Today’s hiking adventure began at Spring Lake Park Reserve at the Schaar’s Bluff Trailhead.
Early morning hikes are getting a bit chilly in Minnesota, especially today, with the clouds overhead and at times light rain drizzling down. Hiking a paved trail was the way to go today.
We decided to hike the trail towards the Hastings Lock and Dam No. 2. Some of the trees are still holding onto their colorful leaves.
We found several patches with these mushrooms along the side of the trail.
The trail led us past lots of farmland.
This part of the trail was absolutely gorgeous.
Lock and Dam No. 2.
We hiked to downtown Hastings before heading back to Schaar’s Bluff.
This part of the trail has always been my favorite. Hiking between the waterways is so calming and peaceful.
Today’s hiking adventure was at Mississippi Gateway Regional Park.
Our hike began at the newly built Treetop Trail.
The Treetop Trail was about .25 of a mile.
We followed the trail under the walkway. A few turkeys stopped for a visit.
Coon Rapids Dam
I always enjoy walking across the dam. One side of the bridge, the Mississippi River is smooth as glass and on the other side the water is thrashing through the dam.
We continued hiking the trail on the Coon Rapids side of the dam.
This is a magical tree. I might have to stop back for a visit once the fall colors are vibrant.
Today’s hiking adventure was at Lilydale Regional Park.
Minnesota was hit with lots of snow this past week. Thankfully, we have had some warmer temperatures so most of the snow has melted. With that said, we wanted to hike a paved trail. Lilydale trail was perfect!
Pickerel Lake had several geese enjoying the rising sun.
Old and new train tracks could be seen alongside the Mississippi River.
Mississippi River and Downtown St. Paul in the near distance.
Hiking under the High Bridge/Smith Ave.
One of the poles on the dock had writing on it. I zoomed in to see if I could read what was written on it. It has water levels going back to 2013.
We hiked through Harriet Island Regional Park towards Raspberry Island.
Today’s hiking adventure was at Minnehaha Falls Park.
Minnesota received a wonderful blanket of fluffy snow this week. The temperature has been staying pretty cold, too. With that said, I knew Minnehaha Falls would look amazing and it did!
We hiked across Highland Bridge taking in the view of the Mississippi River below.
Getting to the trails along the river is a bit tricky in the winter. The park closes off the staircases leading down to the trails. We jumped over their “suggested closure” and carried on with our hike.
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.
Today’s hiking adventure was at Fort Snelling State Park.
We hiked at one of my favorite places, Pike Island. The island is surrounded by the Minnesota River and Mississippi River.
As we made our way to Pike Island, we spotted several deer having their morning breakfast.
To access Pike Island, one has to cross a small bridge with the Minnesota River flowing below.
The trails are nice and wide around the island.
The Minnesota River
We made our way to the sandy shores of the island where the Mississippi River and Minnesota River meet. Lots of people were fishing out on their boats enjoying the beautiful morning.
The Mississippi River was to our left and the Minnesota River was to our right.
We continued along the trail following alongside the Mighty Mississippi River.
Today’s hiking adventure was at Frontenac State Park.
The weather in Minnesota has begun to change, again. It was a bit chilly this morning with the temperature in the low 30’s. The wind whipped around us, keeping us on the move.
Our adventure began on the Riverview Trail. Golden leaves paved the way towards the Mississippi River Overlook.
We veered off the paved trail to hike the Upper Bluff Trail. It was hard to see where the trail was at times due to all the fallen leaves.
We took in another overlook of the river as we made our way towards In Yan Teopa Rock.
In Yan Teopa is a giant rock with a hole in it. The view from the overlook allowed us to view only the top of the rock.
As we made our way down towards the Lower Bluff Trail a sign was posted warning people of the rough terrain ahead. Spoiler alert, the trail was rough, but definitely worth it.
In Yan Teopa came into view as we made our way down the bluff. An amazing sight!
Down down down we went…
Large boulders were coated with a vibrant green moss. We really enjoyed the contrast of colors on this hike.
We made our way down to the river.
Nature always astounds me! Check out this interesting rock and design in the trunk of a tree we found.
Finding the trail was tricky at times.
So many large boulders made their home along the bluff.
We continued along the trail and eventually made our way back down to the river.
More interesting designs were found in the trees located by the river.
Up the bluffs we went. There was a bit of a human traffic jam as we made our way up. Everyone was stopping to rest and breathe. I, too, was one of those people trying to catch my breath. The only photos I took on the way up were of the colorful leaves on the ground.
Near the top, we passed through the former Frontenac Quarry.
We enjoyed all the views of Lake Pepin which is a lake on the Mississippi River.
We hiked the Downtown Minneapolis River Trails on October 2nd, 2023.
Our hiking adventure began at B.F. Nelson Park. We followed the paved trail towards Boom Island Park. Boom Island is no longer an actual island, its back channel has long since been filled in. Logs used to float down the Mississippi River past the island towards the saw mills that the St. Anthony Falls powered.
Views of Downtown Minneapolis appeared through the trees.
We crossed over the walking bridge towards Nicollet Island.
We hiked up the stairs and followed the sidewalk on Nicollet Island towards St. Anthony Main. Fall is beginning to make its presence known.
We made our way towards the 3rd Avenue Bridge.
Once on the other side of the 3rd Avenue Bridge, we took in the view of the St. Anthony Falls.
The lower trails brought us to Hennepin Island. I found this to be a very interesting place to explore. We found large metal pieces and possibly an old tunnel. The adventure side of my brain always kicks in when I see tunnels. I always want to know what is inside the tunnel!
We continued exploring Hennepin Island. We found a Dam. The amount of wood at the bottom of where the water was rushing down was impressive especially since I don’t think beavers created the Dam.
There are two bridges on the lower trails. Even though both bridges brought us to dead ends, it was worth the visit. It was an interesting perspective seeing the old buildings on St. Anthony Main from such a lower point of view.
The second bridge we crossed had an amazing view of the Stone Arch Bridge. I have never seen the Stone Arch Bridge from the shoreline.
As we crossed over the Stone Arch Bridge, we could see Hennepin Island. I have to wonder, how many times have I crossed this bridge and I never paid any attention to the hiking trails on Hennepin Island before.
The view from the Stone Arch Bridge is always beautiful.
Once on the other side of the Mississippi River, we began the loop back to our starting point. The Hennepin Avenue Bridge and the Grain Belt Beer sign are historic sites to see.
Boom Island Lighthouse with views of the Plymouth Avenue Bridge and Downtown Minneapolis.
We hiked Schoolcraft State Park on August 17th, 2023.
Our hike began from the picnic area parking lot.
The trail led us towards the Mississippi River.
The trail quickly diverted from the river and into the forest.
The gigantic trees towered over us. The cool wind graced our senses with an intoxicating aroma from the pine trees.
This park is the perfect place to escape from the busy world. It brought perspective to how small we are in this enormous world. The photo below is of my cousin hiking in the near distance. She looks so small compared to the trees around her.
The landscape began to change as more wildflowers and ferns began to appear along the trail.
The trail led us to a wonderful view of the Mississippi River.
As we neared our starting point, we hiked out onto a dock to take in more amazing views of the mighty Mississippi River.
Being established in 1891, Itasca State Park is the oldest state park in Minnesota. The park encompasses 32,690 acres making it the second largest state park in Minnesota. I had to crop the summer map down to show the trails we hiked.
Our adventure began on the Ozawindib Trail near Douglas Lodge.
The tall trees towered above us. Mother Earth’s colors were so vivid.
There are more than 100 lakes at Itasca State Park. The first lake we encountered was Mary Lake. Mary Lake offered stunning views.
We continued hiking on Ozawindib Trail.
We diverted from the Ozawindib Trail to hike the Crossover Trail which led us to Deer Park Trail.
Myrtle Lake began to appear through the trees.
This next lake I am not too sure of the name. It is one of the following three lakes; Deer Park Lake, Fallstad Lake or Coffee Break Lake. Either way, it sure was gorgeous.
We decided to sidetrack from Deer Park Trail when we saw the sign for Aiton Heights Trail. A fire tower? Oh yes, we had to climb it!
Allen Lake and Kasey Lake were along the Aiton Heights Trail as we made our way to the tower.
The fire tower is 135 steps to the top and 100 feet tall. The views from the top of the tower were AMAZING!
Now that our adrenaline was pumping, we began our hike back on Deer Park Trail towards Douglas Lodge.
Our hiking adventure was 4.8 miles.
Our next adventure at Itasca State Park was a boat ride on Lake Itasca. I was very excited for our boat tour. Lake Itasca Tours did a wonderful job explaining the landscape, wildlife, and early explorers.
Lake Itasca Tours brought us close to the Mississippi River Headwaters before heading back.
Our final adventure at Itasca State Park was at the Mississippi River Headwaters. It’s interesting what excites me as I get older. I felt like a little kid on Christmas morning. I almost ran down the trail as we made our way towards the beginning of the Mississippi River.
We made it! Seeing the headwaters of the Mighty Mississippi River was an amazing experience. Of course, we had to cross over this mighty river’s beginnings.
The trail back to the Mississippi River Headwaters Center offered many views of the small yet magnificent river.
Another bucket list adventure crossed off the list!
We hiked La Salle Lake Scientific and Natural Area on July 15th, 2023.
There is something wonderfully magical about early morning hikes. With the morning dew gently resting on the leaves and a crisp smell in the air, it’s almost an intoxicating experience.
The first half of the trail is behind a fenced in enclosure. In 2012, this area lost many of their Jack Pine Trees due to a windstorm. The enclosure helps protect the young Jack Pine that were planted from hungry deer.
While hiking on the narrow trail, we noticed the abundance of flowers and berries that were growing. Without the deer being present, the plant life has really been able to flourish.
As we reached the end of the trail, a beautiful valley appeared. In the distance we saw a narrow river flowing by. It was the Mississippi River. I could not believe my eyes! I am used to seeing a wide, swift, and mighty Mississippi River. The river before me was none of that! A nearby sign stated the beginning of the Mississippi River is only 7 miles from where we were standing.
After a moment of feeling awestruck, we began our hike back to our starting point.
My cousin finished the hike well before me. I just had to stop and take photos of all the plant life.
Today’s hiking adventure began at Fort Snelling State Park.
We parked by the Thomas C. Savage Visitor Center and began our hike towards Pike Island. Let me backup a bit, this past winter Minnesota experienced its 3rd snowiest winter. This past week, the weather was in the high 80’s which meant the snow melted fast! As we neared the bridge to cross over to Pike Island we noticed…well…as you will see in the picture below, the bridge was surrounded by water. Since we didn’t have a canoe, we needed to change our hiking plans.
We decided to hike the paved trail towards Coldwater Spring. The weather was cool and rainy. It sure was nice to see little bits of spring beginning to pop out.
In the distance, we could hear running water. We exited the paved trail and began to explore the unpaved trails. A mini waterfall surrounded by colorful graffiti appeared.
As we entered Coldwater Spring, more signs of spring began to appear.
We continued to hike the unpaved trails towards Minnehaha Falls.
The Mississippi River was flowing fast. Areas that were normally dry were now flooded.
The trails led us up and down the cliffs. The heavy snow storm we had a week ago did lots of damage. Many trees were down, thick branches were snapped, and even the cliffs weren’t immune to the damage.
The trail close to the river was underwater, so back to the paved trail we went. The Ford Parkway Bridge can be seen in the distance. There is an island in the middle of the river. Currently it is under water, however, you can still see the tops of the trees.
We took the staircase back down to the trails closest to the river.
The water is close to the top of this bridge’s archway.
The trail crosses under the Steel Bridge also known as the Minnesota Veterans Home Bridge.
The closer we got to the Minnehaha Falls the louder the rushing water became.
Minnehaha Falls
As we looped back towards our starting point, more signs of spring began to appear.
We crossed over an old bridge and down an old staircase. The trail at the end of the stairs was flooded.
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.
The Riverview Trail has a rating of difficult due to the 592 steps one needs to take straight up the bluff to Mount Charity Overlook.
On a hot, sunny and humid summer day we took our time climbing up those stairs. We saw glimpses of what the top of the bluff might offer the higher we climbed.
We made it to the top of the bluff! The overlook was worth the climb. The view of the mighty Mississippi River was magnificent.
Lock and Dam #5 can be seen in the distance.
What goes up must come down.
Our hiking adventure was 592 steps straight up the bluff.
Today’s hiking adventure began at Grey Cloud Dunes Scientific and Natural Area. Grey Cloud Dunes SNA is a type of sand-gravel prairie which is rare in Minnesota. We were very careful to stay on the trail so we did not damage the sensitive landscape.
Spring is definitely here! The dirt trails were surrounded by bright green grass. Little baby leaves were beginning to grow on the trees all around us.
The trail led us under the train tracks and to a beautiful open prairie.
As we hiked closer to the Mississippi River we came across several small ponds. The water and grass appeared so vibrant in color.
The Mississippi River offered beautiful views as always.
Along the trail, the trees were magnificent.
We crossed back over the railroad tracks and began our climb to the upper part of the prairie.
The higher view offered a beautiful view of the river below.
After hiking the Grey Cloud Dunes SNA, we continued our hike to Hazen P. Mooers Park. Mooers Lake connects to the Mississippi River. We crossed over the bridge and continued our hike on to Lower Grey Cloud Island.
Once on the island, we noticed there was a Sand and Gravel Mine. They had a huge excavator bucket on display at the beginning of their entrance.
The turquoise colored water next to a mining operation is always interesting to see.
Today’s hiking adventure began at Kaposia Landing.
The paved trail we hiked was called the Robert Piram Regional Trail. The trail offered views of the Mississippi River and many trains.
The sky turned dark and rain began to downpour on us. Lightning flashed across the sky in front of us as the thunder crashed. We decided to stay the course and continued on. Thankfully the storm passed quickly.
On the trail, we passed an old car not far from the railroad tracks.
We hiked past the St. Paul Airport. Downtown St. Paul can be seen in the photo below.
Harriet Island Regional Park was our next stop.
We crossed the Wabasha Street Bridge into downtown St. Paul. Smith Avenue High Bridge can be seen in the distance.
Downtown St. Paul has some great old buildings.
We even found Snoopy!
On the north side of the Smith Avenue High Bridge was a small sculpture garden. The green chair weighs 2,500 pounds!
Crossing the Smith Avenue High Bridge offered beautiful views of the Mississippi River and downtown St. Paul.
The High Bridge Overlook was the next stop on our hike, which is on the south side of the Smith Avenue High Bridge. Eagles could be seen soaring below scanning the river for their next meal.
Being an urban explorer offers the advantage of stopping for a snack. We decided to walk down Wabasha Street towards several restaurants. We passed the Wabasha Street Caves. They offer cave tours and host other events. Around the corner from the Wabasha Caves we found a cave entrance that was closed, however, it offered us a peek inside.
Tacos for the midday snack! Charlie Brown greeted us as we walked towards the entrance.
We continued our hiking adventure down Cesar Chavez Street until we reached the Robert Piram Regional Trail. Once back at Kaposia Landing we crossed the bridge over the railroad tracks to see Simon’s Ravine Trailhead. We decided to tackle that trailhead another day. They have a beautiful sculpture at the Simon’s Ravine trailhead.
Today’s hiking adventure started out on the West River Parkway in Minneapolis.
We began our hike on the paved path, however, we quickly found our way walking down the stone steps to the river trail.
The trail we were on was called The Winchell Trail.
Due to the recent rain and snow we had, the river trail was muddy and slippery at times. We were even able to see some icicles along the rocks.
The trail brought us to the Locks and Dam #1. Unfortunately, the observation deck was closed for the season. This allowed us to see several different views of the Ford Parkway Bridge.
Once on the other side of the Ford Parkway Bridge, we continued our hike along the river trail in St. Paul. We found two waterfalls along the trail. The first waterfall was still frozen.
The second waterfall we saw is called Shadow Falls. The waterfall trickled down the side of the rockbed.
The limestone bluffs offered great views of the Mississippi River.
The river trail continued to the Lake Street-Marshall Bridge.
We decided to continue our hike past the Lake Street-Marshall Bridge to the Franklin Bridge. The paved trail offered views of the Short Line Bridge and the Franklin Bridge.
We jumped back on the Winchell Trail after crossing the Franklin Bridge. We were able to hike under the Short Line Bridge which allowed us a close view of the giant metal pieces it was constructed from.
White Sands Beach was the next destination on the trail. The sand was very fine and soft to the touch.
We continued on the trail back to our starting point.
After another week of rain and snow, the cold weather finally moved out creating a perfect sunny day for a hiking adventure. We began our hike at Crosby Farm Regional Park. We spotted eagles, ducks, geese, and even a grey heron along the shores of Crosby Lake as we hiked the paved trails towards the Mississippi River.
The Mississippi River trail offered beautiful views of the river. We also found several trees and rocks painted with red hearts and other graffiti along the river trail.
The trail brought us to Hidden Falls Regional Park. The actual Hidden Falls is hidden off the main trail, hence its name. The falls eluded us last summer, however, today we found our way.
Hidden Falls Creek flows into the Mississippi River. Parts of the creek were still covered in a thick sheet of ice.
We climbed the old rock steps by the falls to the Mississippi River Boulevard Parkway. Hiking the river road allowed us to loop back to our starting point, giving us a different perspective of the river below. Downtown Minneapolis and Fort Snelling can be seen in the distance in the photos below.
We made it back to our starting point at Crosby Farm Regional Park and decided to continue our hiking adventure a little further. The trail allowed us to cross the Mississippi River along the Highway 35 E bridge. Downtown St. Paul can be seen in the distance.
We found a dirt trail alongside the highway and decided to see where it would lead.
The trail led us to the underside of the 35 E Bridge. We found a cool view of the belly of the bridge and some colorful graffiti.
We began our hiking adventure at the Mississippi Gateway Regional Park. The trail quickly led us to the Coon Rapids Dam. The Mississippi River roared through the dam.
Crossing the bridge over the dam offered beautiful views of the Mississippi River. The river was calm on one side of the dam and turbulent on the other. The cold wind whipped around us as we made our way across the dam.
Once on the other side of the dam, we hiked a portion of the Mississippi River Regional Trail. The brilliant blue sky reflected off the river creating a stunning view of the mighty Mississippi.
About a mile into our hike on the Mississippi River Regional Trail, the trail closed due to bridge repairs. On our way back to the dam, we looped around the still frozen Cenaiko Lake. Even though it didn’t feel like spring, we could see some green grass beginning to grow.
We crossed back over the dam and continued our hike on the river trail. The ice gathering along the side of the river was amazing to see.
Today’s hiking adventure was a little over 6 miles long.
We began our hiking adventure at Woodland Trails Regional Park. The sun was shining brightly down on us as we ventured out on the trails. A thin layer of ice coated the trails making for a slippery start to the day. Our first trail was the Prairie Loop due to it being mostly clear of snow and ice.
We tried walking on the snow covered paths for a bit, however, the ice on top of the snow made for a dangerous commute.
The Great Northern Trail crossed through the park. Being it was paved and mostly clear of ice, we jumped on it and began hiking out of the park.
After a few side road detours, we hiked into the Historic Downtown Elk River. Downtown offered beautiful views of the Mississippi River and their cool water tower.
Several murals were painted on the buildings. We even came across an elk!
On the loop back to our starting point, we visited a small Veteran’s Memorial, crossed over railroad tracks and hugged a giant tree.
Today was a beautiful day for a 9 mile hiking adventure!
This morning’s hiking adventure began at the Swing Bridge Park Trailhead.
I began by taking in the view from the Rock Island Swing Bridge that was built in 1894. The bridge no longer extends across the Mississippi River as it is now a recreational pier.
Further away from the shore, the frozen river began to break apart into giant sheets of ice. The warm sun shimmered across the water as eagles soared above looking for their next meal.
As I began my hike along the Mississippi River Regional Trail, I could hear birds singing, and the trees creaked as the wind blew through them.
The trail offered several places to rest and overlooks to view the mighty Mississippi.
The Wakota Bridge/494 Bridge appeared in the distance stretching across the Mississippi River.
The trail went under the Wakota Bridge. I had to wait for a long train to pass by before I could make my way towards the top of the bridge.
The Mississippi River mirrored the brilliant blue sky as I crossed the Wakota Bridge.
With the sun shinning brightly and the temperature a chilly four degrees, today was meant for a wintery hiking adventure. The cloudless sky was as blue as the ocean. Our adventure started at Fort Snelling State Park by the Thomas C. Savage Visitor Center. Several inches of fresh snow covered the trails. With the Mississippi River to our right, we hiked the trail heading towards the Minnehaha Falls which led us to several beautiful sites.
Coldwater Spring was the first site. The creek was lightly flowing with snow and ice surrounding the edges. The rising steam from the water shimmered through the rising sun. The old Coldwater Spring house and reservoir is a beautiful place to visit during the winter months.
We continued along the trail which offered views of the Ford Dam and an old incinerator.
Minnehaha Falls in the winter is breathtaking. The water appears frozen in time enabling it to capture different shades of blue. It was eerily quiet as we walked around the falls.
Our final site on this hiking adventure was the Historic Fort Snelling buildings. The old stone appeared as cold as the crisp whispering winds swirling past us. The hiking loop we traveled was 6.5 miles long, a beautiful winter sight seeing adventure.
Neaton Adventures 