It works by taking the same MN State Parks maps you used to and placing your GPS position on top of it. There may be affiliate links within the post. Easy in all seasons. They were just starting to bud when we got there. If so, the Minnesota State Parks and Trail Hiking Club is perfect for you and your pup. Its a great deal if you plan to go to a park more than once a year. Do you know if we lost one at some point? Yaktraks are a must!! I just picked up both the hiking club and passport club kits yesterday while I was at Minnepoa State Park. Welcome toThis Big Wild Worldtravel blog! After seeing the first group, we noticed that it was a lot more prevalent up there. Crosby Manitou is such a beautiful park. Thanks! If there is an issue with your order, email us at PAT.NatureStore.DNR@state.mn.us within 3 days of receiving your order. Winter hiking, the trail is not plowed. I agree that Minnesota is totally underrated for outdoor adventures. There is a beautiful paved bike path from the picnic area, all the way to the entrance to the southernmost part of the park. Crow WingState Park14. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Its extremely relaxing to me. Mille Lacs KathioState Park51. Thats awesome! Beautiful! Worth being along the river. Nerstrand Big WoodsState Park57. Below is a list of all 68 of Minnesotas Hiking Club Trails. All sales are final. Yaktraks are a must!! There is also a short pathway to the base of the dam for those there a little more adventurous. Of all of the places Ive lived, Minnesota has the most strong and welcoming outdoor adventure community, making it easy to connect with like-minded outdoor adventurers. well packed. A brief review of this park is included in our 5 Great Dog-Friendly State Parks in Southeastern Minnesota post. We really enjoyed it. Franz JevneState Park21. Also, your blog is helpful in planning these trips. The hiking club trail offers beautiful views of the wild Kettle River. The hiking club trails are designated on each state parks (or recreation areas) trail map. Along the Mound Trail, near an outcropping of rocks, are patches of Prickly Pair Cactus. I'm very impressedand you must have been very tired! It is very useful for me. A place to discuss camping and backpacking in the great state of Minnesota! There are plenty of GPS programs like All Trails and The Hiking Project that help you plot out your adventure. All 68 trails allow dogs, but factors that we consider for dog-friendliness include: For easier navigation of this blog post, state parks and recreation areas are in alphabetical order. The hiking club trail at Blue Mounds State Park takes visitors to the top of the cliff line. Today you can see Bison, Coyotes, and deer reside in the park. No one else on the trail. The first time told me there was cactus in Minnesota I kind of laughed. Lac qui ParleState Park41. Only hiking club trail miles count. This as my daughter would put it, is a lame swing set. For more info, visit this page. Located in the heart of the Twin Cities, this park offers extensive hiking, bike, snowshoe, and ski trails that link to an extensive regional trail system. The hiking club manual notes that this is a rugged trail in the North Woods with exposed rocks and tree roots. While there are 75 Minnesota state parks and recreation areas, only 68 of them have a designated hiking club trail. Thank you so much! This trail is pretty flat so it is suitable for most abilities. I'll look up the info when I get home this afternoonmy book is already packed for the next adventure. Not deep enough for snow shoeing but super fun trail for winter hiking! All Minnesota State Parks are free with an annual permit. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Not too bad. Disclaimer Notice: This website contains some general medical and behavior modification information for dogs. But they have been spotted in the Twin Cities before. Like most of the MN State Parks, the hiking club trail at Blue Mounds takes you through the best parts of the park. Head over to our subscription page to submit your email to our newsletter list. Look for it near the paper maps. Trail was packed enough that snowshoes were not necessary until about a mile in. The passport costs $14.95 and can be purchased at most of the parks or at the DNR License Center at 500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul. Perfect. Went hiking there last week and did the hiking club trail and never saw or found the placard that has the password. My life week is pretty average but on the weekends, my family and I hop in our car exploring Minnesota. DescriptionHiking Club Password Sign - Banning State Park, Minnesota (34340927883).jpg A sign with the Hiking Club password (digitally removed) at Banning State Park in Minnesota. Thankfully we had a full day to explore some of the trails in the park. Each Hiking Club trail has a unique password that you will find on a sign about halfway through your hike. Highly recommend. Went out from the boat landing to the canoe in campsites for the first time ever. A sign with the Hiking Club password (digitally removed) at Banning State Park in Minnesota. Beautiful trail, double tracked and well groomed all the way around the island, especially considering the warmer weather recently. Youll receive a patch for each milestone of 25, 50, 75, 100, 125, 150, 175, and all the miles. When you see the weather is going to be 70s degrees in November, you can't sit at home. So what does Minnesota have to offer? So excited to explore some new trails. Grab your passport at a park office or online for under $15 and then collect your stamps as you explore each of the 75 state parks and recreation areas. Use grips and caution if you can! Half of this was groomed. Reliance on any information appearing on this website is entirely at your own risk. Want adventure in your inbox every month? All rights reserved. During the morning hours. Wearing traction devices is recommended. You can earn patches, free camping, and even a plaque (if you hike all of the Hiking Club trails) for participating in the club. Thanks for making such an awesome blog! A Hiking Club password is found on all of these hikes. Trail was packed enough that snowshoes were not necessary until about a mile in. The first is a playground near the picnic area. As you travel to each park, stop by the main office and get your passport stamped. Ive seen them around the corner. The other half was packed Down from snow shoes. Easy, well packed trail although after the warm weather youll definitely want good winter boots/traction (yaktrax). Banning State Park is one of my favorite state parks in Minnesota. Your email address will not be published. No, Bears do not live in Blue Mounds at State Park. Views were beautiful but very icy on the trails & all the steps. February day. Length 1.1 miElevation gain 22 ftRoute type Loop. Taking Children This hike is well suited to including children. There are 75 in total. I walk this trail with my 4 year old son and he loves it. Great walk through the woods at night. Hello, fellow Minnesotan! Mine was about $15 and we purchased ours at the William OBrien State Park office. Join the Maiden Voyagers Facebook group! If we havent convinced you to join yet, maybe you just need a little more information about the amazing hiking opportunities in Minnesota. But you can purchase your Hiking Club book at any Nature Store. To earn credit for a hike, you must hike the entire hiking club trail and watch for a sign with the password for that hike. The tour lasts 90 minutes and goes inside the enclosure in an open-air truck. Watch for thin ice if trying to get close. Hi! As you can see from these pictures, the trail goes right along the river. Blue Mounds State Park got its name because some settlers moving through the Plaines in the 1860s and 1870s thought it looked like a blue mound off in the distance. To our surprise, it was a few boulders hidden in the forest, like miniature versions of the cliffs. The rewards for the hiking club are based on the number of miles youve completed. Park is basically closed but you can park and then hike or cross country ski. If you want to skip the paved section, follow the red route, which is 4.25 miles. If you buy the annual pass, it must be displayed in the lower passenger side window in your vehicle. Dog are allowed on the trail when on a leash. We have a similar park passport system in Massachusetts and its great. From epic hikes around the world to adventures closer to my home in Minnesota, Im here to help you discover what adventure means to you! As its name suggests, the River Bluff Trail runs along the top of the bluff above the SaintCroix River. It gives you unlimited access to the parks for the year. They radiate with spectacular pins and purplish colors due to iron oxide. The 97-degree temperatures meant we didnt do any hiking until early morning or late at night. A Hiking Club password is found on all of these hikes. I spoke about them on Fox9 Morning Show recently. an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Goes along a snowmobile trail for a short section, but it's plenty wide, so no concerns. Well, did you know that you can step across the tiny creek that marks the beginning of the Mississippi River at Itasca State Park (which I chose as the best state park in Minnesota)? On the designated hikes, youll see a sign with the password to verify that you made it through your hike. (5,760 3,840 pixels, file size: 26.52 MB, MIME type: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0. Afton is included in our 5 Dog-Friendly MN State Park Hikes along the St. Croix River post. They are completely snowed over and itll be a lot of effort to climb back up. The 100 miles patch. Myre Big IslandState Park56. A popular state park located on the St. Croix River at the eastern edge of the Twin Cities metro area, Afton State Park offers several miles of hiking trails. Trail was good soft snow in some areas with mostly hard packed trail the rest of the way. Some parts of the trails were pretty rough even with both. At 100 miles, youll get a free night of camping and if you can complete them all, youll get another night of camping plus anengraved plaque. The hiking club trail has a lot of breakaways and can easily be broken up into sections that are easier to manage. The Middle Falls Trail is spectacular. Its about nourishment and learning. MagneyState Park38. Do you love to explore? I cannot believe how fast your energy reserves drain at those temperatures. Patches are awarded for completion of every 25 miles (from 25 to 175 miles). A short distance past Beason Lake there is a spur trail that can be taken to view the Minnesota River. The trail is pretty rough from the early melt and freeze. Edit Show More. Did out and back instead of loop due to deep snow. The park also has a small population of coyotes and deer. Please respect the outdoors by practicing Leave No Trace. This is down on the trail a little and not really marked. These longer hiking club trails are located at Beaver Creek Valley, Blue Mounds, Maplewood, and Myre -Big Island State Parks. When you get to 25 parks, you receive a free night of camping. Outdoor Project may earn commission on products purchased through our links, which supports the work we do for our readers. Thanks! See Related: DIY Compression Stuff Sack for Camping. Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Split Rock Lighthouse State Park69. Saw only 7 Files are available under licenses specified on their description page. From the trail, you can stop at the top and look down at the spectacular views. Learn how your comment data is processed. Snowshoed it. I absolutely LOVE this post. St. Croix Island State Recreation Area61. More information about the program can be found here. FlandrauState Park17. The spreadsheet will also track your MN Hiking Club Miles, and Passport Stamps collected, and give you a running total. Beware horse apples! The trail is pretty rough from the early melt and freeze. Fun trail with a great overview of the lake! Related content to read next: Find even more Minnesota travel destinations and tips on my Minnesota travel page. I did the hiking club trail at Cascade River State Park yesterday with my dog and it got me interested in completing more hiking club trails with her and luckily I stumbled across this great guide! }); Do you identify as a female and blog about the outdoors? Still pretty icy and muddy. Miles:6.2 milesDifficulty:Easy but longTotal Miles Hiked:105.1 miles. When you complete the book, you get another one. Snowshoes not really needed - we just did it in our ice cleats. Buy a day pass or get an annual pass for just $35 (which is a bargain!). We LOVE your blogusing this as a reference on our own trek with our daughters to hike all the hiking club trails. Hoping to do the newest trail at LaSalle Lake State recreation area this summer. This is a lovely part of the trail, offering views of scenic rocky quarry walls and interesting historical buildings. I earn a small commission on any purchases made. Just stop by the park office to get it stamped. Ended up turning around . Nevertheless the woods is breathtakingly thick and beautiful. We believe good things come from people spending time outside. 75 reasons to join the MN State Parks Passport and MN Hiking Club. This is a game-changer for anyone directionally challenged or those that want a little reassurance when you come to an intersection with more branches than shown on the map. I appreciate it!Seven in ONE DAY? One of the interesting things that were found at Blue Mounds State Park is the Rock Alignment. Photos (107) Directions. Look for waterfowl in the pond. No one else on the trail. Well packed for just hiking boots. Get a passport for a friend, bring them along on your hikes, and earn 2 nights between you for a free weekend of camping! A Hiking Club password is found on all of these hikes. Otherwise, beautiful trail! Nope, there isnt an official swimming area even though there are lakes and streams. Easy in all seasons. Or at least none that have been reported. However, as we complete each trail we will add pictures, our favorite parts of the trail, overall dog-friendliness, and more. Ive got them broken out by distance from Minneapolis. Have updates, photos, alerts, or just want to leave a comment? Its a short way from the parking area, so if you are beat, it wont take too much more energy to get up close and personal with them. Interpretive exhibits at the Thomas C Savage Visitor Center provide a good introduction to the history and resources of the park area. Whether youre looking for new trails to inspire you or a fun way to remember your adventures, the Minnesota State Parks Hiking and Passport Club is perfect for you! Its a game-changer! Kate is the writer of Pawsitively Intrepid. 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