Hiking adventures and photography
We hiked Lake Louise State Park June 26th, 2022.
Our hiking adventure began and ended on the Wildwood Loop Trail.
We hiked alongside the Little Iowa River and Lake Louise.
The forest was so lush and green.
Our hiking adventure was 1.2 miles. As we were heading back to our car a beautiful bright blue butterfly landed at our feet.
Never underestimate a short hiking adventure. Sometimes, it leads to the best eye candy.
We hiked Beaver Creek Valley State Park on June 25th, 2022.
Our hiking adventure began on the Beaver Creek Valley Trail. The trail followed the winding Beaver Creek. This allowed us to cross over the creek several times on our hike. The creek is well known amongst people who fish for its brown and native brook trout.
The air was as thick as the fog that clung closely to the top of the creek. A mysterious, almost eerie scene was cast before our eyes.
The wide, well maintained trail led us to a large open prairie that was surrounded by a dense forest.
Our hiking adventure was 3.7 miles.
We hiked Great River Bluffs State Park on June 25, 2022.
The rain poured as we began our hiking adventure. We followed the King’s Bluff Trailhead to the King’s Bluff Overlook.
The light fog and rain created a mystical environment. We felt like we were walking into an enchanted forest.
The ground was a bit muddy at times. Thankfully, Mother Earth provided natural traction as we hiked up the hills.
The plants and flowers were soaking up the rain.
Fog gently danced around the top of the trees.
The overlook was breathtaking! The Mississippi River can be seen in the distance.
Our hiking adventure was 2.6 miles.
We hiked to the top of the Elba Fire Tower on June 24th, 2022.
The Elba Fire Tower was built in 1936 by the Civilian Conservation Corps. There are 637 steps to the base of the fire tower. Thankfully there are several places to stop and rest along the way up.
The view from the base of the tower alone was worth the climb.
The Elba Fire Tower is 110 feet in the air and over 100 steps to the top.
A little butterfly offered encouragement as we climbed to the top.
The view from the top of the tower was worth every step! Such a spectacular view.
Our hiking adventure was over 700 steps straight up the bluff.
We hiked Whitewater State Park June 24th, 2022.
Our hike began on the Coyote Point Trail. The trail is rated difficult which we soon learned why. As soon as we crossed over the Middle Branch Whitewater River the trail went straight up the bluffs.
The trail began to level off the higher we went. First we reached an open prairie, then took a quick hike through the woods, and finally reached a gorgeous view from the bluffs.
We hiked down the Dakota Trail. This offered an amazing view of the giant stone bluffs from a different angle.
The Dakota Trail ended by the Nature Store. We stopped in for a refill of cold water and began the Meadow Trail. We crossed back over the Whitewater River. Colorful wildflowers popped out among the vast amount of greenery.
The Valley Trail led us to a small section of the Dakota Trail we hadn’t hiked before, so back up the bluffs we went to the Coyote Point Trail, and then back down to our starting point.
Our hiking adventure was 5.6 miles.
We hiked St. Croix State Park June 3rd, 2022.
As we drove into the park, we noticed that the main park office was 5 miles off the highway. Wow, this park must be gigantic was our first thought. Yep, it is!! St. Croix State Park is the largest state park in Minnesota at over 33,000 Acres!
Our first stop was the Fire Tower. The Fire Tower was built in 1937 by the Civilian Conservation Corps. With 134 steps to the top and 100 feet tall, we were up for the challenge.
As soon as we cleared the top of the trees, a gust of wind hit us and our adrenaline kicked in. No stopping now, we had to make it to the top. We continued our climb to the top for a breathtaking view.
With a rush of energy, we were ready to begin our hiking adventure. We drove to the St. Croix Lodge to hike the trails closest to the St. Croix River. Behind the lodge we found a trail leading down to the river.
The River Bluff Trail was the next trail we hiked.
There were a couple of interesting nature finds on this hike. The first, a tree completely burned to a crisp surrounded by other lush trees. Second, we found a communal nest of caterpillars… kind of cool, kind of gross.
The River Bluff Trail offered wonderful views of the St. Croix River below.
Beautiful trees, wildflowers, mushrooms and tall prairie grass kept our spirits high.
The River Bluff Trail led us to the historic ruins of the Civilian Conservation Corps camp.
The bugs began to attack, so we looped back on the River Bluff Trail back to our starting point.
Today’s hiking adventure was 5 miles.
Neaton Adventures 