Tag: loop trail
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Moose Lake State Park
your legs. It is just off the freeway and has just over 5 miles (8 km) of really nice trails arranged in loops that let you choose your distance. The ranger station has a geological history center.
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Lake Maria State Park
If you like to hike unpaved loop trails without having to share the trail with bikes, this Minnesota State Park might be for you. You also will not see RVs or car campers. This park has only hike-in campsites and a few hike-in cabins. My husband and I almost camped here once years ago but the mosquitoes convinced us to go elsewhere. This past Sunday was my first time back since that buggy day and I am happy to report that bugs were not an issue at all. Disclaimer: It is mid-September and it has been unusually dry. That explains the change in mosquito population.
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Crow-Hassan Park Reserve
Many miles of trails through woods and prairie are what you will find here. Bring your dog, but not your bike. These trails are shared between hikers and horseback riders. I’m no expert on horse or bikes, but I imagine it would be best to keep those two types of trail users separate.
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Oakdale Nature Preserve
This is 200 acres of forest, lake, and marsh that has many paths, both paved and earth-surfaced. A beautiful “Discovery Center” has modern restrooms, an art gallery, outdoor classroom spaces, covered picnic area, free parking, and a historical restoration of a 19th century schoolhouse. Other Oakdale parks are nearby. I am sure it would be possible to create a longer suburban hiking route that would have minimal road-walking. On Friday I enjoyed just wandering the loop trails, talking with my friend, and soaking up the spring sunshine. One of our discussion topics was racial justice.
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Brown’s Creek State Trail, St. Croix Loop, and Stillwater
Stillwater, Minnesota has a lot of history, a lot of hills, and a paved trail that pleasantly surprised me. This trail was suggested to me more than once after describing my ideal walk: 5-10 miles through woods with water and rock outcroppings. I do not like to have to walk on a road, and I do not like to drive too far from the Minneapolis area these days. I think I shied away from Brown’s Creek Trail in the past because on a map it looks like just another paved bike trail through a residential area. You’d think that people would have had enough of paved bike trails.
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Springbrook Nature Center
This park has been the place I go to recharge when I have time between appointments in the northern suburbs of Minneapolis. Walking all the trails adds up to about 3 miles (5 km).
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Spirit River Nature Area
Cambridge, Minnesota. Spirit River is not far off Highway 65 and only 45 miles (72 km) north of my studio in Minneapolis. In fact, Central Avenue and Highway 65 are the same road so it is almost a straight line from my studio to this gem of a nature area.
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Priory Neighborhood Preserve, Maplewood
A refuge for wildlife and a refuge for a seeker of solitude. That is what I found here. The trails are natural and not maintained in winter which means that if you are the first to enter after a snowfall, it is up to you to blaze the trail. I love that.
Paint and Hike 