Fall color hikes abound in Red Wing MN area

Barn Bluff in Red Wing, Minn.

There’s no better way

to experience autumn colors in the Red Wing area than a hike.

The brilliant yellows, oranges and red of maples to the scarlet

and russets of oaks

...the crisp, fresh

autumn air and the last warm rays of sunlight before winter arrives...

the crunch of fallen leaves and acorns beneath your boots...stopping to enjoy a warm mug of apple cider or a caramel apple pulled from your backpack – it all calls for an afternoon on the trail.

Fortunately, there are plenty of great autumn trails around Red Wing to hike. Some are right out your back door, while some are a day trip that you can do in an afternoon.

Barn Bluff (Red Wing)
Yellow, orange and red maples with tan and russet oaks await hikers on Barn Bluff, a Red Wing icon. The 1.66-mile round trip South Trail heads through the wooded portion of the sandstone bluff and via the Kiwanis Stairway takes you to the top. The East Scenic Overlook offers a view of the surrounding river valley from 30 stories up. From U.S. Hwy. 61 in downtown Red Wing, go southeast onto Plum Street. Next, head left/northeast onto Fifth Street. When the road crosses under Hwy. 61, find a parking spot along the street. The trailhead is on the road’s left/northwest side.

Frontenac State Park (Frontenac)
Hikers can traverse the top and the base of a bluff looming 430 feet above Lake Pepin at Frontenac State Park. The 2.6-mile Bluff Side Loop Trail offers impressive views as it heads up and down the steep bluff with a series of wooden stairs and switchbacks. Fall is a particularly good time to visit with the bird migration through the area at its peak and the leaves resplendent in an array of harvest colors. The trees change with the elevation; the trail at the top of the bluff is a mix of aspen, basswood, elm, maple and oak while cottonwood, maple and willow dominate the trail along the bluff’s bottom. Fall colors usually peak in late September to mid-October. From the park entrance, go left/northwest on County Road 28; follow the road to its end, where it loops back upon itself and forms a parking lot.

Lake Byllesby Regional Park (Cannon Falls)
A variety of trees and bushes light up Lake Byllesby Regional Park each autumn. Try the five stacked loop trails in the park’s undeveloped northwest corner for the greatest range of leaf colors. On the 2.2-mile round trip hike are alder, red-osier dogwood, willow, sumac, and Amur maple. From Cannon Falls, take County Road 20/Fifth Street north. Turn left/west onto County Road 17, which becomes County Road 88 along the way, then left/south onto Harry Avenue and right/west onto Gerlach Way. The parking lot is on the right/north just before the Echo Point Road intersection.

Miesville Ravine Park (Cannon Falls)
Maple, birch, willow, and box elder brighten the deep, narrow gorge at Miesville Ravine Park in harvest hues. A 1.54-mile round trip trail runs through the ravine alongside Trout Brook, a tributary of the Cannon River. The ravine is thickly wooded and almost entirely shaded. From Cannon Falls, take Minn. Hwy. 20 north. Turn right/east onto 280th Street. Once in the park after crossing the stream, go left/north onto a dirt road that leads to a parking lot.

Cairns Woods Park (Ellsworth)
Autumn colors can be enjoyed at Cairns Woods Park in Ellsworth. The 0.74-mile Orange Trail loops on an old logging trail through the 34-acre site, which was donated to the city in 1949. In Ellsworth, take Wis. Hwy. 65 north and turn left/west onto Cairns Street.

Maiden Rock State Natural Area (Stockholm)
Day hikers can explore a bluff steeped in majestic white oaks and legend high above Lake Pepin. The Maiden Rock Bluff Trail runs 1.4-miles round trip. It’s located in the Maiden Rock State Natural Area, which preserves a blufftop prairie that turns golden in autumn. Beyond the giant oaks, sunlight sparkles off the blue lake, as if diamonds had been tossed across a turquoise cloth. From Stockholm, take County Road J north. Turn left/northwest onto County Road E then go left/west into Long Lane. The road dead ends at a grassy parking lot on the blufftop. A trailhead is a few yards east of the lot and heads north from the road.

Nerstrand Big Woods State Park (Cannon Falls)
A picturesque waterfall awaits hikers at Nerstrand Big Woods State Park. The 1-mile round trip walk via Hidden Falls Trail is especially beautiful in autumn with yellow, orange, red sugar maple and ironwood, bronze-colored basswood, and russet-leaved oak lining the path. Hidden Falls sits in a glade amid this northern hardwoods forest, and boasts a 12-foot drop over a 90-foot wide ledge. From Cannon Falls, take County Road 24 Boulevard south. Turn right/west onto County Road 9 Boulevard, left/south onto Minn. Hwy. 246, then right/west onto County Road 40. Nerstrand Big Woods’ entrance is on the right/north and heads straight to the parking area. From there, walk east on the White Oak Trail to the Hidden Falls Trail.

Spring Lake Park Reserve (Hastings)
Maple and ash trees along with some quite large oaks await hikers at Spring Lake Park Reserve. A 3-mile trail loops through a woods atop a bluff on the Mississippi River. Moss-covered rocks and birch accent the mostly maple forest. From Hastings, take Second Street west. When the street splits, go right/northwest onto Niniger Road, which naturally becomes 132nd Street East. Turn right/north onto Idell Avenue, which becomes 127th Street East when it curves west. Head right/north onto the park entry road and leave your vehicle in the lot for the playground. The connector trail heads east from the parking lot.

Variety of great sights await at Frontenac SP

The bluff at Frontenac State Park offers a majestic view of Lake Pepin.
Photo courtesy of Minnesota DNR.

Frontenac State Park trail map.
Click for larger version.
Map courtesy of MNDNR.

Impressive views of scenic Lake Pepin, a rare limestone arch, and prairieland await hikers at Minnesota’s Frontenac State Park.

To reach the park, from Red Wing, Minn., take U.S. Hwy 61 south. In Frontenac Station, turn left/northeast onto County Road 2 and follow the road into the park.

Some of the park’s must-do trails include:
• Bluff Side Loop Trail – Hikers can traverse the top and the base of a bluff looming 430 feet above Lake Pepin and see a natural limestone arch, a rare sight in the Midwest, along the way. The 2.6-mile trail offers impressive views as it heads up and down the steep bluff with a series of wooden stairs and switchbacks. Yan Teopa Rock, one of Minnesota’s few arches, is nearly halfway through the hike.
• Eagle Point Trail – Made up of a few shorter linked trails (this is not an official trail on state park maps), the route heads to Eagle Point, which offers a great view of Lake Pepin and the historic Old Frontenac village to the east. The hike runs 2.2-miles round trip from trail intersection F to L to K to J and then to the point.
• Hiking Club Trail – A collection of small connecting trails, this route serves as a sampler plate of Frontenac’s best sights, including Lake Pepin views, hardwood forest, prairie, and steps up and down small portions of the bluff. The trail is a 2.6-miles loop and marked in yellow on park maps.
• Pine Loop Trail – The 0.5-miles loop overlooks Old Frontenac and Lake Pepin has heading through an old pine plantation. It must be reached by taking a set of other unnamed trails from Trail Intersection F to H to M for a 1.3-miles round trip.
• Prairie Loop Trail – A mowed trail heads through prairie grasses and wildflowers common to the Great Plains and then alongside the north shore of Pleasant Valley Lakelet. The 3-miles round trip hike includes a short spur to a wildlife observation blind on Wells Creek that is excellent for observing migrating birds.
• Riverview Trail – Hikers can explore the blufftop woodlands without ever being far from civilization on this 0.8-miles one-way trail. Paved and wheelchair accessible, it also boasts three fantastic overlooks of Lake Pepin.
• Sand Point Trail – You can take in a great view of Lake Pepin and maybe glimpse a sea monster while doing so on the Sand Point. Reports of Pepie – as the monster locally has come to be known – date to before pioneer times and have occurred as recently as a couple of years ago. The 1.4-mile round trip trail leads to the lake’s shore while heading through a swampy area perfect for creatures of the deep to hide.
• Self-guided Interpretive Trail – The 0.7-mile loop heads from an overlook of Lake Pepin to partway down the bluff through a limestone rock quarry from the 1880s. Though steep with stairs and some gravel surfaces, the route offers awesome views of the blufflands and the lake the entire way. It is marked green on state park maps.
• Sliding Hill Trail – You can enjoy a walk through a meadow to a hilltop with a view on this 0.6-miles round trip trail. The Sliding Hill Trail (not its official name but used here for convenience’s sake) is an easy walk near the park’s entry. While most come to the state park for the views of Lake Pepin, this trail offers glimpses of what lies just a few miles west of the hilly Mississippi River Valley, where a flat prairie stretches to South Dakota.
• Trail Intersection Z Loop – The easy 0.4-miles loop runs through a small woodlands at the bottom of a bluff off of Hwy. 61. Park in the lot for the Sand Point Trail trailhead and from the gravel end of County Road 2 carefully cross the highway to the loop.
• Villa Marie Trail – The 0.7-miles loop is a side trail off the Prairie Loop Trail that heads through more prairie and alongside a small wooded area. Take a segment of the Prairie loop starting at trail intersection T to the Villa Marie for a 2.3-miles round trip lollipop trail.

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

Hike heads through restored prairie area

The Sliding Hill Trail crosses a small meadow.

Sliding Hill Trail, courtesy Minnesota DNR.

Day hikers can enjoy a walk through a meadow to a hilltop with a view on the Sliding Hill Trail at Minnesota’s Frontenac State Park.

Running 0.6-miles round trip, the Sliding Hill Trail (not its official name but used here for convenience’s sake) is an easy walk near the park’s entry. While most come to the state park for the views of Lake Pepin, this trail offers glimpses of what lies just a few miles west of the hilly Mississippi River Valley, where a flat prairie stretches to South Dakota.

To reach the trailhead, from U.S. Hwy 61 turn northeast in Frontenac Station onto County Road 2. Immediately after the Hill Avenue intersection, turn left/northwest and enter the park. Find a space in the parking lot at the park office. The trail leaves from the lot’s northern corner.

A swath of mowed grass, the trail crosses a small meadow. Prairie grasses and wildflowers flourish here, and under a big blue sky gives you a fleeting feel of what walking on the Great Plains is like.

Beginning in the mid-1980s, the state park began a concerted effort to restore its prairie areas. The aim is for the park to appear as it did prior to Euro-American settlement in the 1800s.

The restored prairie area is home to a number of birds. A major stopover each spring and autumn for migrating birds on the Mississippi Flyway, quite a number of them can be spotted in the meadow. Among them are bobolinks, eastern bluebirds, eastern kingbirds, eastern meadowlarks, grasshopper sparrows, Henslow’s sparrows, and sedge wrens.

At 0.2 miles from the trailhead, the path reaches a junction. Go left/northwest, climbing a small hill that over 0.1 miles rises about 60 feet above the meadow.

In winter, this portion of the trail becomes a locally popular sliding hill. During any time of the year, though, the hilltop offers great views of the meadow below and park office in the distance.

The hilltop trees attract different kinds of birds than on the meadow below. More than 20 species of woodland-loving warblers have been spotted in the park, which has the garnered the nickname “The Warbler Capital.”

After taking in the sights, retrace your steps back to the parking lot.

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

Trail runs along top, base of Lake Pepin bluff

Yan Teopa Rock, a natural limestone arch in Minnesota, courtesy Wikipedia.

Map, Bluff Side Trail, courtesy Minnesota DNR.

Trail passes rare
Yan Teopa Rock
in Minnesota

Hikers can traverse the top and the base of a bluff looming 430 feet above Lake Pepin at Minnesota’s Frontenac State Park.

The 2.6-mile Bluff Side Loop Trail offers impressive views as it heads up and down the steep bluff with a series of wooden stairs and switchbacks. Fall is a particularly good time to visit with the bird migration through the area at its peak and the leaves resplendent in an array of harvest colors.

To reach the trailhead, from Red Wing, take U.S. Hwys. 61/63 south. At Frontenac Station, turn left/north onto County Road 2. Once past the park entrance, go left/northwest on County Road 28. Follow the road to its end, where it loops back upon itself and forms a parking lot. Leave your vehicle there. Pick up the trail at the lot’s southeast corner.

Ancient limestone
On the trail, go north, following it alongside the parking lot. You’re atop Gerrard's Bluff (sometimes referred to as Point-No-Point) overlooking Lake Pepin. A couple of picnic spots along the way offer vistas of the lake below with the visible Wisconsin shoreline about two miles away.

After passing the parking lot, the trail splits. Go right/north. This heads to an overlook. The town across the way is Maiden Rock, Wis.

In 0.4 miles, the trail reaches a junction. Go right/north to stay near the cliff edge.

The bluff is made of limestone laid down about 500 million years ago as organic sediment settled at the bottom of a shallow sea. Even after eons of erosion, the bluff stretches three miles long.

After another 0.3 miles of walking, the trail reaches another junction. Continue straight/west so you remain close to the cliff edge.

Yan Teopa Rock
During the last ice age, Glacial River Warren drained Glacial Lake Agassiz, carving out what is now the Minnesota and the Mississippi river valleys. During peak flows, Gerrard's Bluff was an island in the Mississippi River.

In 0.2 miles, the trail reaches two more overlooks. These are good spots during autumn for birdwatching. An impressive 260 bird species have been seen in Frontenac State Park, as they are attracted to the locally diverse habitats of prairie, floodplain forest, hardwood forests and bluffland. Keep an eye out for both bald and golden eagles, hawks, various waterfowl including ruddy turnstones and sanderlings.

The trail passes a couple of access trails leading to the campground during the next 0.2 miles. Upon coming to the T-intersection, go right/south.

In short order, you’ll come to Yan Teopa Rock. From a wooden overlook, you can look down upon a the natural limestone arch, a rare sight in the Midwest. The formation’s name comes from what Dakota called it and aptly means “rock with opening.”

Lake Pepin shore
Next, switchbacks run for about 0.2 miles as the trail heads down the bluffside to the lakeshore. Along the way, watch how the trees change with the elevation. The top of the bluff is a mix of aspen, basswood, elm, maple and oak. Cottonwood, maple and willow dominate the bluff’s bottom.

Over the next mile, the trail runs along the lakeshore with Gerrard's Bluff above you. Warblers are abundant here.

A few access trails lead right up to the water and its stony shore. Lake Pepin, at 22 miles long at a slightly more than a couple of miles wide, is the largest broadening of the Mississippi River on its entire course. Sediment from the Chippewa River south of near Pepin, Wis., creates a dam the backs up the Mississippi to form the lake.

When the trail curves south, it begins climbing bluff again over 0.2 miles. Near the top, the trail splits; go right/north. Just below the bluff top is an overlook.

Once cresting the bluff top, you’ll arrive at another trail that is your start point at the parking lot.

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

Midwest trail leads to lake allegedly inhabited by sea monster

Sand Point at Frontenac State Park, Minn.
Photo courtesy of Minnesota DNR

Sand Point Trail extends
into Lake Pepin at state park

Day hikers at Minnesota’s Frontenac State Park can take in a great view of Lake Pepin – and maybe glimpse a sea monster while doing so.

Reports of Pepie – as the monster locally has come to be known – date to before pioneer times and have occurred as recently as a couple of years ago. The 1.4-mile round trip Sand Point Trail leads to the lake’s shore while heading through a swampy area perfect for creatures of the deep to hide.

To reach the trailhead, from Red Wing, Minn., take U.S. Hwys. 61 and 63 south. Continue through Frontenac Station, not turning onto County Road 2 for the park’s main entrance. As the main highway curves south, stop at the historical marker on the left/north side of the road; use the parking lot there.

‘Size of an elephant’
The trail begins on the lot’s north side and heads northeast as crossing County Road 2. A thick, low-lying woods sits between the road and Lake Pepin, a widening in the Mississippi River.

Before pioneers settled this region, local Dakota Indians refused to take birch-bark canoes onto the lake saying that creatures living in the waters would puncture their thin-skinned boats.

Most of the settlers dismissed the Indian stories as superstition. Then, the evening of April 24, 1871, two local residents spotted the monster. “It was the size of an elephant and rhinoceros, and moved through the water with great rapidity,” the Wabasha (Minn.) County Sentinel reported two days later.

Through the years, other sightings followed, primarily by fishermen. Most recently, beachgoers in Lake City, Minn., spotted a large creature swimming in the lake around 10 a.m. on July 9, 2008. Witnesses said the creature was between 30-40 feet long and swam upstream against the current.

Loch Ness connection
A 2007 expedition to the lake failed to find anything, however. Skeptics dismiss Pepie as a large game fish, giant log, optical illusion, or a hoax.

But those with a more open mind say the creature might be a descendant of a plesiosaurus, to which it bears a remarkable resemblance. The same theory is used to explain the Loch Ness monster – whose home, Loch Ness, is almost identical and size and geography to Lake Pepin.

The trail’s endpoint is Sand Point – aka Point Au Sable – a sand spit that extends into and overlooks Lake Pepin. Across the lake is the Wisconsin shoreline and river bluffs with Maiden Rock to the north and Stockholm to the south.

As the trail heads past wetlands, be sure to don and carry bug spray during spring and summer. And bring binoculars, just in case Pepie shows up.

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