Our adventure began near the Visitor Center. Different varieties of sculptures were placed around the trail.
This was my favorite sculpture. The morning sun made the sculpture appear to glow.
As we rounded the corner, a tiny dog appeared out of the corner of my eye. As I was getting ready to run towards it, I thought for sure it was frozen solid. Thankfully, it was a metal dog. Jokes, people got jokes!
Now, once again, I see something out of the corner of my eye laying down in the snow. It must be another sculpture, right? Nope! There were at least 6 deer laying down in the snow. My photos of the deer are not the best, however, it was a cool experience to see them.
The next sculpture was kept company by a happy snowman.
The cold wind whipped across Silver Lake.
A large wooden bridge allowed us to cross Silver Lake to the nearby island. We looped around the island.
We found another fun sculpture as we made our way back to the Visitor Center.
The sun was shining brightly above as we began our hike in -4 degree temperatures. My weather app said the “feels like” temp was -20. Yup! I agree, it is cold but dang, it is beautiful out.
We followed the trail from the parking lot towards Blackhawk Lake.
Lots of small animal footprints decorated the snow atop Blackhawk Lake.
We crossed over the bridge quickly due to the wind.
My cousin and I had the park to ourselves. Our boots crunching on the snow made for a loud hike. We scared all the squirrels and birds away, lol.
Morning sunrise
After looping around the lake we decided it was best to stop for the day. Our eyelashes were coated with frost.
We hiked the Bass Lake Hiking Trail on January 31st, 2025.
We were a bit hesitant to begin our hike as we saw the trail was shared by snowmobilers. Thankfully, the share trail was rather short, and we were able to veer off quickly.
The day was absolutely beautiful!
The snow coated the ground like a warm blanket.
Up, Up, Up the cliffs we went. The views were breathtaking.
We could hear Dry Falls trickling down through the rocks under the snow. Only a bit of unfrozen water at the base of the falls.
Snowmobile trails could be seen across Bass Lake.
Dry Lake Trail became a bit tough to hike as it appeared less used. We decided to hike across Dry Lake to see if we could catch the trail on the other side. The view did not disappoint!
We made our way across Dry Lake to Little Dry Lake. From there, we reconnected with the trail. Up the cliff, down the cliff and back to our starting point.
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.
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.
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 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 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 was at Bassett Creek Park.
Minnesota was hit with a snow storm earlier this week. Today might be our last hike with snow coverage before it melts for the season.
We hiked along the nicely paved trails crossing over Bassett Creek.
The trail looped around Bassett Creek Pond.
Once on the east side of the pond, we left the park to cross over Highway 100.
Briarwood Nature Area, in the city of Golden Valley, greeted us on the other side of the highway.
We looped around Briarwood Nature Area, crossing over Bassett Creek again.
The clouds dissipated as we made our way back to Bassett Creek Park. We hiked up the snow covered hill on the west side of the park. At the top of the hill, the tall buildings in Downtown Minneapolis could be seen in the distance.
Two snowmen waved us on as we passed by.
As we made our way back to our starting point, we hiked a very muddy trail alongside Bassett Creek.
Today’s hiking adventure was at Murphy-Hanrehan Park Reserve.
Minnesota received a nice coating of snow this week. Thankfully, we were able to enjoy a hike before all the snow melted.
Frost formed on downed sticks and leaves. Nature never seems to stop amazing me.
The park was rather quiet today. We didn’t see any wildlife however, we could hear a nearby woodpecker and we saw lots of footprints that were left in the snow.
If you are looking for a park with lots of hills, this is your park! I also like all the small lakes they have close to the trails too.
We closed out the loop and made our way back to our starting point.
I was excited for today’s hike. The sun was shining and it finally snowed! It was a bit cold, 9 degrees with a real feel of -3, but who cares??!! We have snow!!!
The trail led us to Minnehaha Creek. We climbed up the side of the hill to cross over the bridge next to the railroad track. Once on the other side of the creek we followed the trail alongside the creek.
We could hear the water flowing under the partially frozen Minnehaha Creek.
We looped back under the bridge we previously hiked over and followed the trail alongside the railroad tracks.
I love catching the rising sun through the trees.
The trail led us across the creek.
An old fireplace.
We continued along the trail by the creek.
We looped back under the railroad bridge and followed the creek for a bit. An ice covered sign was posted that showed we were at the site of the old St. Albans Mill, a flour mill that operated in the 1880’s.
Listening to the water trickling under the ice is so peaceful.
We decided to turn around and hike back to our starting point.
Today’s hiking adventure was at Westwood Hills Nature Center.
Our hike began on the paved trail towards Westwood Lake.
Westwood Lake appeared to be frozen over. The wind whipped across the ice making it feel colder than it really was.
When presented with a staircase, climb it! There was a wooden overlook at the top of the staircase. We took in the view and then went back down the stairs to continue our hike around the lake.
The trail closest to the lake brought us to a long floating boardwalk. Returning to this park in the summer is a must. I can only imagine all the turtles, frogs, ducks and other winged creatures that will surround the boardwalk.
After hiking around the lake, we hiked the upper trails near the interpretive center. We found lots of turkeys throughout the park. Another hiker informed us the 160-acre park has 59 turkeys! Let me tell you, those turkeys were having a grand time gossiping with each other because they were noisy.
A giant woodpecker landed on a tree right in front of us. I couldn’t snap a photo fast enough to capture its greatness. Several of the trees bore evidence of their presence though.
We looped around the upper trail before heading back to our starting point. As we neared the interpretive center, a family of gnomes made an appearance.
Two large wildlife sculptures made their home in front of the interpretive center.
Today’s hiking adventure began at Colby Lake Park.
The sun is still hiding, but that doesn’t stop us from hiking a new park. The temperature was just above freezing, so thankfully the paved trail didn’t have any ice on it.
Birds were singing, squirrels were chasing each other, and even a bunny was hopping by. I think our small wildlife friends are liking these warmer temperatures too.
Colby Lake began to appear through the trees.
We crossed the road and followed the Old Afton Trail around a small body of water before looping back towards Colby Lake.
We hiked out onto the dock at Colby Lake. Footprints could be seen in the ice near the dock.
We closed the loop around Colby Lake and made our way back to our starting point.
Last night’s hiking adventure was at Lake Elmo Park Reserve.
Our hike by candlelight under the full moon was challenged by the misty, foggy, and warm weather. None the less, it was a great outing.
Due to the wet weather, candles were not an option along the trail. The park strung lights sporadically alongside the trail to help hikers stay on the correct path. When the lights were not present, the trail was dark and a bit spooky.
The fog laid heavily on Eagle Point Lake.
Very little snow was present due to the unusually warm weather Minnesota has had this week. The only trail photos I was able to capture were of the few places snow was still present. The photos look a bit eerie.
The trail led us across a luminated bridge.
We looped back to our starting point and checked out the bonfire.
Last night’s adventure was a hike by candlelight at Nerstrand Big Woods State Park.
There is something magical about hiking in the freezing cold, at night, by candlelight. The sky was crystal clear, the almost full moon and stars sparkled above us, and the world around us was quiet.
The fragrant scent of the roaring bonfires radiated throughout the park.
The candlelight trail was very family friendly and not terribly long, so all ages could enjoy themselves. We hiked the trail twice before calling it a night. At the park office, a friendly ice snowman greeted us.
Today’s hiking adventure began at West Palmer Park.
A light dusting of snow gently covered the trail as we began our hike.
We diverted from the Palmer Lake Trail to follow along Shingle Creek on the Shingle Creek Regional Trail towards Brookdale Park. The ducks were enjoying the open waters of the creek.
Brookdale Park has a nice looping trail that follows alongside Shingle Creek.
We spotted a deer across the creek from us. It was so still I thought for a minute it was a statue. As soon as our eyes adjusted to the brown landscape, we began to notice several more deer were lying down camouflaged by the tall dry grass.
We continued to hike around Brookdale Park crossing over Shingle Creek again.
After closing the loop at Brookdale Park, we made our way back to the Palmer Lake Trail. I loved seeing the little footprints in the snow of the wildlife throughout the park.
Once again, we diverted from the Palmer Lake Trail to hike the Shingle Creek Regional Trail.
We crossed over Highway 94/694.
On the other side of the highway was Centennial Park. This park also has a short looping trail that follows alongside Shingle Creek.
After closing the loop at Centennial Park, we made our way back to Palmer Lake.
Growing up, I used to rollerblade and bike around this area with my brother and friends. I haven’t been to these parks since I was a teenager. It was interesting to see how the trail system and parks nearby have changed for the better.
Today’s hiking adventure began at Lake Susan Park.
We hiked the Riley Creek Trail. Our goal was to hike past 3 different lakes and cross over Riley Creek several times.
Crossing over Riley Creek for the first time.
It finally snowed!!! We were the first people on the trail this morning. The only other foot prints were from squirrels and rabbits.
We left Lake Susan and followed the trail across Highway 212.
Part of our hike was through neighborhoods. We didn’t mind though, the houses were beautiful! We passed by a giant snowman. The snowman looked like he was waving us on as we passed by him.
At times, we did need the help of Google Maps. Not a lot of signage, but we persevered as we made our way towards Lake Riley.
Crossing over Riley Creek for the second time.
The freshly fallen snow gently coated the trees.
We made it to Lake Riley.
We continued along the trail towards the next lake, Rice Marsh Lake.
Just before we crossed under Highway 212, someone left a cute art display with Riley Creek as a backdrop. The happy taco won over my heart.
We arrived at the third lake, Rice Marsh Lake.
Our third and final time crossing over Riley Creek.
We crossed through a tunnel on our way towards Lake Susan.
We made it back to Lake Susan.
Today was our last hiking adventure of 2023. We hiked 9.2 miles.
We hiked Fort Snelling State Park December 23rd, 2023.
Our hiking adventure began at Picnic Island.
We saw numerous deer having their morning breakfast as we made our way along the trail.
We got an up-close view of the Mendota Bridge.
The busy beavers are at it again. Boy, they do not like flowing rivers, do they?
The air was foggy and thick. The Mendota Bridge cast a surreal reflection on the calm Minnesota River.
Two eagles were perched atop the tree across the river.
We continued along the trail around Picnic Island.
We found an eagle’s nest. They aren’t hard to miss now that the trees are bare.
A hornet’s hive fell from the tree above. Pretty cool to see how detailed their hives are.
The fog laid heavily like a blanket across Snelling Lake.
I have hiked all over Fort Snelling State Park over the years, yet this was the first time I hiked around Snelling Lake. The squirrels made lots of noise on this side of the lake. They were digging through all the leaves looking for snacks and chasing each other around.
As we made our way back to our starting point, I noticed a pink flamingo just off the shoreline of the Minnesota River. My cousin looked at me like I was crazy and said “A what…? Where?” Ha! I never said it was real.
Today’s hiking adventure began at the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge, the Long Meadow Lake Unit.
We hiked the Long Meadow Lake Trail.
The wildlife refuge is surrounded by office buildings, the airport, Mall of America, hotels, and apartments however, all those buildings seem to fade away the further along the trail one goes.
The trail followed alongside the Minnesota River. Eagles perched high in the trees above us. We saw several of their giant nests too.
We continued along the trail towards Highway 77.
Once on the other side of the Highway 77 bridge, the trail became much narrower.
Beavers definitely made their mark on some of the trees. We even spotted several hornet nests.
Some of the trees had a vibrant green moss growing on them.
River trails are some of our favorite trails. The bikers with the fat tire bikes seem to enjoy them too.
We crossed over a few small creeks.
We reached another highway and stopped to look at the map. At this point we could turn around and head back to our starting point or we could continue along the river trail. Well, the river trail won 2-0.
We crossed under Highway 35W.
Several different trails caught our attention, but we decided to return and hike those in the near future.
With all the open fields, we were surprised we didn’t see any deer.
Now birds, we saw so many different types of birds throughout our hike… Eagles, Cardinals, Geese, Ducks, small blue birds, and so many more! Someday I will learn the names of those birds too. Unfortunately, they fly so darn fast I couldn’t get a good photo of them.
We did find some mushrooms though.
The trail led us towards a creek.
In order to stay on the trail, we needed to cross over the creek. Thankfully, we found a way. Not sure if it was a beaver dam, but it worked. We carefully made our way across the creek. The small hill on the other side doesn’t look so big however, it was super muddy and with each step up, we would slide down.
As we continued our adventure, an old broken down wooden bridge appeared across the river from us.
The cold damp weather began to seep into our bones. We decided to end our adventure and call for a ride back to our starting point.
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.
Neaton Adventures 