Fort Snelling State Park/Minnehaha Falls Loop-Minnesota

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. 

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Pine Bend Bluffs Scientific and Natural Area-Inver Grove Heights-Minnesota

Today’s hiking adventure started at the Pine Bend Bluffs Trailhead in Inver Grove Heights. The temperature was in the lower teens and the wind was mild as we embarked on our hike. At times we could see the Mississippi River to our left as we walked south on the paved trail. Eagles soared above us. The recent snowfall made it hard to find the trails that led to the Pine Bend Bluffs Scientific and Natural Area. With a push from our intuition, we decided to follow a deer trail. Eventually we found signs confirming we were on a trail. As we made fresh footprints in the snow, the view of the mighty Mississippi appeared in the distance over the bluffs. The view was majestic. The frosty temps and our rosy cheeks hastened our decision to end our hiking adventure of a little over 7 miles for the day.