Nevertheless the woods is breathtakingly thick and beautiful. If you buy the annual pass, it must be displayed in the lower passenger side window in your vehicle. Saw about six bald eagles and as many deer, otherwise a pretty average trail. Great River BluffsState Park29. Especially this time of year! The hiking club trail at Blue Mounds State Park takes visitors to the top of the cliff line. Be ready to dodge some dog poop. Well, did you know that you can step across the tiny creek that marks the beginning of the Mississippi River at Itasca State Park (which I chose as the. If you cant get enough of hiking in Minnesota and make it to all 75 state parks and recreation areas, you earn another free night of camping plus a personalized MN State Parks Passport Club plaque. The park is also home to a number of attractions, including a nature center and a playground. Great walk through the woods at night. Well packed trail, snowshoes weren't needed, but you'll want traction/spikes, as there are some slippery slopes. Sign up to receive our newsletter packed with the best adventure guides, travel ideas, news, and articles. Wild RiverState Park74. That means that if you purchase through a link, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. A Hiking Club password is found on all of these hikes. Are there bears in Blue Mounds State Park? It is absolutely gorgeous. There are about 80 bison that live on the prairie, with another 20-30 bison born each year. They have a good idea of the best viewing spots. Youll go past waterfalls, through woods and prairie, discover wildflowers, and maybe even spot wildlife. some downhill sections have ice underneath and require caution. (My email is on the contact page.) You should check it out: http://banjosandbogs.blogspot.com/. :). This meant that the snow wasnt packed down well. Easy trail. During the summer months, the top of the cactus is topped with bright yellow flowers. They are well labeled and hard to miss. Im very much a beginner but would still recommend this area for all levels. Minimal dirt and sticks on the track, but it was a bit icy. Great views today! This comment has been removed by the author. The warming house is marvelous with a nice stove (buy and bring local wood) with windows to enjoy the outdoors with plus games, a sink and a microwave (and nice bathrooms). They will mail it back to you with a stamp included. Kate is the writer of Pawsitively Intrepid. Great trail that is well packed for hiking shoes. Hiking at Blue Mounds State Park is one for the record books. Or which trail is under 2 miles for those just starting out? All rights reserved. Beautiful day, nice level trail, through the woods along the lake, and into open prairie. The hiking club trail at Blue Mounds State Park takes visitors to the top of the cliff line. I loved getting to explore some of the trails, including the bike area. Make sure to check out my newest guide on Enjoying the Hike Again. Ive got them broken out by distance from Minneapolis. Once you turn to head back to the parking lot, the trail nears the banks of the Kettle River. Beginning at the Trail Center, at the five corners intersection, turn left onto the Munger Boundary Trail. I plan on picking up a passport at our first park this year! Beaver Creek Valley State Park is located in the bluff lands of southeastern Minnesota and is known for its clear spring-fed trout streams. Their most well-known is Minneopa State Parks Bison Drive. It wasnt busy at all! When Glia and I visited on a warm winter day, the snow was slushy and wet and the first part of the trail was lightly trafficked. We believe good things come from people spending time outside. From the SaintCroix Lodge follow the trail west past of the Paint Rock Springs Campground and the Old Logging Trail Campground. Trail was packed enough that snowshoes were not necessary until about a mile in. A Hiking Club password is found on all of these hikes. Beautiful hiking here today, very low crowds because of the Super Bowl and the temps were around 40 with no wind and sunshine. Its amazing what you can do if you put your mind to it. Ill need to hit this one again soon. Some trails are 1 mile and some are 6 miles, but they all are beautiful and well worth the exercise. I'm very impressedand you must have been very tired! Taking Children This hike is well suited to including children. The loop is about a mile and a half long and crosses a road into an upland hardwood forest. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. After 12-16 inches of snow this week, snowshoes were needed. For me, this is where the real beauty starts. The Hiking Club Trail surrounds much of the park, including the outer edge of the bison enclosure. Crow WingState Park14. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is not liable for shipping delays, and lost or stolen packages. Does anyone know what it is? Hello! Some have even left their passport in the pay box outside the gate with a return envelope and requested a stamp. Thank you so much! There is usually a stamp in the self-serve area outside of the office or near the entrance to the park. function ml_webform_success_2607320(){var r=ml_jQuery||jQuery;r(".ml-subscribe-form-2607320 .row-success").show(),r(".ml-subscribe-form-2607320 .row-form").hide()} Clicking on them doesnt cost you anything. 5 Tips to Enjoy the Minnesota State Park Hiking Club Snowshoes not really needed - we just did it in our ice cleats. But the one thing they are missing is the MN State Park Trails. I spent so much time going to different state parks last year, that I figure I might as well pick up the kits this year and earn patches and free camping. But in her free time, she loves to hike and adventure with her dogs, Sasha and Glia. At 100 miles, youll get a free night of camping and if you can complete them all, youll get another night of camping plus anengraved plaque. Great trail, relatively level, and a fantastic view at the end. Nothing is worse than getting to the MN State Park only to find the office is closed. Saw only 7 The longest hiking club trails are 6.2 miles in length. Your email address will not be published. Welcome to This Big Wild World travel blog! Minneopa Falls, Bison and so much more at Minneopa State Park, 75 reasons to join the MN State Parks Passport and MN Hiking Club, Minnesota State Park Pass Hacks, Tips, and Free Days, 28 Fun Things To Do in Minnesota This Spring 2023, 28 FUN Things To Do During Winter in Minnesota, Everything You Need to Know Before Your First Polar Plunge Plus Tips, 21 FUN Things to do in Duluth in the Winter, White House Tour Experience: All the Details You Need Before Visiting. A Hiking Club password is found on all of these hikes. Why do they call it Blue Mounds State Park? If you want to skip the paved section, follow the red route, which is 4.25 miles. Just stop by the park office to get it stamped. Thankfully just to the side of the trail and not on it. You can earn patches, free camping, and even a plaque (if you hike all of the Hiking Club trails) for participating in the club. Very well groomed though, and lots of people out enjoying the area. CamdenState Park10. Whether youre looking for new trails to inspire you or a fun way to remember your adventures, the Minnesota State Parks Hiking and Passport Club is perfect for you! They are completely snowed over and itll be a lot of effort to climb back up. You can also try and spot them at the Bison Observation Tower near the park campground. window.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function() { If there is an issue with your order, email us at [email protected] within 3 days of receiving your order. All structured data from the file namespace is available under the. Whether youre looking for new trails to inspire you or a fun way to remember your adventures, the. I did the hiking club trail at Cascade River State Park yesterday with my dog and it got me interested in completing more hiking club trails with her and luckily I stumbled across this great guide! Its looking like that might be what my summer is all about at this point No complaints though! Canoe, fish, or swim on Snelling Lake or hike on Pike Island where the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers meet. WhitewaterState Park73. Another western Minnesota State Park, the hiking club trail at Buffalo River State Park provides both riverside and prairie hiking. All sales are final. Nice level trail, well packed, but spikes are probably still a good idea. William O'Brien State Park Upper Park Trail. Hiking Club Password Sign - Banning State Park, Minnesota, https://flickr.com/photos/87296837@N00/34340927883, Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 6.8 (Macintosh), https://www.flickr.com/people/87296837@N00, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic, https://www.flickr.com/photos/diversey/34340927883/, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Hiking_Club_Password_Sign_-_Banning_State_Park,_Minnesota_(34340927883).jpg&oldid=492361545, United States photographs taken on 2017-06-04, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Flash did not fire, compulsory flash suppression. I hope this gets you off on the right foot! Then you need a MN State Parks Passport or are you part of the MN Hiking Club? I highly recommend going either in the morning or evening hours to capture the sun on the cliffside. If its not at the park, you can mail in your passport to Park Office in St Pauls office and let them know the date you were there and that you could not get the stamp. MaplewoodState Park49. Explore Minnesota State Park Hiking Club Trails - view hand-curated trail maps and driving directions as well as detailed reviews and photos from hikers, campers and nature lovers like you. The Beaver Trail is soft snow packed. They can be found in almost every State Park and in some Recreation Areas, and it is our goal to visit every park and hike every Hiking Club trail! Learn more about how to apply the principles of Leave No Trace on your next outdoor adventure. Learn how your comment data is processed. That really is a bargain! When you complete a hike, just record the park you hiked at, the password, and the distance you hike. This storm toppled thousands of trees, so most areas along the trail are now quite open. just filled the random trail people made through the camps a bit after visiting the falls. The hiking club trail has a lot of breakaways and can easily be broken up into sections that are easier to manage. We only spend the day there, but we have an amazing time. Buffalo RiverState Park9. Snowshoe or spikes required. Greenleaf Lake State Recreation Area30. Segments of this hiking trail are shared with horses. Save it for later or share it on social media! Flat, but really rutted and icy right now. Ready to start collecting stamps? Check out Minnesota State Park Pass Hacks, Tips, and Free Days to find all the days. Be sure to ask the park staff for their tips on the best trails while youre getting your passport stamped. The next morning, around 7:30 we went back and could enjoy ourselves a little more. Savanna PortageState Park64. cross country skiied yesterday. Red River was interesting, but fun. Plenty of wildlife to keep your attention! Blue Mounds State Park got its name because some settlers moving through the Plaines in the 1860s and 1870s thought it looked like a blue mound off in the distance. This page was last edited on 17 October 2020, at 09:38. Stamp any piece of paper you can find and paste it into your book. Its worth checking to see if the parks near you have a similar program OR, of course, just come a hike the awesome Minnesota state parks . The Middle Falls Trail is spectacular. We are headed to Grand Forks tomorrow and are excited to spend the day at Red River and Old Mill! BUT absolutely worth the effort, such a beautiful hike, I would do it again in the same conditions again. Yaktraks are a must!! The Minnesota State Parks Hiking Club program encourages hikers to hike a designated Hiking Club Trail at most state parks. This file contains additional information such as Exif metadata which may have been added by the digital camera, scanner, or software program used to create or digitize it. This got reported a few times to the mods but I'm going to leave it. McCarthy BeachState Park50. The timestamp is only as accurate as the clock in the camera, and it may be completely wrong. A Hiking Club password is found on all of these hikes. I love finding others who are a part of it. Forestville/Mystery CaveState Park18. This is just the beginning of the summer. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development.

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