of the fall colors.
My favorite part of the trail led us through a grove of tall pine trees.
Rice Creek
We looped around a beautiful wetland area.
We crossed over Rice Creek once again as we made our way back to our starting point.
Today’s hiking adventure was 5.5 miles.
We hiked Pattison State Park on October 18th, 2024.
Our hiking adventure began along the Little Manitou Falls Trail.
Little Manitou Falls
We followed the trail alongside the Black River. The river was a bit low in places.
The fallen leaves looked like a golden blanket enveloping the forest floor.
Nature provided a beautiful view as the Black River joined Interfalls Lake.
We continued along the trail, passed the beach, and under the highway until we reached Big Manitou Falls.
Big Manitou Falls is the highest waterfall in Wisconsin.
The hike back to our starting point was filled with gorgeous fall colors. The sun shining through the trees highlighted the colorful leaves.
We stopped at Little Manitou Falls again, taking in the beautiful view.
Our hiking adventure was 4 miles.
Today’s hiking adventure was at Interstate State Park in Wisconsin.
Our adventure began at the Pothole Trail, which is part of the Ice Age Trail.
Raindrops were definitely falling on our heads today. We paid no mind to it though, since our eyes were too busy taking in all the fall colors. The St. Croix River offers spectacular views.
The Potholes
The short trail brought us back to our starting point.
We briefly hiked the road to get to the next set of trails. The views did not disappoint.
Summit Rock Trail
We continued hiking towards Echo Canyon Trail.
Lake O’ the Dalles began to appear. We followed the trail around the lake.
The sun kept trying to come out.
After we completed the loop around the lake, we hiked back towards the St. Croix River.
The giant rocks and boulders are so impressive to hike and climb on.
Today’s hiking adventure was 4.6 miles.
Today’s hiking adventure was at Terrace Oaks West Park.
The temperature felt like a fall morning, the air was cool, the grass was full of dew and the best part…there were no bugs.
We followed along the unpaved trail taking in all the beautiful wildflowers.
This park also has a trail for bikers and come winter, the hiking trail we hiked today will become cross-country ski trails.
Several ponds and/or small lakes are located throughout the park.
Today’s hiking adventure was 6 miles.
We hiked to Illgen Falls on July 28th, 2024.
Illgen Falls is in Tettegouche State Park on the Baptism River. We parked alongside the highway for a short hike to the falls.
Wow! Illgen Falls is absolutely beautiful. Please enjoy all the photos.
We hiked back to our starting point.
Our hiking adventure was .3 miles.
We hiked Honeymoon Bluff Trail July 27th, 2024.
A tall staircase led us up the side of the bluff.
At the top of the bluff, we were greeted with the following sign.
We continued along the trail towards the overlook. Large red mushrooms were spotted throughout our hike.
Hungry Jack Lake Overlook
The trail looped us back around towards the staircase.
Our hiking adventure was 0.52 miles.
We hiked Congdon Park July 26th, 2024.
I received another wonderful birthday gift from the universe. A beautiful deer appeared right off the trail. We must have been within 10 feet of her.
We continued along the nonpaved trail. We could hear the creek rushing below.
The trail had wonderful steps down to Tischer Creek.
At times, we hiked alongside the creek jumping the rocks.
We turned around once we reached the bridge.
We hiked the paved trail back to our starting point.
Our hiking adventure was 1 mile.
We hiked the Duluth Winnipeg Pacific (DWP) Trail towards the DWP Railroad Tunnel July 26th, 2024.
Summer is in full effect! It was a hot sunny morning as we began our adventure. The wildflowers were gorgeous.
We crossed over Stewart Creek taking in the view of Lake Superior off in the distance.
The universe gifted me with a wonderful birthday present. Two bucks crossed the trail right in front of us. We must have been able to get within 25 feet of the deer. Amazing!
Well…we chose to hike the wrong direction, so we turned around and hiked past our starting point making our way towards the tunnel.
Giant boulders lined the trail.
A monarch flew past us. It wouldn’t stop long enough for me to get a better photo. I’ll take what I can get.
Suddenly, we noticed a temperature change in the air. The DWP Railroad Tunnel appeared before us.
The tunnel was dark and cold. It felt great compared to the temperature outside.
A group of young gals were rappelling down from the top of the tunnel.
We went back through the tunnel as we made our way back to our starting point.
Today’s hiking adventure was 8.2 miles.
We hiked Pikes Peak State Park June 30th, 2024.
Our first stop was at the overlook of the flooded Mississippi River.
We hiked the Bridal Veil Trail. To our left, were burial mounds and the Mississippi River was to our right.
We approached another overlook of the Mississippi River. Due to all the recent rain, many of the trees were under water.
A wide wooden path led us to Bridal Veil Falls.
I was a bit surprised Bridal Veil Falls wasn’t crashing down on the rocks below. Instead, we saw a slow drip from the falls.
We followed along East Hickory Trail.
Weeping Rock Trail led us back to our starting point.
We hiked Swiss Valley Nature Center June 29th, 2024.
Our hiking adventure began on the trail across from the Nature Center.
The trail led us across Catfish Creek.
We followed the Ridge Trail which was a slow incline…up, up, up.
High Point Trail led us to a beautiful open prairie.
I loved seeing all the large boulders along the trail.
Only a small section of the trail was flooded near Catfish creek.
Our hiking adventure was 2.2 miles.
We hiked Bellevue State Park-Nelson Unit on June 29th, 2024.
Our first stop was the Butterfly Garden. The gardeners did an amazing job, the flowers were gorgeous!
Next, we hiked the Quarry Trail.
Cool shrooms growing on a downed tree.
Mill Creek separated Bellevue State Park and Felderman City Park. We hiked towards the bridge taking in the views of the city park and creek.
Remnants of the old Bellevue Lime Kiln could be seen off in the distance.
We continued hiking the Quarry Trail which looped us back to our starting point.
Today’s hiking adventure was 2.5 miles.
Today’s hiking adventure was at St. Croix Bluffs Regional Park.
We previously hiked St. Croix Bluffs in December 2021. Today the sun was shining bright and there was no wind. We were in for a toasty hike.
The trail led us towards the St. Croix River.
I love the mirrored reflection of the trees on the water.
Unfortunately, the trail by the river was flooded. Thankfully, this park has lots of different trails to choose from.
The wildflowers were soaking up the sun!
We looped around the campsites. The morning bonfires smelled so good.
The last stretch of our hike was through the blazing prairie.
Today’s hiking adventure was 5 miles.
We hiked Mines of Spain State Recreation Area June 29th, 2024.
Our adventure began on the Pine Chapel Foot Trail.
Pine Chapel is a tiny one room chapel.
The next trail we tried to hike was towards the Julien Dubuque Monument. Unfortunately, due to all the rain the trail was closed.
As we made our way back to our starting point, we passed an old Green House and an old Lead Mine of Julien Dubuque. The area around the mine was fenced in and is barely recognizable with all the plant overgrowth.
Due to the trails being flooded, we drove to the Horseshoe Bluff Foot Trail.
The bluffs begin to appear. I absolutely love the bluffs especially against the brilliant blue sky!
We followed the trail up to the different levels.
A small cave was located next to the overlook.
We looped back to our starting point to find our next destination.
Down the road a bit, we pulled over to hike the Julien Dubuque Foot Trail. The trail at ground level was flooded so we made our way to the second trail leading us to the Julien Dubuque Monument.
Up, up, up we went.
The Julien Dubuque Monument
The view was worth the climb. It always is. The overflowing Mighty Mississippi River rushed past us.
Today’s hiking adventure was 3.26 miles.
We hiked Pulpit Rock June 27th, 2024.
The trail quickly inclined as we made our way to Pulpit Rock.
Pulpit Rock
The old stone steps looked like we were entering a castle.
The view of Pulpit Rock from the top.
We continued along the trail looping back to our starting point.
Today’s hiking adventure was .63 miles.
Today’s hiking adventure was at Willow River State Park.
We parked by Little Falls Lake Beach. As soon as we put on our hiking boots, the sky opened up and the rain poured. Thankfully, there was a large picnic shelter for us to ride out the thunderstorm. Almost an hour passed before we were able to begin our hike to Willow Falls.
The trails were a bit water logged at times.
The trail followed alongside Willow River.
Willow Falls
Across the river, a tall staircase awaited us. Of course, we had to see the overlook at the top. The climb is always worth it!
We went back down the steps and across the river towards the Pioneer Trail. The Pioneer Trail brought us up a slow incline towards the camping area.
The trail was muddy! It became a bit slippery at times. Thankfully, no one fell.
Hiking through pine trees is always a favorite. The smell is so relaxing and refreshing.
The wildflowers were gorgeous as we made our way through the prairie.
We stopped at Little Falls Lake to take in the view before ending our hike.
Today’s hiking adventure was 5 miles.
We hiked Ice Cave Park, which is part of Iowa’s State Preserves System, June 27th, 2024.
The main entrance to the park was closed so we hiked up the road towards the parking lot. As we hiked up the hill, we saw why the road was closed. Giant rocks fell from the bluffs taking over part of the road.
Mid-way along the road, a staircase appeared to our right. Of course we had to see what was at the top. A cave! The cave entrance was a bit too tight for comfort, so after a few photos we hiked on.
Once we arrived at the top of the hill, we noticed Dunning’s Spring Waterfall was just around the bend. The hike towards the waterfall was just as beautiful as the waterfall itself.
We followed the trail up the bluffs to an overlook of Decorah.
Wildflowers added a pop of color alongside the trail.
The trail led us to the beginning of the park’s entrance.
Taking a short break along The Upper Iowa River.
Our hiking adventure was 3 miles.
Today’s hiking adventure began at Minnehaha Falls.
Spring is officially here! The tulips and crabapple trees are blooming all throughout the park.
All the rain Minnesota has received lately was definitely noticed as we passed the fast flowing Minnehaha Creek.
The Minnehaha Falls
We took the steps down to hike the trails below. But first, we had to take in all the different views of the falls.
The trail followed along the Minnehaha Creek.
I find it amazing how many times I can hike an area and still find something new. The following map was located on a large rock. It has been there since 1969. Well, today was the first time I noticed it.
Nature’s colors were so vivid today.
We found lots of names carved into the sandstone.
The trail led us to a wooden bridge. We watched as the Minnehaha Creek emptied into the Mississippi River.
The Mississippi River
We decided to hike a new path up the side of the bluff. The Veterans Home was at the top. They have a beautiful campus. We crossed over the Veterans Home bridge.
The Ford Dam on the Mississippi River
We hiked the paved trail towards Coldwater Spring which is located between Fort Snelling State Park and Minnehaha Falls Park.
We made our way back to Minnehaha Falls Park.
Down the long staircase we went to hike the trail along the other side of the Minnehaha Creek.
A different view of the Veterans Home Bridge we crossed earlier.
The trail led us back to the Minnehaha Falls.
Today’s hiking adventure was 5 miles.
Today’s hiking adventure was at Quarry Hill Park.
We began our rainy day hike by the Quarry Hill Nature Center.
We hiked the paved trail past Harry L. Buck Children’s Pond.
There are a variety of trails to choose from at this park. Due to the rain it was a bit muddy and slick in places.
The fragrant wildflowers and blossoming trees captivated our senses.
Four deer appeared right next to where we were on the trail. With all the new growth it was hard to see them.
The trail had been nice and wide until we crossed over the creek.
We hiked the narrow trails through the forest area. Nature’s soundtrack was on point today. The birds were singing, the squirrels were playing, and the sounds of rain pitter pattering on the leaves was very therapeutic.
We arrived at the quarry. Due to all the rain, we were unable to hike down into the pit. A return trip later this summer is a must!
A trail led us around the quarry allowing us to take in all the different views.
Down the hill we went. It was a bit slippery in places.
Once back at the pond, we decided to end our hike due to being soaking wet and a bit chilly
Today’s hiking adventure was 3.1 miles.
Neaton Adventures 