Minnesota Trails Fall 2018

Biking the Skyline

Ten-Year Adventure

Flandrau and Minneopa State Parks

Minnesota

TRAILS T h e P a r k s & Tr a i l s J o u r n a l

w w w . M n Tr a i l s . c o m

Tr ai Pa l Bu ge ild 5 er

MORE THAN

Fall 2018

~ LODGING ~ Deerwood Motel 23688 Forest Rd., Deerwood 218-534-3163 www.deerwoodmotel.com Ruttger’s Bay Lake Lodge 25039 Tame Fish Lake Rd., Deerwood (Open May-October) 218-678-2885 www.ruttgers.com

Crosby - Ironton - Deerwood Bay Lake - Cuyuna - Emily

~ EAT & DRINK ~ Deerstand Restaurant and Bar 24188 Mohs Street, Deerwood 218-534-9253 www.deerstandrestaurant.com

~ SERVICES ~ Cuyuna Lakes Chamber 117 West Main Street, Crosby 218-546-8131 www.cuyunalakes.com Cuyuna Regional Medical Center 320 E Main St., Crosby 218-546-7000 www.cuyunamed.org Cycle Path & Paddle 115 3rd Ave SW, Crosby 218-545-4545 www.cyclepathpaddle.com Jacobs Realty Hwy. 6 & 210, Crosby 218-546-8346 www.jacobsrealtymn.com Mid Minnesota Federal Credit Union 117 W Main St., Crosby 218-546-5428 www.mmfcu.org

Contact us for more information 218-546-8131

www.cuyunalakes.com

522 Sinclair Lewis Avenue Sauk Centre, MN 56378

Find your trail…

www.MnTrails.com Vol. 23, No. 3 August 2018 Minnesota Trails magazine is a continuation of Minnesota Bike Trails & Rides, published quarterly in cooperation with the Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota, a nonprofit organization that acquires, protects and enhances critical lands for public enjoyment.

Your $35 membership subscription supports this work.

Minnesota Trails is not responsible for the return of unsolicited materials and reserves the right to reject unsuitable advertising. Information in this publication is as accurate as possible.

Opinions expressed are those of the authors and not of Minnesota Trails.

Continuing the

2 Fall 2018

Minnesota Trails Staff Jan Lasar Editor/Publisher Joyce Frericks Accounting Brian Dingmann Page Layout & Design Amanda Thooft Graphic Artist

Editorial Board Brett Feldman Executive Director Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota

...share the story We’re always looking for writers and photographers.

Contact jan@mntrails.com for more details.

Minnesota Trails

Index Features

Columns

Departments

6 Land Project Highlight

4 Minnesota Miles

10 Hiking Guide

Lisa Filter Parks and Trails Council

8 For the Love of the Superior Hiking Trail Kelsey Roseth

28 Cycling the Skyline Molly Brewer Hoeg

34 Our Ten-Year Adventure Matthew Davis

35 Flandrau State Park Rudi Hargesheimer

Jan Lasar

5 Letter from the Executive Director Brett Feldman Parks and Trails Council

Cover photo: Writer Molly Brewer Hoeg on Seven Bridges Road during a bike trip on the Skyline Parkway Scenic Byway in Duluth.

Jan Lasar photo

Tom Watson 24 Great Minnesota Hikes

14 Scenic Byway Guide Scenic Byway Points of Interest

30 Bike Ride Guide Fabulous Fall Rides

37 MN Trails Map Minnesota’s Trails At-A-Glance

36 Minneopa State Park Rudi Hargesheimer

Index photo: Chase Point Trail at Scenic State Park.

Brian Dingmann photo

Thank yous!

Find us on:

Minnesota Trails

Fall 2018 3

I AM CURED! My wife Jen and I discovered one time I came home with another that we liked fishing a little over tarnished gem. a year ago. Recently, we bought I didn’t hear her say “What about fishing kayaks and that the other twenty junkers?” forced me to make a life- Minnesota Miles because in my mind we changing decision. were already cruising down I knew I had a some imaginary bike trail storage issue, but when I on freshly restored, vintage slid open the door to my steel bikes, wearing our detached garage it was best Sunday outfits like immediately clear that characters plucked from a there was no room to Norman Rockwell painting. cram two ten-foot kayaks Even when I hit into that jumbled mess. rock bottom, I pretended My obsession with garage everything was OK. “See, sale bikes had left me with I can drive right by this Jan Lasar no choice. It was time to yard sale and not even slow Trails Editor/Publisher clean house. down” I told her one day, I pulled out the lawnmower, only to make a mental note to come which is always parked in front, took back the next day with a deep breath and wriggled my way change scraped from inside between the dusty, flat-tired the penny jar. bicycles of varying vintage. My shirt As I was lying on hooked the handlebars of one steed the cold, hard concrete and I tripped over the kickstand of floor I suddenly knew another. When I grabbed for the lid it was time to make a of the Weber grill, it all came down change if I didn’t want with a metallic crash and I ended to end up on a reality up on my back on the floor of the TV show. I also found garage, partially covered in bikes. out I actually own two While I was down there assessing Weber grills, one of the damage, I got a good look at which had been covered up by the old the rafters and they, too, were full klunkers. of old cycles. “My God”, I said to I got to work and an hour later I myself, “I have a problem”. had dragged the dirty truth out of the I kinda knew it all along. For bowels of the garage and shed: Eight years there hadn’t been a garage dusty steel road bikes, ten old cruisers, sale bike I didn’t pick up and when two fat bikes, two new road bikes, two someone asked old mountain bikes, “Do you want three banana-seat this old thing?” I youth bikes, a tandem, enthusiastically said a folding bike and two yes. fur-covered joke rides At first my called Bessie and El problem filled up the Toro, which we once garden shed, then rode in a parade.

I started packing I started by setting more and more aside the ones we do crusty scramblers ride: The two Surley into the garage. When friends and Pugsleys, our trusty Jamis road bikes, family had a look at my collection, the vintage Schwinn tandem and the they said things like “Ha-ha, you folding bike I brought to Minnesota have a bike for every day of the from Germany, disassembled down to month!” and “Wow.” I thought they the last bolt and packed in a suitcase. were impressed, but I was making Next came the ones I had great excuses and living in a dream world. times with and just couldn’t get rid of, “This one goes with the blue like Old Silver, my first mountain bike; one I already have”, I told Jen Big Red, the 1980’s Raleigh Record

4 Fall 2018

road bike I managed to restore and ride in the Headwaters 100, and El Toro. He comes out to play every once in a while.

I also made an investment into the next generation of bicyclists by saving the pink L’il Chick ride with the flowered banana seat for my niece Elaine, for when she’s off her strider bike.

The rest I dusted off, pumped up, photographed and put up on Craigslist, and by now most of them have sold. It wasn’t easy, but I said goodbye to some awesome Schwinns made in Chicago, a 1970s cruiser bike model they used to sell at some Holiday gas stations, a gnarly Jamis Earth Cruiser, a mysterious Mundo brand touring bike from Germany, a cherryred single speed Huffy with a curved top tube, baskets and a rearview mirror, and many more.

The last seven are awaiting a ride to the Outdoor Endeavors Group at Saint Cloud State University, where they’ll be restored and refurbished so someone can ride them again.

Now I have room for my bikes, the fishing kayaks and all the other outdoor stuff and I feel cleansed and renewed.

I can drive by any garage sale and not even think about stopping, unchained from a former life that had me turn the handlebars on bikes sideways so I could fit more of them into a shed meant for lawnmowers and rakes.

Instead, I like to swing into bait shops to hear the soothing trickle of the minnow tank and be dazzled by the infinite variety of spoons, jigs, spinners, flies and plugs in screaming neon colors while I walk the aisles under a canopy of fishing poles that welcome me in like family. It’s a feast for the eyes, but I only stop to browse. Then again, I do need a trolling rod and another tackle box.

Am I cured?

Minnesota Trails

people o saving special places

parksandtrails.org

Letter from the executive director

By Brett Feldman

Every season is the perfect season for MN Trails

My friends recently teased me when they overheard me telling someone how much I love riding Minnesota trails in the summer. Apparently I’ve been heard saying the exact same thing about spring--or so they tell me.

The truth is I love riding Minnesota trails in any season, and I have a feeling that if you are reading this you do too.

are contributing to that investment in many ways. In addition to having a voice to tell elected officials how much our trails and parks are valued, your Parks & Trails membership ensures that we are able to develop a robust research and policy program so we can arm decision makers with the best available science and data on the condition of our trails and parks.

As fall takes hold, you can count on me telling anyone who will listen how much I love Minnesota trails in the fall. I mean how could I not: temperatures get cooler, the air gets crisper, and leaves change color and drop on the trail creating that soft pillow of glorious crunching sound.

Yes, Minnesota’s trails and parks are the envy of the nation. They occupy that position on the American mantle because we Minnesotans value our great outdoors and continue to invest in them. We understand how they enhance our quality of life, contribute to healthy lifestyles and are the engines driving local and state economies.

As a Parks & Trails member/Minnesota Trails magazine reader you

So as I was saying: there is no better season than the one we are in now to ride Minnesota Trails.

For more information about the State of the Trails project and how you can help make a difference, please visit the advocacy section of our web site at www.parksandtrails.org.

For information about opportunities to win prizes while tracking Intern Karl’s progress in real time, check out the Parks & Trails Council’s Instagram and Facebook pages to find where Karl might be today.

Our Research Bike is equipped with a 360 degree camera mounted atop a pole, an accelerometer mounted on the handlebars, and another camera taking photos of the pavement condition mounted on the rear bike rack.

Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota would like to thank our sponsors

www.pincushiontrailsinn.com Minnesota Trails

In fact, we recently deployed Intern Karl and a one-of-a-kind, research bike to gather data on the condition of our state trails so informed decisions about trail maintenance budgets can be made. In addition to gathering trail roughness readings and photos for all 600 plus miles of our paved state trail system, our research bike is also uploading google street view images of the entire state trail system so you can familiarize yourself with trails before you ride them. How cool is that?

We’re the parks and trails people.

Join Today!

ParksAndTrails.org Fall 2018 5

people saving special places

parksandtrails.org

Our land now part of Sibley State Park, trail connection underway A multi-year effort to add key land to Sibley State Park was finalized on June 20 as Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota (P&TC) sold a 154-acre property to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

The land extends the southeast border of the state park to the intersection of U.S. Highway 71 and County Highway 40 (see map).

P&TC purchased this land in 2014 to support a future trail connection between the park and the Glacial Lakes State Trail.

Now that trail work is underway.

The timing worked well since the Minnesota Department of Transportation began its U.S. Highway 71 construction project this summer

6 Fall 2018

and were able to add in the trail’s tunnel project at the same time.

“It’s moving along,” said park manager Jack Nelson, who saw crews digging in the ditch and preparing to put the culvert in place.

The trail tunnel crosses diagonally under the highway, leading to this new addition. “We saw the trail connection into the park as a double benefit to the public who can now enter the park through rolling grasslands that enhance both the park and trail experience,” says P&TC executive director Brett Feldman.

During the three and a half years that P&TC owned the land, we partnered with the Sibley State Park Improvement Association

to remove old farm structures and other signs of human habitation that had collected on the land.

“It was inspiring to see these dedicated volunteers spend countless hours coordinating and laboring to transform this land back to nature,” said Feldman. “This transformation, and really the whole project, would not have been possible without their dedication,” he added.

After the removal process, prairie restoration got underway with reseeding disturbed areas, pulling up non-native trees and overseeing a prescribed burn.

More work will be needed to continue this prairie restoration now that it is owned by the park.

Minnesota Trails

people saving special places

parksandtrails.org

Nelson says this land adjoins with 40 acres that the park began restoring to prairie this year. Put together, this will be the most expansive prairie area within the park.

the proposed trail route to look for cultural resources hidden under the soil, such as Native American tools, cemeteries or any historical artifact that need to be protected.

When the trail goes in, it will traverse rolling hills with great views of the landscape. “Not like going down a railroad corridor,�

Nelson says.

This full trail spur between Glacial Lakes State Trail in New London to the beach house at Sibley State Park will be approximately six and a half miles long with nearly 3 miles of that within the park.

Trail planner Jeremy Losinski says the trail will adhere to the Americans with Disabilities Act, which sets modest grades of five percent or less.

A horseback riding tread will be part of the trail through the park as well. Currently several miles of looping horseback trails exist in the park but equestrian users have long requested expanding those opportunities.

It may be a few years before the full trail connection is complete and ready to ride. The archeological surveys are currently underway along

Losinski says the best-case scenario for completing the engineering, resource review and final acquisition of land within the corridor would be a few years. He added that it has been an incredibly fulfilling project to work on with supporters from the local community, local elected officials, park staff and Parks & Trails Council all playing important roles.

By Lisa Filter, Parks & Trails Council Photo of land added to Sibley courtesy of park manager

Trail to connect Sibley State Park & Glacial Lakes State Trail

Key Events

1971 Legislature authorizes Glacial Lakes State Trail (GLST) be built with connection to Sibley State Park.

2009 With 40 miles of GLST corridor in DNR ownership and half paved, plans made for trail connection to Sibley State Park.

2012 Trail connection prioritized in the updated master plan for Sibley State Park.

2013 Legislature approves a boundary adjustment to Sibley State Park to include old farmstead, which is needed for trail connection, but no funds to buy the land.

2014 Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota (P&TC) buys the 154-acre farmstead to protect its future use for the park and trail.

2015 P&TC partners with Sibley State Park Improvement Association (SSPIA), who volunteer countless hours to remove all buildings and 123 tons of material from the land.

2016 P&TC and SSPIA partner to conduct prescribed burn on land.

P&TC gives Reuel Harmon Award to SSPIA member Dave Lais for his lifelong service to parks and commitment to this land project.

2018 P&TC sells land to DNR to become part of Sibley State Park, returning proceeds to its dedicated land fund for the next critical project.

Sibley State Pa rk Map

Land added

Minnesota Trails

DNR begins archeological survey on the planned route for trail.

2022 Anticipated date trail could be completed and ready to use-dependent on several variables.

Fall 2018 7

For the

Love of the Superior Hiking Trail

Hundreds of volunteers pitch in to maintain the SHT At the Silver Bay Trailhead along Minnesota’s Minnes North Shore, George Peterson Peter hoists his Osprey backpack back and places it on his shoulders. sho He secures a clasp across his chest, then one on acr his waist, and he begins his tre trek along the Superior Hiking Tr Trail. He’s hiking 3.7 miles ea east, following the bright blue bla blazes marking the path to the Be Bear Lake campsite.

“For the Midwest, [the trail] is a real gem, and something that prov provides pretty good backpacking exper experiences,” said Peterson. “You have the sense that you’re immersed in nature, more of an authentic backcountry experience.”

He follow follows along this rocky and scenic section of the foot-traffic-only path, passing encompassing views of Lake Superior breathtak and breathtaking overlooks of Bean and Bear Lakes. H His trek winds through inland forests and trav traverses the steep descent to the campsite.

He’s not h here for relaxation, but for 2013 he has served as a volunteer work. Since 2013, campsite adopt adopter for the Superior Hiking Trail. In this role, he visits the cam campsite once in the spring and once in the fall, recording issues and maintaining the site.

by Kelsey Roseth

“It’s pretty special to contribute to something out in nature that you enjoy,” he said. “I find that really rewarding. I love this trail, I use it, and I also give back to it.”

Peterson is one of more than 300 volunteers who put in about 8,000 total hours per year to keep the trail, its trailheads and campsites in good condition. That total references time spent on the trail only, and doesn’t account for the drive time of committed members who travel from the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area and other parts of the region to pitch in.

“Volunteers are crucial to maintaining and building the Superior Hiking Trail,” said Jo Swanson, trail development director of the non-profit Superior Hiking Trail Association (SHTA). “They are our eyes on

Brush needs to be trimmed back to make sure signs and paths stay clear and visible.

Volunteers like George Peterson hike to campsites along the trail to maintain them.

All photos by Kelsey Roseth

8 Fall 2018

Minnesota Trails

Part of a campsite adopter’s job is to make sure directional signs are up and legible.

ABOUT THE WRITER

the trail.” Swanson manages volunteers footprints, that you were there,” and works alongside four full-time and he said, urging hikers to follow Leave two part-time staff, all dedicated to the No Trace principles, which is a list of construction, maintenance, management guidelines helping outdoor enthusiasts and promotion of trail, which stretches minimize their impact on the 326 miles from the Minnesota-Wisconsin environment. border just south of Jay Cooke State Park In addition to its to the Canadian border. strong volunteer base, the “People like to be a part of something SHTA hires contractors bigger than themselves,” said Swanson. to take on larger projects, “This trail is over thirty years old and it’s such as clearing trails, been a group effort to keep it going.” cutting down trees, building Founded in 1986, the SHTA is made new structures or fixing up of more than 4,500 members, and aging ones. The non-profit the number is growing as hikers spread recently received a $10,000 word-of-mouth accounts of grant from the trail’s magnificence and the retail and take captivating images on outdoor recreation the trail and post them to giant REI, as part of its social media. trail renewal program.

Campsite adopters “It’s our way of looking number more than 120 at problem sections that people for the trail’s 94 we have, and we will be backcountry campsites. working to renew those These devoted outdoor sections and make them enthusiasts ensure signage as sustainable as possible,” is up and that paths to said Swanson. “We want to the campsite and latrine be good stewards of the land are clear from brush. and water that surround the They empty the fire ring, Superior Hiking Trail.” dismantle unauthorized The SHTA is also fire rings, and pick up working on training new litter and microtrash from volunteer crew leaders the site, such as bits of Over time ashes fill the fire to help them tackle food wrappers, pistachio pit and need to be removed. troublesome sections. shells, or cigarette butts. They report on At times, there’s a waitlist for those how many inches of space are left in the interested in volunteering, so they’re latrine, occasionally dig a new one, and hoping the grant will help them create let the SHTA know of any dead or dying more opportunities to contribute. trees in the area.

For information on exploring Peterson’s work primarily consists the trail or volunteering, visit of campsite maintenance related to www.superiorhiking.org frequent use, but at times he observes irresponsible camping practices he finds disheartening. “There should be no evidence, other than

Kelsey Roseth is a freelance journalist and outdoor writer based in Duluth, MN with bylines in Birds & Blooms, Culture Trip, Make It Minnesota, Minnesota Women’s Press, Duluth News Tribune and Fargo Forum, among other publications.

When not writing, you may find her hiking on North Shore trails.

The view from the Bear Lake campsite.

Minnesota Trails

Fall 2018 9

The Beaten Path

by Tom Watson

24 HIKES

GREAT MINNESOTA

A welcoming reprieve from literally “pounding the pavement” along hundreds of miles of multi-use trails throughout Minnesota are myriad opportunities to step onto a few well-worn, natural beaten paths around the state. From wide, mowed promenades to narrow, hard-packed, rock and root-strewn trails threaded through forests, bluff lines and prairies, here’s a look at a few well-trodden paths around the state.

NORTH BORDER ROUTE TRAIL

13-mile loop Hike from the Caribou Rock Trailhead.

The 13-mile Rose Cliffs Loop starts at the Caribou Rock trailhead and consists of the Caribou Rock, Border Route, South Lake, and Moss Lake Trails. Highlights include the dramatic Rose Lake Cliffs, historic Stairway Portage, and several other outstanding overlooks on the Border Chain of Lakes.

KEKEKABIC TRAIL

Lake Campsite and back. Enjoy historic mine sites, views of scenic lakes, and get a glimpse of the Boundary Waters on this well maintained and welltraveled section of the famed “Kek”.

NORTH COUNTRY TRAIL

6.4 miles 6.4 miles one-way from the South Entrance/ US Hwy. 71 trailhead to the Gartner Farm/540th Ave. trailhead.

Enjoy a hike across the quiet side of Itasca and pass through the state park’s old-growth pine forests and past several scenic backcountry lakes.

6.2 miles Hike 6.2 miles out from the Gunflint Trail Kekekabic trailhead to the Bingshick

Your Adventure Starts Nearby.

SUPERIOR HIKING TRAIL

2.5 miles The Oberg Mountain Loop is a popular, moderate hike with nine spectacular overlooks with views of Lake Superior, Oberg Lake and Moose Mountain. Park at the Oberg Mountain Trailhead 2.2 miles north from Highway 61 on Forest Service Road 336 (Onion River Road).

SILVER CREEK TRAIL

3.5 miles This loop trail features stunning examples of the beauty in the rocky terrain as well as the roaring cascades of the St. Louis River in Jay Cooke State Park. Begin at the swinging bridge behind the visitor center for this trail that links up with many other adventurous routes within the park and beyond, towards Lake Superior.

North Country Trail in Minnesota Guidebook 2018 Edition

Order copies today from itascabooks.com, northcountrytrail.org/shop, or at your favorite local or online bookseller

northcountrytrail NCTinMN 10 Fall 2018

Along the Minnehaha Falls Trail.

Tom Watson photo Minnesota Trails

24 Great Minnesota Hikes

The view from the Oberg Mountain Lookout on the Superior Hiking Trail. Jan Lasar photo

HIGH FALLS HIKE / TETTEGOUCHE STATE PARK

3 miles A 3.0-miler, out and back to Minnesota’s highest waterfall totally within its border. The trail leads out from the visitor center along the scenic Baptism River. Side trip options to Two-Step Falls and the shores of Lake Superior add to the lure of this classic and impressively scenic northcountry hike.

METRO AREA AFTON STATE PARK TRAIL NETWORK

2.7 - 5.7 miles From the 2-mile Prairie Loop Trail to the 5.7-mile Trout Brook Trail, these rugged, multi-terrain trails combine to offer high prairies with distant views of the St. Croix along with steep ravines and hills, each route a classic example of bluff country hiking at its rewarding best.

Minnesota Trails

CARLOS AVERY WILDLIFE AREA

8.7 miles Although it’s along 8.7 miles of gravel road, the Auto Loop offers a route worth hiking for the landscape and bird viewing opportunities among the dikes and pools within these wetlands. While there are many trails, this loop takes you around the perimeter of the restricted sanctuary portion of the wildlife area.

HANREHAN LAKE TRAIL SEGMENT

1.5 - 4.5 miles The northern trail loops within Murphy-Hanrehan Park Reserve offer between 1.5 and 4.5 miles of perhaps the most rugged and challenging glacial terrain in the metro area. An entire loop is off limits April-August to protect bird-breeding areas. Trails wind through impressive stands of oaks, too.

HOLLAND LAKE-JENSEN LAKE TRAILS

2.6 miles Beginning at the trailhead at Holland Lake in Lebanon Hills Regional Park on Cliff Road, this 2.6-mile hike links up with the trail that follows the entire shoreline of Jensen Lake as it winds through a wooded and lakeside country setting that includes canoe routes and a quaint foot bridge.

Several other lakes are accessible via pathways, too.

WOODLAND LOOP

1.6 miles A short, 1.6-mile loop through the lesser developed and structured northern section of Lake Minnewashta Regional Park features wooded slopes above the lake, with intersecting shorter loops beneath a lush, hardwood canopy along a shady nature trail. A perfect pathway for a short, relaxing jaunt through the woods.

Fall 2018 11

24 Great Minnesota Hikes MAZOMANI TRAIL / LOUISVILLE SWAMP

4.5 miles 4.5 miles of trails wind through Minnesota River Valley National Wildlife Refuge bottomlands - once inhabited by Wahpeton Sioux - passing remnants of pioneer homesteads. Hilly terrain, oak groves, patches of both prairie and the marshlands of Louisville Swamp all within the largest urban refuge in the nation.

MINNEHAHA CREEK TO MISSISSIPPI RIVER TRAIL

2.8 miles This 2.8-mile round trip route from the base of magnificent Minnehaha Falls takes hikers along the less developed side of the creek. Keep to the right as the trail forks and continues on as a well-worn and sometimes wet and rough path paralleling the creek all the way down to the river. Wildflowers abound!

RICHARDSON NATURE CENTER TRAIL LOOPS / HYLAND PARK RESERVE

2.1 miles A series of looped trails beginning at the nature center link together to form 2.1 miles of chip and earthen trails through woodlands, over hills and around ponds in this more rustic and hilly section of Hyland Park Reserve - meandering through oaks, prairie and lots of pond wildlife.

CENTRAL BIG WOODS LOOP / LAKE MARIA STATE PARK

5.5 miles This 5.5-mile loop begins at the park’s Trail Center and winds through the entire NW quarter of this backpacker’s park. Rolling, old growth forest-covered hills (lots of birch and maple) and a smattering of ponds and marshes throughout a very “woodsy” setting. You will be sharing some trail segments with horseback riders.

LOWER CAMPGROUND TRAILS/ LAC QUI PARLE STATE PARK 3.1 miles Follow the meandering bends in the Lac Qui Parle prairie river along 3.1 miles of combined grassy 12 Fall 2018

A late season walk at Lake Maria State Park. Jan Lasar photo

corridors circling out from the lower campground. Quiet strides increase your chances - throughout all seasons - to see lots of deer along these routes that wrap through lush wooded and grassy bottomlands.

INTERSTATE STATE PARK

2.75 miles Starting from either the Potholes Area at Taylors Falls or state park office south on MN 95, these trails form an elongated loop that lets you hike the rough and rocky trails above the St. Croix River in one direction and the grassy lane along an old railroad bed in the other, all the while taking in the steep terrain and stunning vistas along this designated National Scenic River.

WOODLAND EDGE-WEDGE HILL TRAIL NETWORK / WILLIAM O’BRIEN STATE PARK

4.6 miles 4.6 miles beginning at the Interpretive Center in the west section west of the park. Hike through oak savannas, rolling hills, native grasses and prairie wildflowers along a series of connected loop trails winding through a large portion of the western expanses of this popular state park. A promenade along the river trail offers an additional hiking treat.

SOUTH BARN BLUFF TRAIL

1.75 miles A short, up-and-down/out-and-back 1.75 mile trail that rises 350’ above the town of Red Wing beginning at the trailhead along Hwy 61. Stunning vistas overlooking the city, the surrounding river and bluff country await hikers who approach the long stairway up to the network of trails on the flat, grassy, mesa-like top.

MOUND / UPPER CLIFFLINE TRAIL

4.1 miles 4.1 miles from the north trailhead parking lot in Blue Mounds State Park, these two loops offer both a panoramic view of the grass prairies below and the bison herd range to the west. Spur trails connect the upper and lower bluff trails together letting hikers trek up/down along the rocky wall of these imposing bluffs.

BLUFFSIDE TRAIL

2.7 miles 2.7-mile loop threaded along the steep slopes of Frontenac State Park, over 450’ above the river offering breath-taking views of Lake Pepin below as well reminders of Minnesota Trails

24 Great Minnesota Hikes Minnesota’s native (In Yan Teopa Rock) and a 19th Century rock quarry.

Between seasonal residents and flyway migrators, over 250 species of birds frequent this park.

(wonderful fall colors) and a side trip to a beautiful, hidden, woodland waterfall.

CANNON RIVER WILDERNESS AREA

1.5 miles 1.5-mile Trout Brook Trail winds alongside this small creek in the

3.5 miles 3.5 miles out and back trail along the banks and sandstone outcroppings of this truly wild section of the Cannon River whose trailhead is 6.3 miles north of Faribault. Sheer rock walls, lush, bird-filled forests and a wide-stream view of the river from the footbridge all add to the wonderments of this “wilderness” area.

BEAVER/FAWN TRAIL LOOPS

3.3 miles Beginning at the parking lot at the Walk-In Sites, start this 3.3-mile series of loops, White Oak Trailhead as it joins ups with the Beaver and Fawn trails for a wonderland trip along creeks, lush glens of maples

TROUT BROOK / CANNON RIVER TRAILS

Tom Watson is an accomplished writer, columnist and photographer. His newly revised books Best Tent Camping: Minnesota and 60 Hikes within 60 Miles: Minneapolis and Saint Paul are out now and available through AdventureKEEN Publishers.

northern trail segment within the Miesville Ravine Park Reserve 6 miles south of Miesville. It’s like a “Sleepy Hollow” forest of songbirds, wildflowers and other diverse flora while the more open southern 1.2-mile loop skirts the banks of the Cannon River for a short distance.

www.tomoutdoors.com www.adventurewithkeen.com

Hikers walk on top of Barn Bluff in Red Wing. Jan Lasar photo Minnesota Trails

Fall 2018 13

Minnesota’s

11

Scenic Byways

38

46

75 108

75

75

6

aare re a great way to get to know the state like you never knew it.

On the following pages we’ve compiled a list of more than 8800 points of interest on eight of our 21 scenic routes.

Find out how many natural, recreational, cultural, historical aand n archeological attractions wait to be discovered on and near tthe he byways, whether you travel on foot, by bike or in your car.

68

Map courtesy of MN Department of Transportation

Great Route Length: 565 miles Route: A series of roads following the Mississippi River from Itasca State Park in northwest Minnesota, down through the Twin Cities and along the southeast border of the state.

Scenic boat cruise on Lake Itasca. Brian Dingmann photo

Follow History

Take a Bog Walk

Live History

When Ojibwe warrior Ozawindib guided explorer Henry Schoolcraft to the source of the Mississippi River in 1832, he had no idea that one day a cruise ship would be following this same path. At Itasca State Park, the Chester Charles II will pick you up at the port of Douglas Lodge and take you on a 10-mile cruise of Lake Itasca so you can follow in their footsteps while a naturalist narrates your trip.

For a “do not miss” experience, visit the Lake Bemidji bog and take along an audio podcast.

The White Oak Society offers living interpretations of the Great Lakes area fur trading period at their Learning Center and Fur Post. Take a trip back in time to when Minnesota was the wild frontier and the currency of the day was beaver.

If that’s not far enough back in time for you, the White Oak Society also features 15th century reenactments of the late middle ages and early renaissance.

Itasca State Park

Lake Bemidji State Park

dnr.state.mn.us

Get Sculpted Bemidji

Take a walk around town and discover an ever-changing outdoor exhibit.

lakeitascatours.com

bemidjisculpture.org

Travel through History

Play in the Sand

The Great Northern Depot is the last depot built by James J. Hill and has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1968.

An augmented reality sandbox is only one of many science exhibits geared towards kids and the young at heart at the Headwaters Science Center.

Bemidji

Bemidji

visitbemidji.com

hscbemidji.org

Be Amazed

Cruise Studios

Movil Maze

Bemidji

Over 900 acres of hiking, biking, horseback riding, ski and snowmobile trails wait to be discovered just north of Bemidji.

Artisans from around Bemidji open their studios for this scenic drive-it-yourself tour each October.

visitbemidji.com

Deer River

whiteoakhistoricalsociety.org

Salute

Camp Ripley Learn about the men and women who served in all branches of the military from Minnesota’s early statehood days to the present. Permanent indoor exhibits include Forts on the Frontier, Story of the Jeep and the Arms Room with models of firearms from revolvers to submachine guns. Outdoor exhibits let visitors explore more than 60 vehicles like tanks and aircraft.

mnmilitarymuseum.org

visitbemidji.com 14 Fall 2018

Minnesota Trails

Get Crafty

Little Falls The Little Falls Arts and Crafts Fair is an award-winning fair that draws over 100,000 people over two days and is one of the largest in the Midwest with 600 artists. Also part of the celebration: A car show, and antiques fair and a farmers market.

littlefallsmnchamber.com

Meet the Lindberghs Little Falls

Charles Lindbergh’s 1927 flight from New York to Paris launched an aviation revolution. Tour his boyhood home, explore the visitor center exhibits, including a “Spirit of St. Louis” flight simulator.

mnhs.org/lindbergh

Flowers along paths at Munsinger Clemens Gardens in St. Cloud. Jan Lasar photo

Smell the Roses

Get Cultivated

The history of the Munsinger Clemens Gardens goes back to 1915 when the city of Saint Cloud purchased the site of a former sawmill on the banks of the Mississippi River and turned it into a park. In 1990, Bill Clemens purchased a lot across the street from the Munsinger Gardens and turned it into another public garden to commemorate his wife Virginia’s passing. Today, visitors can visit six distinct garden areas, including a rose garden with 1,100 rose plants.

In 1850, 21-year Oliver Kelley and his wife Lucy moved to their homestead farm near current-day Elk River. A reporter by trade, Kelley became a successful farmer whose agricultural innovations shaped the way we farm today and he co-founded Minnesota’s first agricultural society in Benton County.

Today, you can learn about agriculture at the historic farmstead and get a hands-on look at yesterday’s and today’s farming practices.

munsingerclemens.com

mnhs.org/kelleyfarm

Saint Cloud

Meet the Craftsman Little Falls

The Northern Pacific Railway Depot in Little Falls was designed by architect Cass Gilbert in 1899 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Gilbert also designed the Minnesota State Capitol Building.

cassgilbertsociety.org

Elk River

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Fall 2018 15

Stop and Play

Count Raptors

The Mississippi River Visitor Center provides information about the 72-mile stretch of the Mississippi River designated as the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area. They offer interpretive displays, maps and naturalist programs, and there’s no admission fee. A great place to start your journey on the Great River Road.

This September 29, the Carpenter Nature Center holds their annual Fall Raptor Count and Hawk Watch. Ask questions, check in on the count totals or participate in the count.

Saint Paul

Hastings

carpenternaturecenter.org

Loop the Town Hastings

nps.gov/miss

The paved Scenic Circuit is the highlight of Hasting’s 28-mile trail system. This scenic loop takes you along the shores of the Mississippi and Vermillion Rivers with great views of the 35-foot Vermillion Falls.

Get Educated Mendota

Henry Hastings Sibley was Minnesota’s first governor in 1858 and one of the most influential figures of our state’s history. The Sibley Historic Site in Mendota includes four limestone and brick buildings that are among the oldest still standing structures in Minnesota. They include the Sibley House, the Faribault House, the DuPuis House and a Cold Store. Today, the restored buildings help tell the history of the region’s fur trade, Sibley’s involvement in Minnesota business and politics, as well as his role in the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862.

-courtesy Minnesota Historical Society

mnhs.org

visithastingsmn.org/parks-trails

Take a Joy Ride Leo and Marylin Smith’s folk art on display at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum. Minnesota Marine Art Museum photo

Doze Off

Hastings Play with heavy equipment in Minnesota’s largest sandbox for adults where it’s fun to play in the dirt.

Welch Village

The downhill mountain bike trails at Welch Village will take you on a wild downhill ride on two wheels. With routes named Joy Ride, Air Bear and Aquaman, there’s no shortage of jumps, berms, bridges and rollers for experienced mountain bikers.

welchvillage.com

extremesandbox.com • 30 miles of city trails • Bike the Scenic Circuit: A 10-mile loop around the city. • Ride the MRT

A. T.

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September 8-9, 2018

(Always held on the weekend after Labor Day)

Downtown Little Falls, Minnesota

Sat., September 8, 8 am-6 pm • Sun., September 9, 9 am-4 pm

600 Juried Artisans and Crafters

Market Place Fair on West Broadway featuring commercial cash & carry vendors Sponsored by the Little Falls Area Chamber of Commerce 320.632.5155 www.littlefallsmnchamber.com • Follow us on ffaa 16 Fall 2018

Minnesota Trails

Take An Art Walk Red Wing

The 350-acre Tower View estate served as a farm and research facility for Dr. Pierce Anderson, swedish immigrant and inventor of Quaker Puffed Wheat and Puffed Rice. Today it houses the Midwest’s largest artist communities and a 15-acre sculpture garden with over 30 outdoor displays.

andersoncenter.org

Get the Boot Red Wing

The Red Wing Shoe Company Museum in downtown Red Wing is home to the world’s largest boot, a US size 638 1/2 standing over 20 feet tall. How tall would you be if you wore shoes that size?

solutions.redwingshoes.com

Shoot the Cannon Red Wing

The 20-mile Cannon Valley Trail connects Red Wing to Cannon Falls and Welch in beautiful southeastern Minnesota. Keep an eye out for endangered Minnesota plants as you follow this scenic trail along the Cannon River

cannonvalleytrail.com

The Pearl of the Lake paddle boat offers scenic cruises in Lake City, MN. Jan Lasar photo

Discover a Pearl

Experience Water

The Pearl of the Lake is a modern day replica of the boats that ferried passengers and goods up and down the river in the 1800s. Today, passengers can enjoy a day or evening sightseeing tour or a dinner cruise on Lake Pepin.

From traditional oil on canvas paintings of sailing ships in roiling seas, to Picasso’s Homme Assis watercolor, the Marine Art Museum explores the depth and breadth of our species’ relationship with water.

Lake City

pearlofthelake.com

Winona

mmam.org

Red Wing has trails for everyone!

Memorial Park Mountain Bike Trails

Cannon Valley trail

Hike or shred dirt on the trails at Memorial Park

Cruise the scenic Cannon Valley Trail

RedWing.org

CannonValleyTrail.com

Minnesota Trails

Welch Village Downhill Mountain Biking

Flow down the mountain at Welch Village WelchVillage.com Fall 2018 17

Lake Country Route Length: 88 miles Route: Hwy. 34 from Detroit Lakes to Walker, and a spur north from Park Rapids to Itasca State Park on Hwy. 71.

Get to know Paul Akeley

The Paul Bunyan Historical Museum contains an interesting collection of pictures and artifacts about early Akeley history.

akeleymn.com/pbhs

Take a Smoke Break

Smoky Hills State Forest It’s good to get out and stretch your legs every now and then when you’re traveling along a scenic byway. A great place to view fall foliage is the 25,000acre Smoky Hills State Forest between Park Rapids and Detroit Lakes. 25 miles of hiking trails let you explore your rugged side and get back in touch with nature.

dnr.state.mn.us/state_forests

Thirty of these sunfish sculptures wait to be discovered in Detroit Lakes.

Detroit Lakes Visitor Bureau photo

Catch a Show

Go to Church

When you’re done catching fish on one of the many area lakes, put on your dinner jacket, sit back and enjoy a performance in one of Park Rapids’ live entertainment theatres. Jasper’s Theater offers music, magic and comedy performances in a familyfriendly atmosphere through the end of September.

The Long Lake Theater, housed in a former church, has anything from zany comedy to touching drama on their playlist. Past productions include On Golden Pond, Nunsense and The Odd Couple. Take a short detour off the Lake Country Scenic Byway and be entertained.

jasperstheater.com

Pose with the Muskie

Park Rapids

Hubbard

longlaketheater.com Nevis

The World’s largest tiger muskie has been the backdrop for photos since 1950 and it even works for today’s selfie.

nevischamber.com

Catch Sunnies Detroit Lakes

Something fishy is going on in Detroit Lakes. Every year, four-foot long artistdecorated sunfish sculptures leave their winter homes in shop windows around town and make their way into public spaces. Pick up a map of these 30 locations at the Detroit Lakes Visitor Bureau and find out why it’s Sunny in DL.

visitdetroitlakes.com

Walk on Pennies Detroit Lakes

The Historic Holmes Theater in Detroit Lakes has a year-round schedule and features shows like The Music of ABBA, Pinocchio and the Loony Lutherans. While you’re there, check out the unique floor made up of 600,000 donated pennies.

)PNF PG WORLD FAMOUS ITASCA STATE PARK

Paddle the Crow Wing River Water Trail or one of over 400 lakes to enjoy fall colors from a new perspective. Rentals are available and lodging amenities abound to make your trip enjoyable.

800-247-0054

www.parkrapids.com • #VisitParkRapids

dlccc.org

Pick a Trail

Walker Area The Heartland, Paul Bunyan and North Country Trails meet near Walker. There are also a hundred miles of hiking trails in surrounding parks.

leechlake.org 18 Fall 2018

Minnesota Trails

Start your Engine Brainerd

If watching the races isn’t exciting enough, get in the driver’s seat and shift from fan to driver in one day at the Brainerd International Raceway Driving School.

Paul Bunyan

brainerdraceway.com

Route Length: 54 miles Route: Double-circle route between Pequot Lakes and Crosslake, in the Brainerd Lakes Area.

Have Tea

Pine River

Take Concrete Steps

“Tea at the Station” is a high tea event at which many come dressed in historic clothing and sporting fashionable hats out of the early days of Pine River.

Reservations are highly recommended.

Brainerd

Fourteen feet long, five feet wide and five inches deep: Paul Bunyan’s baby footprints are in towns along the scenic byway, cast in concrete for you to find.

paulbunyanscenicbyway.org

At the Historic Log Village in Cross Lake.

Jan Lasar photo

pinerivermn.com/event/ tea-at-the-station

Race a Turtle

See a Model

Crawl along

Ready, Set, Go? There’s a secret to picking just the right contestant at Nisswa’s Turtle Races. They’re held every Wednesday and have been a summertime tradition for decades.

The Northern Minnesota Railroad Heritage Association is dedicated to preserving the heritage of the railroad industry in northern Minnesota with scale models and working model train displays.

Nisswa

nisswa.com

Cache In

Paul Bunyan Trail Geocachers call the Paul Bunyan Trail a Power Trail, because almost 1000 geocaches wait to be discovered along its 120 miles. Leave the car behind and see how many you can find.

mnbiketrail.com

Buggy all Night

Crosslake

northerntrackersrrclub.com

Pine River to Longville The 11th annual Arts Off 84 art crawl on September 1 and 2 features dozens of artists at seven different stops. Take a ride on scenic Highway 84 between Pine River and Longville and find that one of a kind piece to take home. Fiber arts, furniture, jewelry, woodwork and even up-cycled creations are all part of the mix.

artsoff84.com

Bike. Eat. Shop. Repeat. mnbiketrail.com

Crosslake

A final farewell to summer, while welcoming the return to fall. Enjoy a horse-drawn buggy that takes you to the Historic Log Village. Also features strolling musicians and hot cider. One of many events at Crosslake Days every September.

crosslake.com

Minnesota Trails

Fall 2018 19

North Shore Route Length: 142 miles Route: Hwy. 61 between Duluth and Grand Portage.

Watch Water Fall North Shore

There are 12 gorgeous waterfalls along this route. You will find the tallest, widest and wildest waterfalls here.

dnr.state.mn.us/itineraries

Hike to the Top Grand Portage

Grand Portage National Monument is rich in natural and cultural history, including the Pigeon River with its 120foot waterfall.

nps.gov

Carve a Spoon Grand Marais

North House Folk School offers many traditional folk craft workshops including wooden spoon carving.

The Split Rock Lighthouse is one of the most iconic scenes in Minnesota.

Brett Whaley photo

Light the Way

Bike along the Lake

Split Rock Lighthouse

Gitchi-Gami Trail

When completed, the Gitchi-Gami Trail will run 89 miles between Two Harbors and Grand Marais along Lake Superior’s beautiful and historic North Shore.

Segments of the trail totaling 30 miles are ready for you to explore. The longest segment is 17 miles long and connects Gooseberry Falls State Park, Split Rock Lighthouse State Park and Silver Bay.

Shipwrecks from a raging 1905 November storm prompted the building of Split Rock Station in 1910. Today it’s one of Minnesota’s most visited and iconic places. Take a tour and see what it was like to be the lighthouse keeper when Minnesota’s North Shore was a wilderness.

mnhs.org/splitrock

ggta.org

northhouse.org

THE DAY ENDS. BUT THE FUN DOESN’T. After you’ve hiked, biked, climbed and kayaked, the fun is just beginning.

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skyline parkway Route Length: 25 miles Route: Roads along a high ridge in Duluth between Becks Road and Brighton Beach.

Elevate Yourself Duluth

When you climb to the top of Enger Tower you’re officially 531 feet above Lake Superior and the views are spectacular. The five-story stone structure was built from Blue Stone in 1939 after Bert Enger, a native of Norway, donated most of his estate to the city of Duluth. Even Crown Prince Olaf and Crown Princess Martha of Norway came to the dedication ceremony on June 15, 1939.

Today, the grounds include a Japanese garden and a golf course.

engertowerduluth.com

Get to the Peak Duluth

Bardon’s Peak on the western edge of the Skyline Parkway is easily the best view of Duluth and the Saint Louis River.

Take a break and imagine what it looked and felt like to be standing there before the area was settled.

A grand view of Duluth from the top of Enger Tower. Jan Lasar photo

Find a Trail

Migrate

Duluth is surrounded by forests full off hiking, biking, equestrian and ski trails.

You’ll need to schedule some extra time here to see them all and don’t forget the Lake Superior State Water Trail.

September and October are prime months for birding and Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory is known as one of the major sites for observation of raptor migration. Grab your binoculars and see how many you can spot.

Duluth

visitduluth.com

Duluth

hawkridge.org

skylineparkway.org

Solve a Mystery Duluth

The Minnesota Department of Transportation simply calls it Bridge L6007, but it’s more than just an inventory item. The Stewart Creek stone arch bridge was built around 1925 from locally quarried gabbro rock and what sets it apart from other bridges in the area are the double rows of jagged, tooth-like rocks on its railings.

It’s listed on the National Register of Historic Bridges, but to this day it’s not clear who engineered it.

skylineparkway.org

Ride a Wildcat

Spirit Mountain Happy Camper, Wildcat, Wrecking Ball and Boss Hog are all trails waiting for you at Spirit Mountain Bike Park. The lift takes you up and gravity does the rest. Unbeatable views of Lake Superior and the St. Louis River with miles of mountain bike trails to explore.

spiritmt.com Minnesota Trails

Fall 2018 21

IronRange.org

giantsridge.com

NORTHERN MINNESOTA, A NEW WAY.

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AURORA • BIWABIK • BUHL • CHISHOLM • EMBARRASS • EVELETH • GILBERT • HIBBING • HOYT LAKES • MOUNTAIN IRON • VIRGINIA 22 Fall 2018

Minnesota Trails

Superior National Forest Route Length: 85 miles Route: Various highways between Aurora and Silver Bay.

Finnish School

Superior National Forest When Finnish immigrants who worked in nearby iron ore mines protested substandard working and safety conditions and went on strike, they were fired.

Taking advantage of the Homestead Act, they settled a 160-acre parcel in what was then a wilderness. The community built a school house in 1913 and taught the younger generation essential life skills until 1942. Today, the one-room building has been lovingly restored by volunteers.

toimischool.org

Drill Down

Hoyt Lakes In 1890, a young Edmund J. Longyear arrived in the primitive settlement of Mesaba Station to set up a diamondtipped steam-drilling rig to search for iron ore. This first attempt to a depth of 1,293 feet didn’t recover any useable ore, but it ushered in a new era of iron ore exploration. The historic Longyear Drill Site near Hoyt Lakes, MN contains artifacts like a steam boiler, a water pump and a Sullivan Model H drill.

hoytlakes.com

The Big Stick in Eveleth, MN. Jan Lasar photo

Visit a Legend

Meat the Locals

John Beargrease, the son of an Anishinabe chief grew up in a settlement in the area of today’s Beaver Bay. From 1879 to 1899 he delivered mail between Two Harbors and Grand Portage, by boat in the summer and dogsled in the winter. His regular deliveries contributed to the growth of settlements along the north Shore and made life there possible. He died in 1910 and he’s buried along with members of his family at the Indian Cemetery in Beaver Bay.

No trip to the Iron Range is complete without a stop at Koshar’s Sausage Kitchen. Bring a big bag, because you’ll want to get it all in this old-fashioned butcher shop. Koshar’s has been producing traditional-recipe salami, pepperoni and other delectables since 1921 and they’re most famous for their Slovenian Rice Sausage.

Beaver Bay

Swing a Club

Biwabik, Hoyt Lakes, Silver Bay, Virginia Minnesota’s most scenic of the byways is also home to scenic golf courses. While you’re out exploring the wilderness, stop in for a round of 9 or 18-hole golf and do some of the other kind of driving.

giantsridge.com hoytlakes.com silverbaygolf.com virginiamn.us

Gilbert

madeontherange.com/kosharssausage-kitchen.html

Get Loony Virginia

You’ll have to take a boat to see this roadside attraction, but it’s in good company. Virginia’s “World’s Largest Floating Loon” joins the ranks of other Minnesota giants like Paul Bunyan in Bemidji, the Frazee Turkey and Fergus Falls’ Giant Otter. This 21-foot long version of a real-life Gavia Immer floats peacefully on Silver Lake and never dives.

virginiamn.us

Stick to it Eveleth

Locals simply call it ‘The Stick’. This threeton, 107-foot giant hockey stick replaced the not-so-big former stick in 2002 and has been a major attraction ever since. It even comes with a matching puck. While you’re in town, visit the US Hockey Hall of fame on-where else-Hat Trick Avenue.

Along the byway near Silver Bay. Jan Lasar photo Minnesota Trails

ironrange.org/attractions ushockeyhall.com

Historic Toimi School House.

Jan Lasar photo Fall 2018 23

EDGE OF THE WILDERNESS Route Length: 47 miles Route: Highway 38 between Grand Rapids and Effie, MN.

Saw Logs

Grand Rapids Discover the past, present and future of Minnesota’s forests through guided tours of a 1900s era logging camp and handson environmental learning programs.

Take a seat on the porch of a 1930s Minnesota Forest Service patrolman’s cabin, climb a 100-foot fire tower and explore the site’s self-guided trails.

mnhs.org

Find Remnants

Step inside the parlor at the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids.

Judy Garland Museum photo

Chippewa National Forest

Meet the Wizard

Live on the Edge

The Suomi Hills semi-primitive recreation area was once home to the Day Lake Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camp. You can find traces of this former WWII POW camp at the north end of the Suomi Hills area, located nine miles south of Marcell, MN.

Frances Ethel Gumm, or Judy Garland, was born in Grand Rapids in 1922, and went on to become an international star.

Visit her childhood home and view the Wizard of Oz collection.

It’s a theatre. It’s a gallery. Catch a show by the Edge Wild Players or take in an exhibit at The Edge Center for the Arts and find out why they call it ‘Wildly unexpected’.

judygarlandmuseum.com

edgecenterarts.org

edgeofthewilderness.com

Grand Rapids

Bigfork

Seek a Legend

Grand Rapids to Ely Legend has it, the ancient Mesabi created what we now call the Iron Range.

This paved, scenic trail leads you to discover the area’s history and beauty by bicycle, on foot or with rollerblades.

mesabitrail.com www.mesabitrail.com/visitor CYCLE THE MESABI WAY.

Find Peace

Scenic State Park Ten miles of hiking trails, a peaceful setting and remote hike-in campsites will let you have some peace and quiet.

dnr.state.mn.us

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Minnesota Trails

Glide the Glacier

Bog Down

The Glacial Lakes Trail is a wonderful 22-mile ride from Willmar to Paynesville with another five miles from Roscoe to Richmond. Side trips include a trail around Spicer’s Green Lake and a short jog on road shoulders to Sibley State Park.

Sculpted by ancient glaciers, Lake Carlos State Park contains a tamarack bog, marshes, woodland ponds and lakes.

In the winter, ski from the tamarack bog to a maple-basswood forest. A variety of recreational activities revolve around the lake. Clear and deep, Lake Carlos offers visitors a perfect setting for swimming, fishing, boating, camping, hiking and horseback riding.

Glacial Lakes Trail

Glacial Ridge Trail Route Length: 245 miles Route: Several loops in the countryside between Willmar and Glenwood, with extensions to Alexandria and Sauk Centre.

mntrails.com/poi/glacial-lakes-trail

Hike a Mountain

Play in the Barn

There is something for everyone at this popular west-central Minnesota State Park. Mount Tom is the high point in a 50-mile radius and offers great views.

Willmar’s Barn Theatre is one of a few community theatres in the country that has its own building. Catch a show with local actors.

dnr.state.mn.us

thebarntheatre.com

Jump in a Lake

Rewrite History

It shouldn’t be hard to do in Douglas County. Over 300 beautiful lakes invite you to jump in, fish in, boat in or just kick back and relax by the beach. Find your favorite and explore 83 square miles of water.

Discovered by a farmer in 1898, the Kensington Runestone suggests that Scandinavian explorers visited the area in 1362, much earlier than Columbus.

See it for yourself at the Kensington Runestone Museum.

explorealex.com

runestonemuseum.org

Grind Gravel

Go Big

On Saturday, September 22, you can test your mettle, take your bicycle on the gravel roads around Alexandria and ride either 100 or 50 miles in the Hun-Dirt put on by the Big Ole Bike Club.

Big Ole, a 28-foot Viking statue weighing four tons overlooks the Central Lakes Bike Trail. Big Ole was built in 1965 for the New York World’s Fair and now stands along the Central Lakes Trail in Alexandria.

Sibley State Park

Douglas County

Alexandria

bigolebikeclub.com/hundirt

Willmar

Lake Carlos State Park

dnr.state.mn.us

Alexandria

Alexandria

explorealex.com

Find a Legacy Alexandria

Everything you ever wanted to know about what’s in and on the lakes is on exhibit at the Legacy of the Lakes Museum. The boat exhibit includes gleaming wooden vessels and sparkling, futuristic cruisers made from fiberglass as well as a grand collection of watercraft from Minnesota.

Ride a Trail Starbuck

The 5-mile Glacial Ridge Bike Trail connects Glacial Lakes State Park to nearby Starbuck for a quick ride into town.

glaciallakesstateparkfriends.com

The mystery of the Kensington Runestone has endured through the ages. Runestone Museum Foundation photo

legacyofthelakes.org

55 miles of beautiful, paved rail-trails across central Minnesota.

Visit CentralLakesTrail.com for maps and resources Minnesota Trails

Fall 2018 25

26 Fall 2018

Minnesota Trails

Mill Around Terrace

A welcome stop on the byway, the Terrace Mill Historic District features a 1903 vintage flour mill, keystone arch bridge, weir dam, log cabin and other historic buildings.

terracemill.org

Log in

Willmar The Endreson cabin, built in 1858, was the home of Guri Endreson and her family. During the U.S.-Dakota Conflict, Guri saved three men after her husband and son were killed and her daughters kidnapped.

glacialridgebyway.com

Remember

Monson Lake State Park This park near Sunburg was established in 1923 as a memorial to the settlers who died in the U.S.-Dakota conflict of 1862.

dnr.state.mn.us

Rebuild History Pennock

Visit this replica log church that looks just like the one erected by Norwegian immigrants in 1868.

Wildflowers bloom on the hills of Glacial Lakes State Park. Jan Lasar photo

nllha.org

Get Wild

Starbuck Prairie clover, pasque flowers, coneflowers, and goldenrods are just some of the wildflowers that blanket the hills of Glacial Lakes State Park.

dnr.state.mn.us

Undertake Something New London

Housed in the historic Lebanon Lutheran Church, this museum has an array of unique items, including a wicker undertaker‘s basket.

glacialridgebyway.com

Travel Back in Time

Otter Tail History Museum You can travel back to the days when it was okay to stand up in a boat as long as the fish were biting. The Otter Tail Historical Society has a museum in Fergus Falls full of classic treasures from the past.

otchs.org

CALL

Rates Greaat ckages &P E ONLIN

Minnesota Trails

Fall 2018 27

Cycling the Skyline

by Molly Brewer Hoeg

This is home territory. In fact, Skyline Parkway crosses the foot of my driveway. I grew up going on family drives along Skyline, a Scenic Byway that runs the length of Duluth at the crest of the hill. More recently, I’ve made it an annual cycling ritual to traverse its length, but this was the first time I’d truly done it end to end.

Skyline Parkway was built in stages, primarily between the 1880s and 1940s. It grew from the center, reaching outward to the city’s east and west limits. As a result, there is great diversity in its environs. I was about to experience one of its Taking a break at Enger Tower. All photos by Jan Lasar extremes.

Traveling from west to east, I started at Beck’s Road. This piece was new to me, but I already knew what lay ahead. As soon as I entered the Snively-Magney Natural Area the parkway became a rough gravel road with plenty of hills. But I was rewarded for the extra effort and bumpy ride with intense quiet, a patchwork of greenery shading the road, and wilderness seclusion. The view from Bardon’s Peak Overlook clinched it, commanding well over 180-degrees of scenery. Down below the St. Louis River snaked through the landscape, presenting a real-life map of its journey into the harbor. On that rare calm day, glossy smooth water mirrored its surroundings. The awe carried me up and down the hills through the Spirit Mountain recreation area and back onto blessed pavement.

I tend to think of Skyline Parkway in sections, perhaps representing segments of construction and the loose connecAbove Smiley Falls, Molly Hoeg crosses bridge number tions that link them together. Once past the Thompson Hill seven on Seven Bridges Road.

Information Center, I entered another woodsy stretch. But this was different. It was an urban wilderness.

The road snaked atop the hill, teasing me with brief views of the river and harbor through the leaves or occasional gaps in the trees. Dipping inland a hairpin curve took me along Keene Creek, accompanied by the music of splashing water tripping over rocks in the woodland stream.

For the longest time Enger Tower perched on the hilltop, a miniature turret in the distance. Yet suddenly I was there. A short hill took me to the base of the tower and the center of a lush Japanese garden. Visitors wandered the sculptured Bird’s eye view of Duluth’s east side at Hawk grounds and climbed the tower Ridge Nature Preserve. while I savored a break from cycling. Resting atop a giant boulder seemed appropriate.

The same monolithic rocks are a signature characteristic of Skyline, lining the parkway as a protective barrier.

Beyond Enger lay a transition portion, passing the center of town and the Park Point strip of land stretching out in the distance to enclose the Duluth harbor. This was Rock cut on Haines Road near Merritt Creek.

28 Fall 2018

Minnesota Trails

neighborhood cycling, ranging from opulent houses perched on the edge of the hill with spectacular views to crowded narrow homes built upwards to grab glimpses of the lake.

A dive back into the woods took me over Chester Creek and more waterfall sounds before suddenly landing at the University of Minnesota, Duluth. Appropriately named “the gap,” this section pragmatically travels the perimeter of campus and makes its way over to the next scenic segment, Hawk Ridge.

Once again on the wooded lip of the hill the surface transitioned to a firm dirt road, reminding me that I was passing through a Nature Reserve. With two large overlooks, I had plenty of opportunity to ogle the sweeping panorama. The main viewing spot is also home to the Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory, which is a major attraction for avid birders and sightseers when tens of thousands of migrating hawks and other raptors pass overhead daily in the fall. Hiking and mountain biking are also popular on the abundant trails that traverse the area. But nobody can resist the view. This time verdant neighborhoods lay below cloaked in a canopy of leafy trees, and beyond was an endless expanse of blue. Lake Superior glistened in the sunshine and massive shipping vessels shrank to toy size in its vast waters.

It was time to come down off the hill, and Seven Bridges Road provided a secluded conduit for coasting down to lake level. Crisscrossing Amity Creek, the smooth twisty, windy road actually passed over eight stone arch bridges. The stately structures were originally built in 1912, faced with stone from the creek bed or quarried nearby and topped with pink granite from St. Cloud. All have been recently restored or rebuilt. Trees met overhead and trails led enticingly into the woods on each side.

My final destination awaited.

Brighton Beach seemed an appropriate finale, its topography ranging from tabletop boulders to malleable rock beaches and Lake Superior lapping at its shore. In twenty-five memorable miles a whole city had passed under my bicycle tires while I perused the sights below. I can’t wait to do it again.

About the Writer Molly Brewer Hoeg is a freelance writer and outdoor fitness enthusiast from Duluth, Minnesota who spends about a month each year bicycle touring with her husband. She blogs about their travels en route on SuperiorFootprints.org, and is currently writing a book about the ups and downs of marriage at 12 miles an hour. She is a regular contributor to Lake Superior Magazine, Lake Country Journal and Bicycle Times and her work has also appeared in Adventure Cyclist Magazine.

Bardon’s Peak overlook at the western end of the byway with a panoramic view of Duluth

Minnesota Trails

Fall 2018 29

2018

bike rides & tours RACE THE GRIND

TASTE OF THE TRAIL

RIDEMN1

Sat., 09/01/2018 Location: Biwabik, MN Email: events@racethegrind.com Website: racethegrind.com Distances: 18, 35 miles Various mountain bike events at Giants Ridge Resort including a night cyclocross race on lit trails and a one-mile kids race.

Sat., 09/08/2018 Lanesboro, Whalan, Peterson Sat., 09/15/2018 Fountain, Preston and Harmony Sat., 09/22/2018 Houston, Rushford, Rushford Village Location: Root River and Harmony-Preston Valley Trail Email: info@rootrivertrail.org Website: rootrivertrail.org Three consecutive weekends each feature a different selection of towns.

Sun., 09/09/2018 to Fri., 9/14/2018 Location: Browns Valley, MN Email: ridemn1@gmail.com Website: ridemn1.org Distance: 323 miles Ride across Minnesota to raise awareness and raise funds for cancer research. The 2018 ride is from Browns Valley to Taylors Falls.

CARAMEL APPLE RIDE Sat., 09/08/2018 Location: Sauk Centre, MN Email: lwtevent@gmail.com Website: lakewobegontrail.com/lwta-rides Enjoy the fall colors and great apple refreshments at all the rest stops, including caramel apples, in Lake Wobegon Trail Country.

JESSE JAMES BIKE TOUR Sat., 09/08/2018 Location: Northfield, MN Website: jessejamesbiketour.org Distances: 10, 30, 45, 100 miles This fabulous bike tour is an official event of Defeat of Jesse James Days, one of Minnesota’s largest community celebrations. The best century ride around.

Camping!

SEPTEMBER SONG Sat., 09/08/2018 Location: Rice Lake, WI Contact: 715-234-4127 Distance: 50 miles This classic road ride is on relatively flat country roads along the shores of Rice Lake. There are stores, restaurants and a swimming beach on the way.

SAINT PAUL CLASSIC BIKE TOUR Sun., 09/09/2018 Location: Saint Paul, MN Email: info@bikemn.org Website: bikeclassic.org Distances: 15, 32, 47 miles Discover traffic-free glee on Minnesota’s biggest bike tour on the streets of St. Paul.

MORA BIKE TOUR Sat., 09/15/2018 Location: Mora, MN Website: morabiketour.org Distances: 25, 50 miles The annual Mora Bike Tour starts and ends at the Vasaloppet Nordic Center. The route is generally flat with mostly gentle hills on the roads of Kanabec County.

RIDE THE RIDGES Sat., 09/15/2018 Location: Winona, MN Email: mbernatz@hbci.com Website: ridetheridges.bike Distances: 23, 44, 67, 105 miles Choice of four scenic routes through lush valleys along streams and on high bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River.

Next to the Trail

Tent and RV camping with modern restrooms and showers.

8 campsites with cement pads and electrical hook-ups.

320-293-6687 320 293 6687 6

Biking!

Holdingford

Home of the Lake Wobegon Trail Covered Bridge Explore the newest stretch of Lake Wobegon Trail and bike the new Soo Line Trail!

Visit us Online www.holdingfordmn.us Ad courtesy of Holdingford Municipal Liquor ¥ On Sale/OȔ Sale 320-746-2264 Cyclists Welcome!

30 Fall 2018

Minnesota Trails

2018 PURPLERIDESTRIDE Sat., 09/15/2018 Location: Maple Grove, MN Email: events@pancan.org Website: support.pancan.org Distances: 8, 25 miles This year the event will take participants on a route at Elm Creek Park. There is also a 5k run/walk and 1-mile walk.

bike rides & tours

DAVID GROTBERG MEMORIAL DUATHLON Sat., 09/22/2018 Location: Fergus Falls, MN Email: clark@centrallakescycle.com Website: centrallakescycle.com The Duathlon starts at Central Lakes Cycle with a 20-mile bike ride, followed by a 4-mile run and finish with a 7-mile bike sprint on paved roads.

HEADWATERS 100 Sat., 09/22/2018 Location: Park Rapids, MN Email: bike@itascatur.org Website: itascatur.org Distances: 45, 75, 100 miles The premier fall event in Northern Minnesota, the Headwaters 100, has something for everyone.

WOODTICK 100 Sat., 09/15/2018 Location: Cuyuna, MN Email: info@woodtick100.com Website: woodtick100.com Distances: 50, 100 miles This gravel ride has some of the finest off-the-grid backcountry gravel Aitkin and Crow Wing Counties have to offer.

Have ride photos to share? Send them to jan@mntrails.com

AUTUMN TREK Sun., 09/16/2018 Location: River Falls, WI Email: jmwebber@sbcglobal.net Website: rivervalleytrails.org Distances: 25, 45, 65, 101 miles The Autumn Trek bike ride starts just east of the Twin Cities at Hoffman Park in River Falls, WI, and takes you through some of the most scenic country in Western, WI.

MINNEAPOLIS BIKE TOUR Sun., 09/16/2018 Location: Minneapolis, MN Website: minneapolisbiketour.com Distances: 16, 32 miles Starts and ends at beautiful Boom Island and features two fully-supported routes that take riders through the spectacular park and byway system of Minneapolis traffic free.

TOUR DE HUGO Sat., 09/22/2018 Location: Hugo, MN Email: sdenaway@ci.hugo.mn.us Website: tourdehugo.com Distances: 6, 20, 35, 50, 62 miles Catch glimpses of lakes and ponds as you tour through prairie, farmlands, and forests.

Preston Get Hooked.

Visit us for

Taste of the Trail

September 15th www.rootrivertrail.org

Fall in love with Fall in Preston!!

www.gethookedonpreston.com | 507-765-2100 Minnesota Trails

Fall 2018 31

2018

bike rides & tours WILD RIDE MOUNTAIN BIKE FESTIVAL Sat., 09/22/2018 Location: Eagan, MN Website: co.dakota.mn.us Celebrate the great sport of mountain biking at Lebanon Hills Regional Park where experienced and beginning riders get a chance to ride some of the best mountain bike trails in the state.

HUN DIRT

BIKES4KIDS LEGACY RIDE

Sat., 09/22/2018 Location: Alexandria, MN Website: bigolebikeclub.com/hundirt email: jake@jakesbikes.com Distances: 50 or 100 miles The course will take riders through a variety of gravel and minimum maintenance roads. You’ll love the change in terrain and scenery. Riders may choose the 100 mile or 50 mile course. Both start and finish at Brophy Park.

Sat., 09/29/2018 Location: Maple Grove, MN Website: bikes4kidsmn.org Distances: 5, 15, 25 miles A Bikes 4 Kids fundraiser ride through Elm Creek Park Reserve’s beautiful trail system.

HECK OF THE NORTH Sat., 09/29/2018 Location: North of Two Harbors, MN Website: heckofthenorth.com Distances: 56, 105 miles Race on rugged and beautiful gravel and forest roads near Two Harbors.

Need more details?

Visit mntrails.com/events

TERRAVAIL OREMAGEDDON Sat., 10/06/2018 Location: Cuyuna Lakes Email: info@cuyunalakesmtb.com Website: cuyunalakesmtb.com Distances: 12, 25, 50 miles The Terravail Oremageddon mountain bike race has varying levels of difficulty with intense twists, turns and vertical climbs on the Cuyuna red dirt single track.

34 Miles of beauty on the Camden Regional Bike Trail NAMED

BEST

IOWA TRAIL TOWN IN 2016 & 2017

MANKATO RIVER RAMBLE Sun., 10/07/2018 Location: Mankato, MN Email: info@bikemn.org Website: bikeriverramble.org Distances: 12, 26, 42, 50 miles Savor the fall colors on this classic countryside ride with great rest stops, ride support, delicious food, beverage, live music and much more.

Marshall, Minnesota visitmarshallmn.com @VisitMarshallmn

September 22, 2018 tourdehugo.com

Pre-register and receive a commemorative t-shirt, bandanna and ride medallion 6, 20, 35, 50 and 62 mile routes

FUN

SEPTEMBER Come join the fun!

EVENTS Saturday, Sept. 8 &DUDPHO H Take a ride on the Lake Wobegon Trail $SSOH 5LG go on Lake Wobe

CHOOSE YOUR BIKE ADVENTURE

CEDARFALLSTOURISM .ORG

800.845.1955 #WeKnowHowToWeekend 32 Fall 2018

n Trail

and enjoy local caramel apple treats.

Saturday, Sept. 15

Sinclair Lewis Park 10 am-4 pm • Live Music by “Livewire” 11 am-4 pm • Welding and Sculpture Contest • Car Show • Hand Crafted Items for Sale Welding Contested sponsored by Felling Trailer. Car show sponsored by O’Reilly Auto Parts.

visitsaukcentre.org • 855-444-SAUK

Visit The Centre of it all!

• Stay in the Center of the Lake Wobegon Trail • Enjoy restaurants and the Gopher Original Main Street Prairie Inn • Bike to the Sinclair Lewis Boyhood home and Museum just off the trail • Rest at Sauk Centre’s Hotels & Campgrounds

Sinclair Lewis Campground Minnesota Trails

TrailsQ&A

2018

Trails Q & A

SNAPSHOTS OF PEOPLE WE MEET ALONG THE TRAIL

FaithEllen Pon

Tom Schissel

Bix Baker

Scott Kudelka

Mankato, MN

Minneapolis, MN

Fairfax, MN

Mankato, MN

Seen: Taking a Bison Tour at Minneopa State Park.

Occupation: Retired, formerly with the Foreign Service.

Occupation: Property Manager

Seen: Hiking out to the bison range to take photos at Blue Mounds State Park.

What does this park mean to you? It’s a great place to get grounded, find solitude in nature and clear the head.

Gear: Nikon camera.

Advice to other visitors: “Have fun, go light, carry plenty of water, come in all seasons and leave no trace.

Best Trail experience: I hiked the Pacific Crest Trail in Oregon, southbound.

Worst Trail Experience: Really, none at all…. even the ticks and mosquitos on what I call the ‘Tick Attack Trail.’

Gear: Lowes Pro Backpack, Cannon 6D Camera.

Best Minnesota trail experience: Camping at Gooseberry State Park.

Advice for aspiring nature photographers: Go early or go late, for the best light.

With $1000 I would: Buy another lens.

Trail Treat: Blueberry Banana Smoothie.

Favorite outdoor place in Minnesota? I just moved here, so I’m still looking.

Future Plans: Visit the Boundary Waters in Ely, then Grand Portage and Voyageurs National With $1,000 I would: Seriously, Park.

I would donate it to the bison How many photos do you take preservation project at this park. a year? Thousands.

Occupation: Retired science teacher and Master Naturalist.

What does this park mean to you? I love the swimming in the summer. I love just being active in nature. It’s better than any health club.

Favorite spot at Flandrau: Everywhere!

Advice for a visitor to Flandrau: Get out and hike the trails with eyes wide open. Take lots of pictures, worry about identifying pollinators, birds and such later.

Favorite Minnesota Park: Fort Ridgely. I wrote the Nature Guide for that park.

Best experience: One random day in November I went for a hike. It was my best wildlife watching day ever.

Worst experience: Coming face to face with a mama bear and two cubs in Alaska.

Trail Treat: Trail mix and jerky.

What would you do with $1000 ? I’d give it to Middle Eastern refugees.

Minnesota Trails

Seen: Leading a bison tour at Minneopa State Park.

Occupation: Minneopa Area Naturalist covering Minneopa, Flandrau and Fort Ridgely State Parks.

Education: BS in Public History from North Dakota State. Five years at current Minnesota Parks position.

What does this park mean to you? This is a special place.

Minnesotans come here for the beautiful waterfalls, the natural environment and the Seppmann Mill historical story. But the Indians before us came here for their own reasons. It has always been special.

Favorite spot at Minneopa: The sandstone cliffs on the Minneopa Creek Confluence Trail. These are just below the overlook high above the gorge near the group camp.

Best Experience as a Naturalist: Just yesterday, an American Heritage Girl Scout group of 3rd and 4th grade girls did garbage pick up within the park. The interaction with kids is always rewarding.

Advice for park visitors: Attend a program! Connect with the friends group for whichever park you are enjoying.

Is your job secure? Thanks to the Legacy funding voted for

by Minnesota citizens in 2008, I think so. But we all need to keep expressing our desire to keep such funding alive for the future.

Tell your legislators that you appreciate the environmental quality and the arts that the Legacy dollars support.

QA

Favorite spot in this park: The waterfalls, but I love the whole park. I walk here from my home eleven miles away.

Trail Treat: Almonds.

Seen: Hiking with his family on the Grassland Trail at Flandrau State Park

Fall 2018 33

Our Ten-Year Adventure

by Matthew Davis

ABOUT THE WRITER

My wife, Stacy, and I love to hike. their parents, they are ways to keep our kids In fact, we met and fell in love walking happiest outside among engaged in the trip. the Appalachian Trail and have enjoyed the sounds, smells and They took turns picking trekking together all over the country. sights of nature. out a trail destination Once we started having kids we wanted If it hadn’t been like a waterfall, to pass our passion for the outdoors on for our ambitious plan, overlook or historic to our growing family and we decided to I may not have visited site and it helped them make it a goal to visit all of Minnesota’s far southern Minnesota look forward to seeing state parks. It took ten years, but in because I’m more of it and staying focused 2018 we finally checked the last of a north woods guy. on getting there.

Minnesota’s 66 state parks off our list.

But learning about the Stacy liked to The biggest challenge of our area’s Native American “bribe” them on longer trek was the volume of parks and the and settlement history hikes with treats like distances required to travel to get there and visiting the prairie M&Ms, at regular and we were off to a slow start. In the parks was an experience intervals. This helped first few years we only managed to visit I wouldn’t want to miss. our oldest two tackle a about twenty parks. Then, in the last We didn’t plan Finding Minnesota’s largest five-mile hike at Itasca cottonwood tree at four years we really stepped it up and ahead too much before when they were only Lac Qui Parle State Park. averaged about ten parks a year. All visiting each park and five years old. of this traveling turned out to be the that turned out to be a good thing.

We also kept them interested by biggest reward because we got to see Instead, we pulled up at a park, grabbed playing games along the way like hide all different types of a map and asked the and seek or I Spy, playing make believe beauty and experience visitor center staff for a and telling stories as we walked. They the interesting history hike recommendation. especially enjoyed taking turns at of Minnesota. Prairie Had we done more stamping the Hiking Passport at each remnants in southern research, we could park and searching for the Hiking Club Minnesota, craggy cliffs have taken in more on password. along Lake Superior, each visit, but would Now that our state park list is dramatic bluffs along have been locked complete, we’re looking for the next the Mississippi River, into an itinerary. We adventure and I’m sure we’ll either visit great swimming found out that on an all of Minnesota’s state trails, historic beaches, world-class outdoors vacation with sites, national parks, or the Boundary mountain biking and kids, it’s important Waters or the Saint Croix River. Maybe important historic sites, to be flexible. A few all of the above. our state park system times we had planned In ten years of exploring the state, really does have an to camp and ended up we slept in a teepee at Blue Mounds, outstanding variety of either in a hotel room huffed up the steep stairs at John A. outdoor activities. or a camper cabin at Latsch, watched a turtle lay eggs at our Ruthy and Clara do their We encountered part to prevent the spread of night because of rain. campsite at Hayes Lake and learned invasive plants by just about every We could have taught about stalagmites at Forestville Mystery weather. Deep snow brushing their shoes at Beaver our kids to tough it out, Cave State Park and it’s impossible to Creek Valley State Park. and bitter cold at Lake but we think their main pick a favorite moment. Our elevenMaria, a hot and humid summer day at takeaway would have been that camping year old son William summed it up best: Blue Mounds and a cold, wet and windy was miserable and the tent was too “I kind of liked hiking with my family.” summer day at Zippel Bay, but that was crowded and too wet. never a reason for us to stay home.

It also helped us to rethink what it Another huge reward has been means to go on a hike as a family. Kids watching our kids navigate the love to hike, if it’s right for them. woods over the past decade. They’re But if it turns into “Daddy’s determined hikers and bikers, covering Death March” they will not near the same distances as adults. enjoy it very much. The They’re full of curiosity when they’re key was to have a great outside and love to learn about different time, and if that meant plants, animals and places. And, like hiking five miles instead of eight, or swimming four Matthew and Stacy Davis live in hours instead Detroit Lakes with their children of one, we just William, Ruthy, Clara and Teddy, went with it. where Matthew works for the North Taking a break Their smiles and Country Trail Association and Stacy is from hiking memories were the esker at the family’s CEO. They are volunteer what mattered.

Scenic State Park. trail adopters for a segment of the All photos by Over the North Country National Scenic Trail in Matthew Davis last ten years Itasca State Park. we figured out

34 Fall 2018

Minnesota Trails

Flandrau State Park

Late October in the Minnesota River Valley at New Ulm is a great time to seek out the colors of autumn, just before the last of the leaves have fallen. Oktoberfest celebrations are over, but the hiking trails of Flandrau State Park still beckon.

The park is immediately adjacent to the city of New Ulm and straddles both sides of the Cottonwood River before it merges with the Minnesota River.

Summit Avenue, high on the ridgeline divides the Minnesota River Valley from that of the Cottonwood River, leads to the park entrance and quickly descends to the river bottoms. Visitors encounter some of the park’s best attractions right away: the pristine sandbottomed swimming pool and the very unique beach house.

Park Manager, Gary Teipel says “Back in the 1930s, when the Minnesota Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and the Veterans Conservation Corps (VCC) built the beach house and other park buildings, there was a dam on the Cottonwood River which created a 200-acre lake with a good beach for swimming.” The dam is long gone now, but the swimming beach remains thanks to a more recently added manmade pond with chlorinated water, surrounded by a perfect sand beach.

Teipel says the pool draws in park visitors from all over the area, not just New Ulm residents. “In fact, one-third of park campers come from the Twin Cities, another third from the local area and the balance from all over, including many driving up from Iowa,” he says.

During the warmer months, eight miles Hikers enjoy fall colors on a walk in late October.

The former CCC camp kitchen is now a rental cabin.

All photos by Rudi Hargesheimer

of trail are great for hiking to scenic blufftop overlooks on wooden staircases and exploring easy miles of river bottom trail.

On a visit in late October trail hiker Bix Baker and his family were looking for wildlife while enjoying the last of the fall colors on the Grassland Trail in the park. They climbed to a small overlook before winding through the cottonwood forests and open prairies of the river bottoms.

The family had yet to encounter many critters, but another hiker, Judy Stern, said, “We were pleased. We saw four deer right away, then eight wild turkeys and several squirrels, chipmunks and woodpeckers. And we thought the colors were awesome!”

Flandrau also sees a steady stream of visitors during the winter with its six miles of groomed cross-country ski trails and two miles of snowshoe trails, making it the tenth most-visited park in the state. “The beach house is open all winter and serves as the warming house for cross country skiers and snowshoers. The park rents sixty pairs of skis and thirty pairs of snowshoes and they do get used,” Teipel says.

Natural beauty, a swimming beach and year-round trails draw in a fair share of visitors, but many come to immerse themselves in history and find out more about some of the very distinctive stone buildings in the park.

The beach house is with its huge timber trusses, rustic chandeliers and towering stone fireplace, is remarkable.

Author David Benson chronicles the 1930s era building of some of Minnesota’s most iconic state park structures in his book Stories in Log and Stone and says it “may be the most unique building in the state park system.”

He says, “In keeping with the effort to use local styles and materials, the principal buildings were designed

by Rudi Hargesheimer

to reflect the German heritage of the surrounding New Ulm community. The roofs have steep pitches, and the walls, made of quartzite, are built with small stones set in non-linear patterns, to give these buildings an ‘Old World’ feel.”

There are more buildings of note at Flandrau State Park. The original Stone CCC kitchen and picnic shelter near the beach house is now a rental cabin and may just be the most charming of its kind in the state. It’s small with just a bed, table and chairs, but has a stone fireplace and quartzite walls from local quarries, inside and out.

Camping here is similar to many parks, but what sets Flandrau apart, Teipel says, is the group camp, “It consists of the 1930s era bunkhouses used by the WPA crews and has beds for 105. Church retreats, scout camps and reunions, are very popular here all summer long.” Between 1944 an 1945, at the very end of WWII, the camp was used to house 160 German POWs in what was known as Camp New Ulm. After the war, the prisoners were repatriated and the buildings have been a part of history at Flandrau State Park ever since.

The quartzite cabin has a stone fireplace and period light fixtures.

The beach house at Flandrau State Park.

Minnesota Trails

Fall 2018 35

Minneopa State Park Minnesota’s third-oldest state park, established in 1905, gets its name from the Dakota word for “Water Falling Twice”. Indeed, at Minneopa State Park near Mankato, Minneopa Creek first tumbles 10 feet and soon after drops another 40 feet to create a stunning double waterfall. Between the falls, a 1921 whitewashed concrete arch pedestrian bridge attracts visitors who like to pose for photos here.

For decades, this natural phenomenon on southern Minnesota’s prairie landscape was the main attraction, but in the 1960s the park expanded.

The Seppmann family, descendants of German immigrant Albert Seppmann, donated an adjacent property, which included an old wind-powered mill built in 1862. It was severely damaged by lightning and windstorms and sat neglected for many years before the family donated it to Blue Earth County who repaired it before handing it over to the state of Minnesota in the 1930s.

The mill and granary were then rebuilt to historically accurate condition by the state of Minnesota in the 1970s.

Today, visitors can drive to Seppmann Mill and enjoy views of the expansive Minnesota River Valley. To do so, they travel through the park’s latest addition, the 331-acre bison enclosure.

In 2015 the park added a herd of fifteen bison in an effort to help preserve the species. Minneopa State Park’s herd consists of thirteen females and two males. With a little bit of luck you’ll be able to spot them from your car in their new, restored prairie habitat.

For those who like to make the trek to the mill by foot, Minnesota River

by Rudi Hargesheimer

Bluffs Trail and Seppmann Mill Trail travel the perimeter of the enclosure outside of the fenced-in area. Other hiking trails include the 0.6 mile Waterfalls Trail and the the Minneopa Creek Confluence Trail, which leads 0.3 miles one-way into the Minneopa Creek Gorge, ending at the Minnesota River.

The park is also a magnet for bird watchers. It’s a great place to see and hear western and eastern meadowlarks, now seldom seen due to farming practices in their former habitat. Tree sparrows, king birds, red-winged blackbirds, red-tailed hawks, and bald eagles are common and eastern bluebirds, and the yellow-shafted flicker are also likely to be spotted. In prairie grasses, look for wild turkeys and ring-necked pheasants. The checklist provided at the visitor centers lists over 220 species. Reasons to visit this park are numerous.

Perhaps adding your own checkmarks to the long bird species checklist could be one of them.

Nearby seven historic Works Progress Administration (WPA) buildings were built with local limestone and lumber in the depression era, late 1930s. A trail leads down a WPA built stone staircase to the base of the falls.

In April, a good time to visit, the waters flow abundantly and wildflowers begin bursting forth in the canyon below the falls.

Eastern meadowlarks are among the 220 species of birds seen at Minneopa.

The falls and pedestrian bridge at Minneopa State Park.

All photos by Rudi Hargesheimer

Bison were introduced to the park in 2015.

The Seppmann Mill and granary were built in 1862.

36 Fall 2018

Minnesota Trails

Northwest Angle

Lake of the Woods Roseau River

Lost River

Garden Island Zippel Bay

Lake Bronson

Parks, Trails, Forests, Rivers

Franz Jevne Rainy Lake Trai

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Smokey Bear

Beltrami Island

International Falls

Thief Lakes

Pine Island

Old Mill

Voyageurs National Park

Big Bog Rec. Area

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Red Lake

Lower Red Lake

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Border Route Trail

Kekekabic Trail

Riv er Burntside

Big Fork

Buena Vista

Leech Lake

Schoolcraft

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Huntersville

Pine River

Lyons

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Shurburne National

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Maps • Guides • Features STATE PARKS

Nemadji

WITH FOREST MANAGEMENT UNIT

WILDLIFE REFUGES NATIONAL FORESTS BWCAW VOYAGEURS NATIONAL PARK

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LONG DISTANCE HIKING TRAILS

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94

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Browns Creek Trail

Grand Rounds

Willmar Lac qui Parle

Gateway Trail

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Upper Sioux Agency

BIKEWAY

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Fort Snelling

MN National Wildlife Refuge

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Pipestone National Monument

Pipestone Casey Jones Trail

Split Rock Creek

Lake Shetek

Mankato

Minneopa

Watonwo n River

Frontenac GoodhuePioneer

Nerstrand Big Woods

Straight River

Regional Trail Camden

Cannon Valley Trail

Sakatah Sakatah Singing Lake Hills Trail

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Flandrau

Marshall Camden

Red Wing er Cannon Riv

Fair Ridge Trail

Rice Lake

Douglas Trail

Rochester

Des Moines River

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Long Prairie River

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Big Stone Lake

Brainerd Crow Wing

Alexandria

Rice Lake National

Solana

r pe

ki Hi

Duluth

Fond du Lac

Snake Rive

Ce nt ra lL ak es Tr ail

North Country Trail

Savanna Portage

Wealthwood

Wing River

Fergus Falls

Ottertail River

r ve

Ri

Cuyuna Country Rec. Area

Pillsbury

Crow

Glendalough

M

Paul Bunyan Trail

Maplewood

pi

ip

iss

iss

River

Foot Hills

Su

Kettl e

Badoura

q

Clou

Savanna

Sunrise Prairie Hardwood Creek Trail

Park Rapids

Gooseberry Falls

r Rive uet

Che ngw ata na

Walker

Smoky Hills

North Country Trail

l rai rT

Buffalo River

Heartland Trail

Whiteface River

iT ra i

Cloquet Valley

iR ipp

Moorhead

Tettegouche Split Rock Lighthouse

iss

Two Inlets

r

Rive

l

ouis St. L

Hill Annex Mine

iss

Tamarac National

George H. Crosby Manitou

am

Battleground

Paul Bunyan Trail

White Earth

Me

Grand Rapids

Grand Marais

River Superior National Forest Temperance

Bear Head Lake

River

il i Tra sab

M

Red River

Itasca State Park

Migizi Trail

Grand Portage

Judge Pat Bayle C.R.Magney Cascade

Bear Island

Soudan Underground Mine

Finland

Hibbing

Bowstring Lake Winnibigoshish

Bemidji Paul Bunyan

Chippewa National Forest

Blackduck

Lake Bemidji Itasca Wilderness Trail

Vermilion State Park

Sturgeon River

McCarthy Scenic Beach George Washington

Kekekabic Trail

Ely

71

Grand Portage

BWCA BWCWA

iG

iver

Red River Rec. Area

Kabetogama

er Riv

Red Lake R

Upper Red Lake

tc h

Thief River Fall

lion mil Ver

Agassiz National

La ke Su pe rio rW at er Tra il

Hayes Lake

Gi

Twin Lakes

Albert Lea Blazing Star Trail

Carley

John A. Latsch

Whitewater

Ro

ot

Riv er

Richard J. Dorer Memorial Hardwood

Great River Bluffs

Root River Trail Myre Big Island

Austin

Shooting Star Trail Lake Louise

HarmonyPreston Forestville/ Valley Trail Mystery Cave

Beaver Creek Valley

DON’T GIVE THEM A FREE RIDE. Stop Invasive Species in Your Tracks

PlayCleanGo.org/mt Minnesota Trails

Fall 2018 37

BUSINESS DIRECTORY Online & In Print $250/annually Call Jan @320-266-5132

BIKE SHOPS CENTRAL LAKES CYCLE

218-739-5651

2010 Hwy. 210 E., Fergus Falls www.centrallakescycle.com

CYCLE PATH AND PADDLE

218-545-4545

115 3rd Avenue SW, Crosby www.cyclepathpaddle.com

FITZHARRIS BIKE & SPORT

105 7th Avenue S, St. Cloud www.fitzharrismn.com

JAKE’S BIKES ALEXANDRIA

611 3rd Avenue E, Alexandria www.jakesbikes.com

REVOLUTION CYCLE AND SKI

160 29th Avenue South, St. Cloud www.revolutioncycleandski.com

TOURIGHT BICYCLE SHOP

124 2nd Street NE, Little Falls www.tourightbicycleshop.com

OUTDOOR MOTION

141 Main Street South, Hutchinson www.outdoormotionbikes.com

16 Shady Oak Road S, Hopkins www.tonkacycleandski.com

TRAILHEAD CYCLING & FITNESS

320-639-2453 320-587-2453

NORTHERN CYCLE

218-751-(BIKE) 2453

BIKE KING

651-457-7766

CARS BIKE SHOP

763-784-6966

VISIT BRAINERD

800-450-7247

HUTCHINSON CHAMBER

320-587-5252

100 Milwaukee Road, Lanesboro www.lanesboro.com

GATEWAY CYCLE

651-777-0188

PIONEER CYCLE

763-755-8871

RAMSEY BICYCLE

763-323-6666

800-438-5884 507-467-2696

COUNTRY BED AND BREAKFAST 651-257-4773

5 miles from Taylors Falls www.countrybedandbreakfast.us

218-999-5795

FUN

6825 Hwy. 10 NW, Ramsey www.ramseybicycles.com

- Paved Walking/Bike Trails - Bike Rentals and Disc Golf - Campsites & Camper Cabins - Historic Downtown & Antiques - Family Aquatic Center

Visitors Information www.sleepyeyechamber.com 38 Fall 2018

35

90

A quick and easy reference for planning your adventure!

LODGING/CAMPING BERT’S CABINS

218-266-3312

AMERICINN SILVER BAY

218-226-4300

AMERICINN TOFTE/LUTSEN

218-663-7899

AMERICINN TWO HARBORS

218-834-3000

15782 Wilderness Drive, Lake Itasca www.bertscabins.com 50 Mensing Drive, Silver Bay www.americinn.com

1088 Hwy. 61 N, Two Harbors www.americinn.com

COUNTRY INN TWO HARBORS 218-834-5557

1204 7th Avenue, Two Harbors www.countryinntwoharbors.com

SINCLAIR LEWIS CAMPGROUND 320-352-2203

826 Park Road, Sauk Centre www.ci.sauk-centre.mn.us

SPIRIT MOUNTAIN BIKE PARK 218-628-2891 800-642-6377

9500 Spirit Mountain Place, Duluth www.spiritmt.com

WELCOMES YOU TO SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA

2661 Co Road I & Old Hwy 10, Mounds View www.CarsBikeShop.com

12741 Central Ave., NE, Blaine www.pioneercycle.com

Mankato

71

7231 W Hwy. 61, Tofte www.americinn.com

B&Bs GREEN HERON B&B

Metro Region

90

218-332-5425

225 West Superior Street, STE 110 www.visitduluth.com

Duluth

St. Cloud

Southern Region

FERGUS FALLS CVB

VISIT DULUTH

35

Central Region

94

763-712-0312

6489 Cahill Avenue, Inver Grove Heights www.bike-king.com

6028 Hwy. 36 Blvd N, Oakdale www.gatewaycycle.com

61 2

CENTRAL LAKES TRAIL ASSOCIATION 320-763-0102

2810 Meyers Bay Road, Grand Rapids www.greenheronbandb.com

218-732-5971

Bemidji 71

324 Broadway, Alexandria www.centrallakestrail.com

LANESBORO CHAMBER

320-251-2453

Northeast Region

2

952-938-8336

INFORMATION

2 Main St., Hutchinson www.explorehutchinson.com

320-219-7433

Minnesota Trails Directory Regions

Northwest Region

11350 Aquila Drive, Suite 505, Champlin www.trailheadcyclingandfitness.com

320-251-2844

NORTHERN CYCLE

117 3rd Street NW, Bemidji www.northerncyclemn.com

TONKA CYCLE AND SKI

14084 Baxter Drive, STE 12, Brainerd www.visitbrainerd.com

218-326-1716

100 Mill Road, Park Rapids www.northerncyclemn.com

www.straussskatesandbicycles.com

218-829-5516

ITASCA TRAIL SPORTS

316 NE 4th Street, Grand Rapids www.itascatrailsports.net

STRAUSS SKATES AND BICYCLES 1751 Cope Avenue E, Maplewood 651-770-1344

112 Washington Ave. W, Fergus Falls www.visitfergusfalls.com

EASY RIDERS BICYCLE & SPORT

415 Washington Street, Brainerd www.easyridersbikes.com

BIKE SHOPS continued

PEPSI BOTTLING CO. PIPESTONE, MN

More Features MnTrails.com Minnesota Trails

Where every season is above average!

XU -RLQ XV IRU R LO D HQMR\DEOH WU ULGHV

lakewobegontrail.com 6OHHS HS S America’s i ’ Best B Value Inn

322 12th St. S, Sauk Centre americasbestvalueinn.com (320) 351-7256

The Estates Bed and Breakfast

29 E Minnesota St., Saint Joseph www.estatesbb.com (320) 557-0300

(DW 'ULQN Jordie’s Trailside Café

105 1st Ave., Bowlus jordiestrailside.com (320) 584-8193

Steam Brew Inc.

301 E. Main St., Melrose Food, espresso & coffee!

(320) 256-5472

6KRS Lake Wobegon Trail Gallery

431 Railroad Ave., Albany lakewobegontrailgallery.com (320) 845-4100

1998-2018

Minnesota Trails

Avon A Cabin Café

The Outpost Mercantile

Bad Habit Brewing

Gathering Grounds

105 Avon Ave. S, Avon avoncabincafe.com (320) 356-7198

15 E Minnesota St., St. Joseph badhabitbeer.com (320) 402-4442

615 6th St. S, Sauk Centre theoutpostmercantile.com (320) 351-7678

200 Avon Avenue S, Avon gatheringgroundsavon.com (320) 356-1106

6HUYLFHV Joel Schneider i Auto Service

701 Railroad Ave., Albany Auto, cycle, ATV & snowmobile service and accessories (320) 845-4856

Helping i Hands Outreach

Rent a surrey bike in Holdingford! holdingfordhelpinghands.org (320) 746-9960

&RPH FHOHEUDWH \HDUV RI WKH /DNH :REHJRQ 7UDLO ZLWK XV WKLV \HDU Fall 2018 39

FREE HOT HOME-STYLE BREAKFAST

INVITING INDOOR POOL

UPDATED GUESTROOMS

ADVENTURE AWAITS AT

AMERICINN

[800] 634.3444 AMERICINN.COM

From Minnesota’s rugged north shore to its southwestern prairie, the northwestern tallgrass parklands, to the Minnesota River Valley, taking good care of people in this great state of ours is what we do best. We’ve earned our stripes when it comes to genuine hospitality, and you’ll feel it the moment you walk through our doors. From a friendly smile to a free, hot American breakfast, stop in and discover true AmericInn® hospitality.

Austin, MN Baudette, MN Bemidji, MN Cloquet, MN Duluth South, MN Hutchinson, MN Lake City, MN Pequot Lakes, MN Red Wing, MN Roseau, MN Silver Bay, MN Tofte/Lutsen, MN Two Harbors, MN Virginia, MN

[507] 437.7337 [218] 634.3200 [218] 751.3000 [218] 879.1231 [218] 624.1026 [320] 587.5515 [651] 345.5611 [218] 568.8400 [651] 385.9060 [218] 463.1045 [218] 226.4300 [218] 663.7899 [218] 834.3000 [218] 741.7839

See more about these locations at AmericInn.com. ©2012 AMERICINN INTERNATIONAL, LLC

40 Fall 2018

Now part of Wyndham Hotel Group Minnesota Trails