Great hikes abound in Wabasha, Minn., area

View from Mississippi Riverwalk, Wabasha, Minn.

From walks along the mighty Mississippi River to hikes through ancient sand dunes, several great day trails can be found in the Wabasha, Minn., area.

Among them:
• Bridge Trail – This 1-mile looping trail paralleling the Zumbro River in the Zumbro Bottoms Unit of the Richard J. Dorer Memorial Hardwood State Forest is frequently used by horse riders; it and the surrounding trails in the bottoms can be busy on weekends. Access the trail from the parking lot along the Zumbro Bottoms Road just east of the Zumbro River.
• Easy Wheeling Nature Area Trail – A 0.6-mile paved loop that is wheelchair accessible twice crosses a creek feeding the Zumbro River at the Kruger Forest Management Unit of the Richard J. Dorer Memorial Hardwood State Forest. A forest road off of County Road 81 south of Minn. Hwy. 60 leads to the trail, which connects to other unpaved routes.
• Kellogg-Weaver Dunes Hiking Trail – The Kellogg-Weaver Dunes Scientific and Natural Area sits on a terrace where the Mississippi, Chippewa and Zumbro rivers once joined. This 1.7-mile trail heads through the dunes. Pick up the path at the end of 605th Street east of County Road 84.
• Malone Park walking path – Hikers can enjoy a pleasant walk alongside a Mississippi River back channel at Malone and Izaak Walton parks in Wabasha. The 0.25-mile trail sits smack dab in the middle of the small river town. The walking path leaves from the Malone Park parking lot on Church Avenue. Extend the hike by crossing Grant Boulevard to the north and following the grassy shoreline another 0.12 miles in Izaak Walton Park.
• McCarthy Lake State Wildlife Management Area walkabout – A primitive trail crosses grasslands to a marshy area surrounded by trees from a parking lot off of County Road 84 south of Newton Road. These grasslands provide an important nesting area for Blanding’s turtles.
• Mississippi Riverwalk – Hikers can learn all about bald eagles and explore an urban stretch of Ol’ Man River on the Mississippi River on the Mississippi Riverwalk. The 0.8-miles round trip walk is easy, educational and scenic. To reach the riverwalk, park in downtown Wabasha. Finding a spot on Big Jo Alley near Pembroke Avenue is best, as the National Eagle Center is at the corner of those two streets.

Learn about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.