Minnesota

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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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Temperance River State Park

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Temperance River State Park Hiking Club Trail 

The Drive: The North Shore Scenic Byway on Hwy 61 is probably the most famous and well traveled scenic route in Minnesota and for good reason. It runs from Duluth to Canada along the north shore of Lake Superior, crossing twenty-one rivers with waterfalls (and many without), passing through seven state parks, three state waysides, four state forests, a national forest, a national monument, an Indian reservation, and about a dozen small towns. And of course the main attraction is Lake Superior, the greatest of the Great Lakes. The largest freshwater lake in the world, Superior never, ever gets old. It is different every time I'm up there and I appreciate it more and more with each trip. There are many beautiful roads throughout the state, some more beautiful in their own way than Hwy 61, but none are as grand.

Canada Geese swimming in Lake Superior at Temperance River State Park 

The Park: Temperance River State Park has always been one of my favorite North Shore parks. It is just fun to clamber over all the rocks, cliff jump into the pools, hike the river edge, look for bears, listen for wolves, and skip rocks into the (sometimes) placid waters of Superior. The campground is fantastic - right on the shore of the lake. The park is huge with almost 25 miles of hiking throughout the woods, but the main attractions are pretty compact and can be seen on a few two or three hour hikes. It also has access to the Superior Hiking Trail for long distance hikers. Temperance is a destination park and a great jumping off point to see other sites along the North Shore.

The trail winds through mixed birch-pine forests. Fall is an excellent time to visit Temperance River State Park 

The Trail: The 1.9 mile Hiking Club trail follows the east bank of the Temperance River up to the upper falls before turning into the woods. The river is the highlight of the hike. You'll go by cascades, deep cuts in the rock, whirlpools, and wide vistas of the mountains (hills) in the background. The main trail continues to the top of Carlton Peak (which is a great hike that you should do while you're there), but the hiking club trail cuts back through the woods to the road. It is less scenic, but when I did it, there were mushrooms everywhere, which definitely made it worth while. I think the password is before the turn off, so if you've never been to the park before, I suggest skipping the turn off and just doing the Carlton Peak trail. It's quite a bit longer, but the view is worth it. 

Cumulative Miles Hiked: 43.5

Cumulative Miles Driven: 1853

Arbitrary Rating: 5/5

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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

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Camden State Park

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The prairie at Camden State Park just taking on the colors of autumn. 

The Drive: Being a city boy, one of my favorite parts of road tripping is driving though all of the small towns in the remote corners of Minnesota (and America in general). Some towns, like the previously mentioned St. Peter, are bustling, wealthy, and idyllic. They are everything a successful river town should be - a Sinclair Lewis main street, a respectable Lutheran college, a good balance of steeples and bars - they are full of life. This is not always the case. Between Lake Shetek and Camden lies Currie, MN, a town of just over 200 people on the banks of the Des Moines River. Currie is anything but alive. Boarded up storefronts, dilapidated houses, and (the saddest thing of all) a poor attempt at a railroad museum with plastic bison yard ornaments. There are many towns like Currie - once centers of commerce because of a flour mill on the river or an outlet to a railroad - but the businesses fail, the kids move away, and all that's left is a row of wooden structures just waiting to burn down.

(Disclaimer: I haven't seen Currie in high tourist season and it is in a region officially known at The Lakes, so maybe summer injects the town with new life, but it's hard to live a year on two and half months of business.)

The Camden State Park hiking club trail bordering the top of the valley. 

The Park: As may be deduced from my arbitrary rating, I was impressed with this park. Camden is a destination park. Situated along the Redwood River, the park has native prairie at the top of the valley, descends through mature oak forests, and ends with cottonwood river bottoms. There are hidden hollows throughout the park sending me back to my time in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Maybe it was the mood I was in when coming to the park, maybe it was because this was the last park on my prairie trip, maybe it was just the contrast to the lackluster Lake Shetek State Park, but I knew I was going to love this park when I first drove into it. The road to the trailhead brings you on a nice tour - over the railroad, past the horse camps, down to a swimming beach. I am doing a bad job of explaining why I liked this park so much. There was nothing spectacular. No huge waterfalls, no mountains, no bluffs, no unique animals or history - but it had a wholesome beauty that just kind of filled me up. Pictures, fortunately, don't lie and this park provided some of my favorite pictures from the whole route.

Always ready for a railroad picture. 

The Hike: The 2.4 mile hike (the park has over 15 miles of hiking) follows the route of the Dakota Valley trail. Beginning at the swimming beach, located at the very bottom of the Redwood River Valley, the trail slowly climbs, winding its way through all of the different ecosystems the park has to offer. It summits at an overlook where you can see the river and much of the valley. I was a little early for fall colors, but at peak, this view must be unparalleled in the local region. The trail backtracks, cuts through the prairie at the top of the ridge, and then rapidly descends back to the hollow in which it began. A sign along the trail encourages you to stop, shut up, and just listen - I think you should also smell. You can be out of ear and eye shot from civilization, but the best way to determine if you are really in a natural place is to smell. The scent of wilderness is unmistakeable and Camden's got it.

Cumulative Miles Hiked: 40.4

Cumulative Miles Driven: 1230

Arbitrary Rating: 6/5