Minnesota – Page 5 – Neaton Adventures

Spring Lake Park Reserve-Hastings-Minnesota

April 8, 2023Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Mississippi River, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, Bison, exploring, Hastings Minnesota, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Minnesota, Mississippi River, Mississippi River Regional Trail, nature photography, Outdoors, Spring Lake Park Reserve3 Comments

Today’s hiking adventure began at Spring Lake Park Reserve.

Finally, the weather felt like spring! With the sun shining and the temperature decent, we began our hike on the Mississippi River Greenway Trail towards Schaar’s Bluff.

The park has recently added bison to the land. We were excited to catch a glimpse of them as we hiked by. Unfortunately, the bison were grazing out of sight. We continued on the trail hoping to catch them on the return trip.

The first bridge we crossed offered a great view of the Mississippi River and the valley below.

The trail curves and bends around the bluffs.

The view of the Mississippi River from an overlook.

This tree had a huge burl. We had to stop and get a closer look. The tree was completely hollow inside.

We reached Schaar’s Bluff. Thankfully, their Gathering Center was open. After looking around the center, back outside we went to take in another view of the Mississippi River.

Our plan was to turn around and head back, however, the day was too perfect to end our hike so soon. We carried on to the Lock and Dam #2. The trail led us past someone’s personal art sculptures. I made sure to take pictures of the bison sculptures in case we missed the real ones.

The trail led to one of my favorite places in Hastings. The trail cuts in between the Mississippi River and Lake Rebecca Park.

An eagle was on the edge of the ice on the river as it looked for a snack on the open water.

Lots of giant nests along the river.

Lock and Dam #2 was closed. After a quick rest we decided to head back to our starting point. As we hiked past an open farm field, we saw at least 24 deer run across it. I’m not sure where they came from or where they were going but WOW! That was a lot of deer. We also saw an owl take off from the ground. As soon as the owl landed, it must have turned its invisibility cloak on because… poof, it was gone. We were happy to have had other animal sightings since we were unable to see the bison, although, we were still hoping to catch a glimpse of them.

We found them! The bison were out grazing in the far end of the East Paddock. There were about 6 of them.

Today’s hiking adventure was our longest hike to date at 19.5 miles.

Sax-Zim Bog-Meadowlands-Minnesota

March 22, 2023Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, Birds, Bog, exploring, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Minnesota, nature photography, Outdoors, Pine Marten, Sax-Zim Bog, Winter5 Comments

We explored Sax-Zim Bog on February 19th, 2023.

Sax-Zim Bog is open from mid Dec through mid March. Owls, hawks and many other winged creatures spend their winters at the bog. The Welcome Center has maps which I highly recommend picking one up or downloading one from their website. They also list different locations where these winged creatures have been recently seen. There are many locations to drive to throughout the bog to look for birds. Who knew birds were so fascinating???

We started our adventure on the trails closest to the Welcome Center.

Bird feeders are located along the trails. It was really cool to see so many birds up close as they ate from the feeders. I am still learning the names of birds, so please correct me if I am wrong as I try to name the birds we saw. The first birds that greeted us were an Evening Grosbeak and a Hairy Woodpecker.

The clouds drifted away and the bright blue sky appeared. We hiked the trail alongside the creek.

We reached the road and decided to head back to the Welcome Center. A Pine Grosbeak landed just a few feet in front of me on a branch.

The feeders we passed earlier now had many Pine Grosbeaks snacking on treats. I never realized Grosbeak came in so many different colors.

We hopped back in the car to begin exploring more of the bog area. Our main goal for our visit was to see the Great Gray Owl and the Snowy Owl. Driving around we looked up and down the trees trying to spot these owls. We stopped at times to hike the trails along the way. At the Yellow-Bellied Trailhead, many Black-Capped Chichadees were flying around the bird feeders.

As we turned down one of the roads, we saw about 8 cars all lined up alongside the road. People were standing in the road with their incredibly long camera lenses taking photos of something. My excitement was overflowing as we got out of the car. We thought for sure we were going to see an owl. Instead, we saw a small brown creature climbing along the branches. Another guest of the bog informed us of what we were looking at, the elusive Pine Marten.

On our next stop we were visited by an adorable red squirrel.

Even though we never saw an owl, I highly recommend visiting Sax-Zim Bog during the winter months. The staff take the bird feeders down at the end of March before the bears wake from their hibernation.

Our friend, the Black-Capped Chickadee waved goodbye as we left the bog.

Fish Lake Regional Park-Maple Grove-Minnesota

March 18, 2023Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, exploring, Fish Lake, Fish Lake Regional Park, Fish Lake Trails, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Maple Grove, Minnesota, nature photography, Outdoors, Parks, Rice Lake, Winter4 Comments

Today’s hiking adventure began at Fish Lake Regional Park.

Burrr! This morning was so cold and the wind whipped through us as we began our hike. But, as true Minnesotans do, we persevered. With our Yaktrax on, we hiked the paved trail to Fish Lake.

Without a map present when we began our hike not knowing how long the trails were going to be, we decided to hike a bit on Fish Lake. We figured with spring approaching this may be our last chance to hike on ice.

The strong wind kept our hike on the lake short. Mini snow tornadoes blew past us. Back to the main trail we went.

After finding and looking over the two trail maps of the area, we decided to hike to Rice Lake.

We crossed over Highway 94 on our way to Rice Lake.

This winter Minnesota reached its 8th snowiest season on record. The wind caused snow drifts on parts of the trail. Need to rest? No worries, here is a bench for you to sit on.

Rice Lake turned out to be a beautiful lake to hike around.

I was so happy to catch a sun halo.

A few swans and a flock of geese were enjoying the open water.

The trail led us under Highway 94. We continued on the Medicine Lake Regional Trail.

The sun felt so nice on our cheeks. All the wonderful trees kept the wind at bay.

Today’s hiking adventure was 12.3 miles.

Battle Creek Regional Park-Maplewood-Minnesota

March 11, 2023Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, Battle Creek, Battle Creek Regional Park, exploring, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Minnesota, nature photography, Outdoors, Parks, Winter, Winter hiking2 Comments

Today’s hiking adventure was at Battle Creek Regional Park.

Snow. Snow. SNOW! Minnesota has gotten so much snow this winter. We shall rename our state Minnesnowta. Snow fell throughout our entire hike. It sure was beautiful though.

We started our hike through part of the dog park. Ski trails win during the winter months at most parks. Sometimes finding the winter hiking trails takes a bit of map reading, exploring unusual areas, and hoping for the best. Once on the other side of the dog park, we hiked for a bit on the paved trail.

The ice on the trail was definitely covered by the fresh snow. I fell once, then my cousin and I both fell at the same time. We had a good laugh and then put on our Yaktrax. The next photo cracks me up. This is my proof of my tumble.

The paved trail ended and we were then hiking on the side of the road. The park was on our right and we could see there was an unpaved trail up on the hill, but how do we get there? Well, we made our own trail. Up the hill we hiked, and we were not disappointed.

The unpaved trail looped us up and down the hills and through the forest. We jumped back on the paved trail once we reached Battle Creek. The fresh snow, the flowing creek, and the sandstone bluffs created a beautiful winter wonderland.

With the creek flowing next to us, we continued our adventure on the paved trail.

A bright red Cardinal graced our presence.

We continued on the paved trail until we reached our starting point.

Today’s hiking adventure was 6.4 miles.

St. Croix River Crossing Loop Trail-Stillwater-Minnesota

March 4, 2023Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, exploring, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Minnesota, nature photography, Outdoors, St. Croix River, St. Croix River Crossing Loop Trail, Stillwater, Winter2 Comments

Today’s hiking adventure began in Stillwater. The St. Croix River Crossing Loop is one of my favorite loops.

The sun tried to join our adventure today; however, it was a pretty cloudy day. We started the trail by the Stillwater Lift Bridge.

The St. Croix River appeared frozen over for the most part. We only noticed a few open areas of water. The snow was piled high alongside the trail.

The St. Croix Crossing Bridge can be seen in the distance. A gentle fog covered the bridge.

The entire loop is on a wide paved trail which makes sharing the trail with runners, and bikers so nice especially in the warmer months.

Hiking over the St. Croix Crossing Bridge offers beautiful views of the surrounding land. Snowmobile tracks could be seen below us on the frozen river. A few individuals were even on the river ice fishing with their car parked nearby them. It has been rather warm as of late during the day, I’m not sure walking or driving a car on a river is the best idea, but to each their own.

The trail continues across the bridge and into Wisconsin.

There is a steep hill on the Wisconsin side one needs to go down to loop back into Minnesota. We decided to stop and put on our Yaktrax so we didn’t slip and slide down the hill.

At the bottom of the hill, the trail continues across the Stillwater Lift Bridge.

Today’s hiking adventure was 5.4 miles.

Hegman Lake-BWCA-Minnesota

February 20, 2023February 20, 2023Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, BWCA, exploring, Hegman Lake, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Minnesota, nature photography, North Hegman Lake, Outdoors, Pictographs, South Hegman Lake, Winter2 Comments

On February 18th, 2023, we went snowshoeing on Hegman Lake.

Exploring northern Minnesota can be tricky due to the weather. Thankfully, we had a beautiful day to explore. We parked at South Hegman Lake Entry Point #77. A permit was needed to explore the area. We obtained a free permit at the parking lot. Unfortunately, we didn’t have a pen to complete the form. We searched the car and our backpacks and came up with nothing. Since the form was a carbon copy, I used my fingernail to complete the form and it worked! We placed the copy in the box and began our adventure to the lake.

We followed the trail down to the lake.

The view of South Hegman Lake was breathtaking.

Previous explorers left a nice trail to follow once on the lake. We had the whole lake to ourselves. I was a bit over taken with the beauty before my eyes and the silence of the land that tears began to flow from my eyes. As we walked in silence, we knew our souls were being replenished by Mother Earth’s glory.

At the north end of South Hegman Lake we briefly hiked over a small piece of land towards North Hegman Lake.

Giant boulders surrounded the lake. The melting snow from above the rocks created mini waterfalls.

Along the boulders we found the 500-1000 year old pictographs created by the Native Americans. The pictographs can only be seen from the water. One has to enter by canoe in the summer or ski/snowshoe during the winter to see the historic site.

We continued our snowshoeing adventure around North Hegman Lake and looped back to our starting point.

The lake was now full of people beginning their adventure to the pictographs. We were very thankful we began our adventure early to have the lake all to ourselves. My cousin shot this photo of me thanking the sky above for an amazing adventure!

Afton State Park-Hastings-Minnesota

February 5, 2023Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Minnesota State Parks, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, Afton State Park, Candlelight hike, exploring, Hastings, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Minnesota, Minnesota State Parks, nature photography, Night hiking, Outdoors, Parks, Winter5 Comments

Last night’s hiking adventure was at Afton State Park.

We pulled into the park and there was a line of cars at the front office. One would have thought we were pulling into a nightclub. Since we already had a parking pass, we flew by all the cars in the VIP lane. I had to park in the overflow overflow parking lot. We were not surprised to see so many people wanting to experience a night hike. The moon was full, the trail was lit by candlelight and the temperature was decent. The sunset was gorgeous last night. The sky looked like it was on fire! By the time we began our adventure just a sliver of light was left in the sky.

The first part of the trail was smooth with a few icy spots.

There was a bonfire about a half mile into our adventure.

The next part of the hike was a little less smooth. The snow was soft and thick. One moment we are hiking on the snow, the next moment your foot falls through the soft snow causing you to trip. Everyone was making funny sound effects and laughing when slipping through the snow. At one point my right leg went deep into the snow and bam on my knees I went. We got lots of laughing in last night.

We decided to hike the trail twice due to it being a short loop. The moon was amazing!

I absolutely loved all the candles lighting our way.

I highly recommend taking in a candlelit night hike. Our hiking adventure was 4 miles.

Black Dog Trailhead-Burnsville-Minnesota

January 22, 2023Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, Black Dog Trail, Burnsville, exploring, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Minnesota, Minnesota River, Minnesota River Greenway, nature photography, Outdoors, Parks, WinterLeave a comment

Today’s hiking adventure began at Black Dog Trailhead.

We hiked the Minnesota River Greenway alongside the Minnesota River. The trail began just shy of the Highway 35 W bridge and follows the river to the Cedar/Highway 77 Bridge. A squirrel greeted us as we began our adventure.

The Minnesota River was partially frozen.

Besides a light dusting of snow at times, the paved trail was nice and clear of snow and ice.

Black Dog Lake Overlook

Across the river from us, we could see many people riding their fat tire bikes along the river bottom trail.

We hiked up to Cedar/Highway 77 Bridge and turned around back to our starting point.

The trail passes by the Xcel Energy Power Plant.

Several eagles perched in the trees above the river looking for a snack.

The Highway 35 W bridge can be seen in the distance.

Today’s hiking adventure was 8.5 miles.

Purgatory Creek Park-Eden Prairie-Minnesota

January 14, 2023Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, Eden Prairie, exploring, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Minnesota, nature photography, Outdoors, Parks, Purgatory Creek Park, Staring Lake, Winter, Winter hiking1 Comment

Today’s hiking adventure began at Purgatory Creek Park.

We hiked Purgatory Creek Park this past summer and loved it! So of course, we had to see how everything looked covered in snow. Wow! We were not disappointed. A happy face greeted us as soon as we hit the trail.

The paved trail was covered in ice. Thankfully, we had our Yaktrax in our bags so we slipped them on. It was our first time wearing our Yaktrax and we could not believe how amazingly they worked.

We veered off the main trail towards a narrow bridge which crossed over part of the lake. Most of the lake was frozen except near the bridge.

Back on the paved trail, it was interesting to see leaves still on the trees.

We took another detour off the main path. There was a narrow walkway that led to an overlook of the wildlife area.

We continued our hike towards Staring Lake.

We hiked on the frozen Staring Lake.

The trees looked so beautiful covered in snow. At times, a gentle breeze would blow the snow off the trees which would catch the sunlight creating a glittery winter wonderland all around us.

We hiked back to our starting point crossing over the partially frozen creek.

Today’s hiking adventure was 7.4 miles.

Big Rivers Regional Trail-Mendota Heights-Minnesota

January 7, 2023Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Minnesota State Parks, Mississippi River, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, Big River Trail, exploring, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Lilydale Regional Park, Minnesota, nature photography, Outdoors, Parks, Robert Piram Regional Trail, Winter2 Comments

Today’s hiking adventure began at the Big Rivers Regional Trailhead.

After a week of heavy snowstorms, it felt great to get outside while the sun was shining. The temperature was a bit cool at -1 as our adventure started.

Big Rivers Trailhead has an amazing year round view of the Minnesota River and the airport. Planes were flying low overhead coming and going from the airport.

The paved trail was freshly plowed.

Giant snowballs gripped the branches of the trees. It gave the appearance of fluffy cotton balls.

The trail continued through the small town of Mendota.

Frozen water cascaded down the side of the rocky cliffs.

The confluence of the Mississippi River and the Minnesota River at Pike Island

Train tracks lay parallel to the Big River Trail at times. A long train passed by us as we hiked.

We reached the Lilydale trailhead and decided to hike the Robert Piram Regional Trail.

Tree branches were covered in snow. The snow shimmered in the sunlight.

We decided to turn around and head back to our starting point.

Once back at the Big Rivers Trailhead we took in another view of the Minnesota River.

Today’s hiking adventure was 10 miles.

Best of 2022-Minnesota

December 31, 2022Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Minnesota State Parks, Mississippi River, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, Best of 2022, exploring, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Minnesota, Minnesota State Parks, nature photography, Outdoors, Parks, Photography, Winter, Winter hiking3 Comments

This past year, my cousin and I hiked 36 Minnesota State Parks and 30 different Parks and Trails. Whether it was raining, snowing, or the sun was shining…we hiked. Our hiking adventures accumulated to a total of 348 miles in 2022!

Minnehaha Falls-Minneapolis

Crow-Hassan Park Reserve-Rogers

Cottage Grove Ravine Regional Park-Cottage Grove

St. Croix State Park-Hinckley

Elba Fire Tower-Elba

Great River Bluffs State Park-Winona

Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park-Preston

Myre-Big Island State Park-Albert Lea

Blue Mounds State Park-Luverne

Broken Down Dam Park-Fergus Falls

Lake Shetek State Park-Currie

Upper Sioux Agency State Park-Granite Falls

Big Stone Lake State Park-Ortonville

Glacial Lakes State Park-Starbuck

Sibley State Park-New London

Flandrau State Park-New Ulm

Charles A. Lindbergh State Park-Little Falls

Crow Wing State Park-Brainerd

Quarry Park and Nature Preserve-Waite Park

Banning State Park-Sandstone

Salem Hills Park-Inver Grove Heights

Theodore Wirth Regional Park-Golden Valley

Louisville Swamp-Shakopee

Happy New Year! Cheers to more adventures in 2023!

Athletic Park-Chaska-Minnesota

December 17, 2022Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, Athletic Park, Carver, Carver Creek, Chaska, Chaska Unit, exploring, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Minnesota, Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge, nature photography, Outdoors, Parks, Rapids Lake Unit, Winter2 Comments

Today’s hiking adventure began at Athletic Park.

We hiked the Levee Trail alongside the Chaska Unit which is part of the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge.

Our recent snowstorm this week created a beautiful blanket of white snow throughout the State of Minnesota. Snow gently topped the Sumac and icicles shimmered in the sun.

Along the trail we found a park next to the Carver Water Tower with old metal playground equipment. It had an old school merry-go-round! We had to take it for a spin. After a few long laughs, we continued on our hike.

The Minnesota River was partially frozen.

Carver Creek Loop was the next trail we hiked.

The crisp white snow created a stark contrast along the shoreline of Carver Creek.

Clouds covered the sky for most of our hike however, the sun tried to make an appearance.

Rapids Lake Unit at Bluff Park was our next destination. We continued along the Carver Creek Loop trail. The trail went from a few footprints and fat tire tracks on the trail to having only one set of footprints in the snow and then no footprints. We followed some animal tracks on what appeared to be a trail. A few miles in, we saw a sign stating we were on the Rapids Lake Trail.

We decided to turn around and hike back to the Carver Creek Loop. I’m not sure why the trail is labeled as a loop since there is no loop. Our off the beaten path adventure allowed us to see three deer prancing, a flock of swans fly overhead, and best of all…hear the silence of the winter forest.

Today’s hiking adventure was 9 miles.

Louisville Swamp-Shakopee-Minnesota

December 10, 2022Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, exploring, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Louisville Swamp, Mazomani Trail, Minnesota, Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge, nature photography, Outdoors, Parks, Shakopee, Winter1 Comment

Today’s hiking adventure was at Louisville Swamp.

We hiked the Mazomani Trail through the Louisville Swamp.

Our first stop was to take in the view at the Bluff Overlook.

The trail followed alongside the Louisville Swamp creek.

Eventually, we had to make a decision to cross over the creek or turn back around. We decided to jump on the rocks and ice to the other side. Of course I had to stop midway to take pictures.

Our next stop was to explore Jab’s Farm. The house was made from sandstone in 1880.

Back on the trail again.

Our next find was a GIANT boulder.

The mushrooms didn’t seem to mind the snow.

Mother Earth always seems to amaze us! We found wild cucumber pods. They appeared to decorate the trees like holiday ornaments. We also found a sweet tiny new branch growing from a stump.

We crossed over the Louisville Swamp creek several more times on the trail. Thankfully, there were bridges.

A blue jay flew by and landed long enough for me to snap its photo.

Today’s hiking adventure was 7 miles.

Theodore Wirth Regional Park-Golden Valley-Minnesota

December 4, 2022Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, Bassett Creek, exploring, Golden Valley, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Minnesota, nature photography, Outdoors, Parks, Theodore Wirth Regional Park, Winter4 Comments

Today’s hiking adventure was at Theodore Wirth Regional Park.

Wow! This park was packed by 9 am. There were many people cross country skiing, hiking, and biking along the trails. It took us a minute to figure out where the non paved hiking trails were. We decided to hike up the steps to get a better perspective.

The first trail we hiked was the Conundrum Trail. This trail ran parallel to Bassett Creek. The creek was partially frozen. Frozen snow formed stars on the top of the ice covered creek.

The snow covered trails were beautiful.

Snow blanketed the trees. We found some giant trees on the trail and some fallen trees that are now home to the woodland critters.

The next trail we hiked was the 45 North Trail. It brought us by the railroad tracks. We found some colorful graffiti under one of the bridges.

We hiked the Theodore Wirth Parkway for a bit. The park was making snow for the ski trails. The trees close by were covered in the fresh snow.

Along the parkway, downtown Minneapolis could be seen in the distance.

Today’s hiking adventure was 4.8 miles.

Carver Park Reserve-Waconia-Minnesota

November 20, 2022Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, Carver Park Reserve, exploring, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Lundsten Lake, Minnesota, nature photography, Outdoors, Parks, Waconia, Winter1 Comment

Today’s hiking adventure began at Carver Park Reserve.

Winter is here! We bundled up this morning to fight off the morning chill. On went our winter coats, hiking boots, hats, gloves and even extra warm pants. After a week of cloudy and snowy weather, it sure was nice to have the sun out today.

The snow crunched under our feet as we hiked the trail. I always forget how loud winter hiking can be.

We hiked to an overlook. Lundsten Lake is in the far distance.

The trail led us to a section of Lundsten Lake where the lake was on both sides of the trail.

The trail continued through the woods. Another angle of Lundsten Lake appeared. The lake almost looked frozen.

There were a lot of hills on the trail. We definitely got our cardio in today. Towards the end we could feel the extra energy we were exerting with all the winter gear we were wearing.

Today’s hiking adventure was 4 miles.

Kaplan’s Woods Parkway-Owatonna-Minnesota

November 6, 2022Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, exploring, Fall, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Kaplan's Woods Park, Lake Kohlmier, Minnesota, nature photography, Outdoors, Owatonna, Parks, Straight River2 Comments

Today’s hiking adventure began at Kaplan’s Wood Park.

The temperature was a cool 44 degrees and the sun was beginning to shine as we began our adventure. Thick leaves layered the unpaved trail.

Pumpkins were scattered throughout the park for the critters.

There were maps throughout the park, however, they were not incredibly helpful. The different trails seemed to wind around the forest haphazardly. At times we wondered… “have we been on this trail already?”

Our mushroom friends helped us remember which trails we had been on before.

Raindrops laid gently on the leaves from last night’s rain.

Straight River flowed through the park.

We left Kaplan’s Woods and hiked to Lake Kohlmier. The wind was so strong it almost blew us into the lake from the dock.

The bridge brought us to a small island. Ducks were swimming all around us and the geese could be heard gossiping with each other in the distance.

Today’s hiking adventure was 6.6 miles.

Salem Hills Park-Inver Grove Heights-Minnesota

October 22, 2022Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, exploring, Fall, Fall colors, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota, nature photography, Outdoors, Parks, Salem Hills Park4 Comments

Today’s hiking adventure began at Salem Hills Park.

The end of October is always bitter sweet. We are in the season of letting go. There are more leaves on the ground than on the trees. Fall colors are beginning to fade and the air is getting cold. Today though, may have been the perfect fall day. The sun was shining, the temperature was warm, and there was a cool breeze blowing.

The park is made up of unpaved shared hiking and biking trails.

Hiking through the birch tree groves was incredible. The changing colors of the leaves popped alongside the white bark.

The trail led us to a small pond.

Mushrooms were enjoying the weather too!

The trail looped around the park offering an amazing view of the spectacular fall colors.

Today’s hiking adventure was 5.3 miles.

Banning State Park-Sandstone-Minnesota

October 15, 2022Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Minnesota State Parks, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, Banning State Park, exploring, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Kettle River, Minnesota, Minnesota State Parks, nature photography, Outdoors, Parks3 Comments

Today’s hiking adventure began at Banning State Park.

The weather was a cool 34 degrees as we started our hike. Mother Nature’s glitter coated the forest floor.

We hiked on the freshly fallen leaves towards Wolf Creek Trail.

Rocks jetted out from the forest floor along the trail.

Large boulders intermixed with the trees.

We arrived at Wolf Creek Falls.

Our adventure continued on a trail that was not labeled. Fall color popped everywhere we looked.

The green moss covering the rocks was so vibrant.

Large cliffs loomed above us. At times, we may have been on a deer trail, however, we continued on the small path before us.

We reached the Kettle River. What a sight!

We reached a dead end at a giant boulder along the river. We thought about getting into the river and wading around the boulder but due to the cold weather we decided that was a bad idea.

We backed up a bit and climbed up the cliffs. After catching our breath, we continued along a trail we found. After a few minutes on the cliff trail we looked below and saw another trail closer to the river. The trail looked too adventurous to pass up. So, down the cliffs we went.

The trail led us under giant boulders.

We found these cool potholes. Not sure if they were made by the flowing river or if they were man-made.

Hell’s Gate Trail was the name of the trail we were on. It was an absolute blast and hard as hell.

Today’s hiking adventure was 4.7 miles.

Point Douglas Park-Hastings-Minnesota

October 8, 2022Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Mississippi River, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, exploring, Hastings, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Minnesota, Mississippi River Regional Trail, nature photography, Outdoors, Parks, Point Douglas Park, Point Douglas Regional Trail, St. Croix River1 Comment

Today’s hiking adventure began at Point Douglas Park.

Brrrrr! It was a cold start to our adventure. Fog danced on top of the two merging rivers: St. Croix River and Mississippi River.

We left the park hiking on Point Douglas Regional Trail.

We crossed the Hasting Bridge where the mighty Mississippi River flowed under us.

Hastings majestic City Hall appeared as we exited the bridge and continued our hike on the Mississippi River Regional Trail.

A quick stop at Lake Rebecca offered a colorful view.

A giant eagle perched above us looking down at the Mississippi River waiting for its next meal.

Turkey vultures soared above us.

Some rested on a tower.

Our next stop along the trail was Lock and Dam #2.

Just after the Lock and Dam #2, the trail led us to a wider view of the Mississippi River. Here we decided to turn around and hike back to Point Douglas Park.

Fall is a magical time of year. The leaves are so colorful and the mid-morning sun warmed us from the cool air.

The train tracks were getting used today! We saw many trains pass by us on the different railways.

As we approached our starting point we decided to cross the Fort Douglas Bascule Bridge and hike into Prescott, Wisconsin. We took in the view of the BNSF Lift Bridge that was built in 1984 for trains to cross over the river.

We hiked to the end of Point Douglas Park taking in the view from the beach.

Today’s hiking adventure was 12.3 miles.

Swede Hollow Park-St. Paul-Minnesota

October 1, 2022Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Mississippi River, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, Bruce Vento Regional Trail, exploring, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Indian Mounds Park, Minnesota, nature photography, Outdoors, Parks, Samuel H. Morgan Regional Trail, St. Paul, Swede Hollow Park3 Comments

Today’s hiking adventure began at Swede Hollow Park.

By descending down a long staircase, we started our adventure.

Swedehenge, a large stone exhibit, encompassed the lower level of the park. Informational historic markers lined the trail explaining the timeline of the park’s history.

We hiked out of Swede Hollow Park on the Bruce Vento Regional Trail.

We hiked under E. 7th Street through a very intriguing stone tunnel.

The bright colors of fall began to whisper through the greenery.

Downtown St. Paul and our State Capitol appear in the distance.

It was then on to Indian Mounds Park.

The park resides on the cliffs which offers great views of downtown St. Paul, the Mississippi River, and the train tracks below.

The fall colors were exploding as we hiked the trail through the park.

We continued our hike on the Samuel H. Morgan Regional Trail. The trail led us closer to the Mississippi River.

We hiked by the cliffs we were standing on earlier.

We continued hiking alongside the river passing under the Lafayette Bridge, Robert Street Bridge, and Wabasha Street Bridge. In order to loop back to our starting point, we hiked through downtown St. Paul capturing some fun photos along the way.

As we hiked along E. 7th Street, we passed by a fabulous neighborhood art exhibit.

Today’s urban hiking adventure was 10.5 miles.

Quarry Park and Nature Preserve-Waite Park-Minnesota

September 24, 2022Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, exploring, Fall, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Minnesota, nature photography, Outdoors, Parks, Quarries, Quarry Park and Nature Preserve, Waite Park5 Comments

Today’s hiking adventure began at Quarry Park and Nature Preserve.

Ah, the crisp fall air felt wonderful as we began our hike into the park. There are many different unpaved trails throughout the park that weave around the 20 different quarries. Saint Cloud Red Granite was quarried from the land with operations ending in the mid 1950’s. Quarry Park and Nature Preserve opened in 1998. Along with hiking, biking and skiing, people are able to swim, SCUBA dive and rock climb in designated areas.

Old mining equipment can be found throughout the park. My favorite was the gigantic granite saw blade.

Giant rock piles are seen all over the park. The mining term for these piles is Grout Piles.

One of the grout piles had an observation deck at the top.

The quarries are stunning. The water mirrors the landscape that surrounds it.

Along with the amazing quarries, the park offers wonderful trails through wetlands and prairies.

The quarries created a humid environment which the mushrooms appeared to enjoy.

The leaves are just beginning to change.

Today’s amazing hiking adventure was 8.4 miles.

Myre-Big Island State Park-Albert Lea-Minnesota

September 7, 2022Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Minnesota State Parks, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, exploring, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Minnesota, Minnesota State Parks, Myre-Big Island, nature photography, Outdoors, Parks1 Comment

We hiked Myre-Big Island State Park on July 14, 2022.

Our hiking adventure started on the Big Island Trail which looped around the island.

Big Island’s plant life was a vibrant green. Surrounding the island was the cool water of Albert Lea Lake.

We crossed the causeway to the mainland where we hiked the Bur Oak Trail to the Great Marsh Trail.

A beautiful black swallowtail graced us with its presence.

We made our way to the Blazing Star Prairie Trail. This trail was HOT! The July summer sun beat down on us. The view though made the heat worth it.

The wildflowers were loving the sun!

Briefly, we hiked the White Fox Trail to the Plum Trail until we reached the causeway again.

A curious deer greeted us when we returned to Big Island.

Mushrooms were beginning to take over a tall tree stump which created an intriguing sight.

Our hiking adventure was 8 miles.

Oakdale Nature Preserve-Oakdale-Minnesota

September 5, 2022Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, exploring, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Minnesota, Minnesota Lakes, Mud Lake, nature photography, Oakdale, Oakdale Nature Preserve, Outdoors3 Comments

Today’s hiking adventure began at Oakdale Nature Preserve.

The crisp fall air is beginning to settle in for the season. Time to bring out the flannels and long sleeves. We started our adventure on the paved trails.

A lone tree began to change its colors.

Splashes of color from the still blooming wildflowers lined the trail. A squirrel even posed for a photo.

The boardwalk allowed us to cross Mud Lake. It provided a calm area for the ducks to relax.

We even found a Fairy Village!

While hiking the non paved trails, mushrooms popped out at us.

Today’s hiking adventure was 4.8 miles.

Sakatah Lake State Park-Waterville-Minnesota

September 3, 2022Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Minnesota State Parks, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, exploring, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Minnesota, Minnesota State Parks, nature photography, Outdoors, Sakatah Lake State Park, WatervilleLeave a comment

We hiked Sakatah Lake State Park on July 14th, 2022.

Our hiking adventure began early on a Thursday morning. The sun was brightly shining and the birds were singing. We started our hike on the Sumac Trail.

The Sumac Trail led us to the Oak Tree Trail.

We crossed over a little creek. It appeared to be more of a puddle than a creek though.

Briefly, we hiked the Sakatah Singing Hills State Trail. We found a small frog on the paved trail. To keep it safe, we moved it to the side of the trail so it wasn’t squished by the many bikers that passed by.

The Wahpekute Trail allowed us to hike alongside Sakatah Lake.

We could tell we were the first people of the day to hike the trail. Hundreds (ok maybe not that many but it felt like it) of thin single strand spider webs crossed the trail which made for an itchy hike.

Looping back onto the Oak Tree Trail we found several beautiful mushrooms.

Our hiking adventure was 3.3 miles.

Maplewood State Park-Pelican Rapids-Minnesota

August 20, 2022Posted in Adventure, hiking, Minnesota, Minnesota State Parks, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, UncategorizedTagged Adventure, exploring, hiking, Hiking Adventures, Maplewood State Park, Minnesota, Minnesota State Parks, nature photography, Outdoors, Parks, Pelican Rapids3 Comments

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.