River

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Frontenac State Park

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What's this!? Topography in Minnesota? The beautiful hills of Frontenac State Park.

The Drive: Although Frontenac State Park is the second park I've written about to be in the blufflands of southeastern Minnesota (Whitewater being the other), it is the first that has really allowed me to drive through the area on one of these trips. The route takes you along the Minnesota-Wisconsin border on WI-35 through rolling hills, high cliffs, and a series of (seemingly) mountainous river bluffs. The most distinguished of which is Barn Bluff in Red Wing, what remains of an ancient island in the massive Glacial River Warren. If you do a day trip to Frontenac, make sure to stop in Red Wing, the town famous for its boots, pottery, and my relatives (shout out to the Red Wing Whitsons). On a summer day the Barn Bluff hike is a great side trip. Frontenac is just a few minutes south of the town along the river.

Feather on the shores of Lake Pepin at Frontenac State Park

The Park: The 3000 acre park is located on the west shore of Lake Pepin, the widest and arguably most scenic section of the Mississippi River (and also the birthplace of waterskiing). A major flyway for migrating birds, ornithologists have counted as many as 260 different species of birds in the park. Only about half the park is accessible by trails and I would fairly arbitrarily divide that half into three sections. The first part is the river front. There is trail that cuts right along the bluff and goes down to the banks of Lake Pepin. You also get to see In Yan Teopa Rock - a religiously significant landmark to the American Indians in the area. The second area is the the inland region where the hiking club trail is located. In my opinion this is the most scenic section (and where most of these pictures are from). Finally there is Point au Sable (Sandy Point), the sight of an old French trading post on the far side of the town of Frontenac. If you have time, visit all three areas as they each offer a unique experience in the park.

Birch trail with a dusting of snow at Frontenac State Park  

The Hike: On my first visit to Frontenac, we just hiked the riverfront trail and I wasn't too impressed, so I wasn't thrilled to be going back to check out the Hiking Club Trail. I am pleased to say, however, that the Hiking Club Trail well exceeded my rather low expectations. The trail starts at the main parking lot and immediately turns away from the river. It is a hilly trail, traversing forests and fields on its 2.7 mile loop through the park. About half way through there is an overlook of the river valley that I imagine would have been spectacular vista in fairer weather. Unfortunately, the thick fog left a blank canvas where the view should have been (but made for great pictures otherwise). Also keep your eye out for the three 1960's era cars mysteriously abandoned in a ravine on the way. Like most Hiking Club trails, this hike would be great at any time of year, but as long as you don't mind being a little wet and cold (and true hikers don't), it's hard to beat a foggy autumn afternoon during the first snowfall of the year.

Cumulative Miles Hiked: 58.1

Cumulative Miles Driven: 2610

Arbitrary Rating 4/5 (3/5 +1 for a foggy day)

Biome: Eastern Broadleaf Forest

Region: Blufflands

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Jay Cooke State Park

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The rapids on the St. Louis River at Jay Cooke State Park. Believe it or not, we saw people kayaking over these and even larger cascades. 

The Drive: There have historically been two routes to Jay Cooke State Park (and Duluth) from Minneapolis. The first, fastest, and most traveled is I-35. And while this stretch of 35 is one of the most beautiful sections of interstate highway in the country, it's still a giant interstate highway lined with billboards and gas stations. The second route is a section of MN Hwy 23 known as Veterans Evergreen Memorial Scenic Drive. Splitting off from 35 in Sandstone, 23 passes through idyllic Northwoods towns like Askov and Finlayson before passing into the wilderness between the Twin Cities and Duluth. It offers amazing views of the St. Louis River Valley as well as a number of smaller rivers. However, if you want to reach Jay Cooke today, do not take the beautiful Scenic Driver. Because of the Great Duluth Flood (I invented that name) a few years ago that inundated the zoo, compromised roads, and washed away the iconic swinging bridge at Jay Cooke, the access road from Hwy 23 is closed indefinitely. My friend and I found this out to our dismay on our most recent trip up when we were forced to drive through Duluth and backtrack down 35 to reach the park, adding over a half an hour to our drive. Was it worth it to see Hwy 23? Maybe if I'd never have another chance, but if you are a regular North Shore visitor, take it on a day you plan to skip Jay Cooke and avoid repeating our mistake.

It's called a swinging bridge at Jay Cooke State Park and maybe it started out that way, but today it's mostly just a regular foot suspension bridge.

The Park: Jay Cooke State Park has always been a favorite of mine and is one of Minnesota's most popular state parks. Created from land donated by Jay Cooke, the famous Civil War financier (who also caused one of America's worst depressions when his financial empire collapsed), the 9000 acre park sits at the southern extent of the great taiga that covers nearly a third of North America. It is home to north woods animals like timberwolves, black bears, deer, and pine martins and the wild river and asperous rock outcroppings give it the kind of wilderness feel you always imagine, but so rarely actually experience in parks so close to urban centers. The St. Louis River and the newly rebuilt swinging bridge across it are the stars of Jay Cooke, but a jaunt along some of the trails and into the forest reveal that Jay Cooke has much more to offer. The mixed birch-pine forest, so characteristic of northeastern Minnesota, takes on rugged, primeval essence when set against the background of the untamed St. Louis River valley. There are several hike-in sites that allow you to truly experience the park - in the woods and away from other people.

The Birch and Aspen groves at Jay Cooke State Park can only be seen by leaving the riverbanks. 

The Trail: I admit that I hadn't explored Jay Cooke beyond the river before I did the Hiking Club Trail. Fortunately the 3.5 mile trail gives a good overview of what the park has to offer, even if it only covers a small portion of it. Begin the trail at the visitor center parking lot. You'll start by crossing the swinging bridge, over the rapids. If you're lucky, you may see kayakers braving the whitewater and waterfalls on their way down the St. Louis, but don't try it yourself unless you are a very experienced whitewater kayaker or have no sense of self-preservation. The rest of the trail is a big loop following the Silver Creek Trail, so you can choose whichever direction you want to go, but I suggest starting by following the river east. You get to see the river calm down a bit and widen as it makes its way to Lake Superior. The trail then turns south from the river through groves of birth and aspen and comes to a point overlooking Silver Creek. You'll continue through the forest, up and down some major hills, and eventually end up back at the river. And follow the river back to the swinging bridge.

Cumulative Miles Hiked: 55.5

Cumulative Miles Driven: 2406

Arbitrary Rating: 5/5

Biome: Laurentian Mixed Forest

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Minnesota Valley State Recreation Area

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Historic Home in the Minnesota Valley State Recreation Area. 

The Drive: This park had the distinction of pushing me over both 50 miles hiked and 2000 miles driven. I'm not even a third of the way through this "road trip," but 2000 miles is enough for me to discover that backroads are the heart and soul of a good road trip. From the dirt roads of Superior National Forest to the barely maintained one lane forest service road to McCarthy Beach to the seemingly endless grid of western farm roads on the prairie, you're never going to see what Minnesota (or anywhere) is really like unless you're will to put a few extra miles (plus dents, scratches, and insects) on your vehicle. In a previous post I extolled the wonders of Hwy 169 and driving the Minnesota River Valley, but Minnesota Valley State Recreation area gets you off the highway and onto true river valley roads. About 45 minutes southwest of Minneapolis, you leave the highway and drive though a series of failed river settlements that have left nothing behind but abandoned houses and lonely gravestones in the woods. Your just minutes from several populous commuter towns, but you could be a hundred miles and a hundred years away from civilization.

A floodplain in the Minnesota Valley State Recreation Area 

The Park: Minnesota Valley State Recreation Area is made up of seven distinct units running along the Minnesota River from Shakopee to Belle Plaine. About half are run by the DNR and the others by the Fish and Wildlife Service, but the Minnesota Valley State Trail runs through the entire thing and creates a long, cohesive park. The Hiking Club Trail is in the Lawrence Unit near Belle Plaine, named after the failed Lawrence settlement. The park contains a number of abandoned buildings and many other signs of previous habitation including gravestones and ruins. There is also camping available at the Lawrence Unit.

The Minnesota River flowing through the Minnesota Valley State Recreation Area 

The Trail: The Hiking Club Trail begins at the Lawrence Unit parking lot. The trail runs parallel to the river, but you need to take a short spur trail about half a mile in to actually get to the Minnesota Rivers. You'll hike through the flood plains where there is little to no undergrowth, similar to what you would see on Pike Island at Fort Snelling. Be sure to look for the flood lines of the trees - the change in color from the slightly bleached bottom trunks to the untouched upper trunks. It'll give you a sense of just how inundated the trail gets in the spring. About a mile in, you'll emerge from the forest into a valley meadow and head straight toward an abandoned house. In the summer the house is open to the public and interpreted as a museum, but I was there in the fall, so it merely provided a good photo shoot for my sister and me. You'll then cross the road and hike upland through a thick oak/maple forest before circling back to the floodplain.

This hike is fairly generic. The river bottoms never really excite me (probably because I live five minutes from a very similar ecosystem), but it is an easy hike and close to the city. This is one that is worth checking out if you have a free afternoon and are looking to break away from your usual hiking haunts. Finally, don't forget to stop at Minnesota's Largest Candystore in Jordan - you need to replace all those burned calories.

Cumulative Miles Hiked: 52

Cumulative Miles Driven: 2258

Arbitrary Rating: 3/5

Biome: Eastern Broadleaf Forest

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Grand Portage State Park

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The wilderness of Grand Portage State Park. That's Canada over there! 

The Drive: The drive to Grand Portage took us the rest of the way to the Canadian Border, thus completing the North Shore Drive. It is also probably the most scenic section of the byway. The road cuts through the main section of the Sawtooth Mountains, Superior National Forest, and the virtually uninhabited stretch between Grand Marais and the Grand Portage Reservation. The cultural highlight of this drive is Grand Marais, the largest town between Two Harbors and Thunder Bay, ON. Situated at the head of the Gunflint Trail, Grand Marais is the hub of Arrowhead outdoor sports, art, and tourism. Originally a fishing town, Grand Marais is still the best place to get lake trout and no stop is complete without a visit to the famous (but not very good) pizza joint Sven & Ole's. Spend an hour of so exploring the community before heading up to Grand Portage.

The reconstructed trading post at Grand Portage National Monument. 

The Park: Grand Portage State Park is the only park in Minnesota not owned by the state of Minnesota. Because it is located within the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa reservation, the state leases the land from the tribe. The park is less than 300 acres and the highlight of the park itself is High Falls, the highest waterfall in Minnesota. However, the highlight of a visit to Grand Portage is the Grand Portage National Monument located across the highway from the park. The site of an 18th and 19th century fur trading hub, the old rendezvous site has been rebuilt and is interpreted by the National Park Service. NPS and the tribe also run a great museum on the site. A visit to the national monument will give you the context you need to fully appreciate the state park and the role it played in Minnesota History. The town is also the jumping off point for a trip to Isle Royale National Park.

The Grand Portage State Park Hiking Club Trail is the only handicapped accessible club trail in the system. Worth making the trip even in the rain. 

The Hike: At just one mile, the Grand Portage hike is the shortest of all the Minnesota Hiking Club trails. It is also the only entirely handicapped accessible trail, so if you find yourself in the park, there is absolutely no excuse for you not to take the 1/2 mile trek from the parking lot to watch the Pigeon River cascading over the 120 foot High Falls. Even taking your time, you probably won't spend more than an hour in this park, which is good because there is no camping and unless you want to stay at the casino, you still have to drive a couple hours back to your lodging further south (or bring a passport and stay in Ontario's Pigeon River Provincial Park across the border).

Cumulative Miles Hiked: 48

Cumulative Miles Driven: 1918

Arbitrary Rating: 4/5

Biome: Laurentian Mixed Forest

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Whitewater State Park

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The fall foliage at Whitewater State Park 

The Drive: From Minneapolis, the route to Whitewater State Park essentially follows the HWY 52 route to Rochester. Not the most interesting road trip in the world (possibly because of how often I've driven it). You drive though Cannon Falls, Zumbrota, Rochester, and St. Charles, past the oil refinery (which is worth seeing lit up at night - like some alien city), and past corn fields much less idyllic than the ones I praised in western Minnesota. The highway falls just short of the incredibly beautiful bluff country and manages to miss any preserved forest in the area. The point being that Whitewater is about the destination, not the journey - something you won't often hear me say, but true nevertheless.

Spring in Whitewater State Park brings carpets of wildflowers - and mushrooms. 

The Park: Whitewater State Park is at the cusp of bluff country, straddling the Whitewater River, a small tributary of the Mississippi. I've been here twice now and both times were well worth the trip out. The first time, I made it during wildflower season. The forest glades in the depths of the valley folds were carpeted with flowers - I've never seen anything else like it in real life. It was like wading through a sea of white and yellow and purple. We got a wildflower guide and hunted for (and found) rare species and hidden spots. The season is short, so get there at the right time (late Mayish). The second time was in the Fall and I was just before peak season, but the colors were already worth seeing. The rolling bluffs seem designed to show them off. Less detail than in Spring, but more grand, sweeping views. The park is also known for mushroom hunting (one of my favorite spring activities) and is a great place to camp - check out the hike in sites along the river.

Fall Colors at Whitewater State Park in Southern Minnesota 

The Trail: The hiking club trail follows the Coyote Point Trail on the north side of the park. Be prepared for stairs. There are hundreds of the them on the initial climb to the top of the ridge. The view is worth it however and since the trail follows the top of the ridge for the rest of the way to Coyote Point, it is relatively flat and has great vistas from both sides along the way. If you are not going specifically for the hiking club trail, I would suggest doing the Trout Run Creek Trail on the south side of the park. It is popular and more crowded, but for good reason. It gives you the best overlooks (really amazing points and 270° views) in the park and then descends down to the creek where brook trout abound (fly fishermen take note) and where the best wildflowers are in the spring. It was a bit dreary in the fall, but the overlooks made up for that. It would probably also be great for winter snowshoeing - I'll let you know.

Cumulative Miles Hiked: 42.6

Cumulative Miles Driven: 1497

Arbitrary Rating: 4/5 in Summer, 5/5 in Fall/Spring