Author: Tammy Nara
-
Whitewater State Park
Southern Minnesota has beautiful river bluffs. A wonderful place to experience them is at Whitewater State Park near Elba, Minnesota. If Elba is not familiar to you, perhaps you have heard of Rochester or Winona? This park is close to the midpoint between those two Minnesota cities. The Whitewater River carved a landscape that offers a variety of trail types. It also created a valley that no cell service has been able to penetrate yet.
-
Carver Park Reserve
I first wrote about this park in September of 2020. Over the past couple years I have returned multiple times to explore it further. It is a gem of Southern Minnesota between the towns of Victoria, Waconia, and St. Bonifacius. Driving 45 minutes southwest from my studio in Minneapolis will get me there (if traffic is running smoothly).
-
Superior Hiking Trail: Jackson Lake Road to Judge Magney State Park
The Jackson Lake Road Trailhead is miles off Highway 61 near the town of Hovland, Minnesota. We kept thinking, “Did we miss it?” Finally we found it, just a small pullout, no bathrooms or pit toilets. It was big enough for three vehicles. The first thing we noticed when we got out of the car was the mosquitoes! We were thankful for our bug hats. There were also lots of berry bushes, but it was too early for berries. We were there in mid-July, 2022.
-
Superior Hiking Trail: CR 58 to Pincushion Mt.
This section is challenging with lots of up and down. Recent erosion presents additional concerns. Your reward will be great views and beautiful shady resting spots.
-
Temperance River State Park
What a place! Lake Superior, Temperance River, and miles of hiking trails. The Superior Hiking Trail goes through this park. If you are planning a through hike of that trail, this would be a good place to plan a side trip to visit the big lake.
-
Sand Dunes State Forest
First of all, if you are looking for information about Sand Dunes National Park, this is not it. Sand Dunes State Forest is in Minnesota. You will not find huge flowing waves of sand here, but you will find miles of good hiking that is not too crowded. If you have horses, this is also great for trail rides.
-
Interstate Park, Wisconsin
There are two State Parks with the same name across the river from each other. One is in Minnesota and the other is in Wisconsin. I have walked the trail along the river on the Minnesota side in the past. I looked across to the other bank and saw people over there and wondered what it was like to be where they were.
-
Maplewood Neighborhood Preserves
In 2020 I wrote a post about the Priory Nature Preserve in Maplewood, Minnesota. Thank you to the Natural Resources Coordinator for contacting me about that post. Now I am motivated to find all the Neighborhood preserves!
-
Hikes: North Metro
Looking for a trail to explore near Minneapolis or St. Paul? I have found some great ones in the Northern Suburbs. Minnesota, USA is a great place for getting outside. This page is a work in progress. There are more posts here at paintandhike.com that fit in this category, and more
-
Charles A. Lindbergh State Park
This park is a great place to stop and stretch your legs anytime that your travels take you through Little Falls, Minnesota. I walked most of the trails here in a few hours. It is a beautiful place with interesting history but not a place for an all-day hike.
-
Flandrau State Park
New Ulm, Minnesota is south of Hutchinson, west of Fairbault, north of Fairmont, and east of Walnut Grove. If you are familiar with Little House on the Prairie, you might remember Pa Ingalls making trips to Mankato now and then. Most likely he crossed the Minnesota river at New Ulm.
Paint and Hike 