Fall color hikes abound in Stillwater MN area

Brown's Creek State Trail

There’s no better way to experience autumn colors in the Stillwater 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 Stillwater to hike. Some are right out your back door,

while some are a day trip that you can do in an afternoon.

Brown’s Creek State Trail (Stillwater)
Hikers can enjoy fall colors alongside a river and creek on Brown’s Creek State Trail. The 5.9-mile (one-way) trail connects Stillwater and the Gateway State Trail in Grant. A mile of the trail parallels the St. Croix River while another two miles sticks to its namesake creek. Leaves usually peak late September to mid October. From downtown Stillwater, take Minn. Hwy. 95 north. Park in either lot on the road’s right/east before or after Laurel Street. The trailhead runs north from Laurel Street east of the lots.

Lake Elmo Park Reserve (Lake Elmo)
A variety of autumn colors can be enjoyed in the maple-oak forests at Lake Elmo Park Reserve. The 3.8-mile Eagle Point Trail loops around the wooded lake for which the route is named. Paper birch, ash, cottonwood, as well as several types of evergreens, dot the landscape. From Minn. Hwy. 36 in Lake Elmo, take County Road 17/Lake Elmo Road south. Turn right/west onto County Road 14/Stillwater Boulevard then left/south onto Keats Avenue and enter the reserve. After passing the Nordic Center, go right/west into a parking lot. The trail is on the lot’s west side.

William O’Brien State Park (Marine on St. Croix)
Day hikers can learn about the power of floods on the St. Croix River via the Riverside Trail at William O’Brien State Park. The 1.5-mile trail loops through a floodplain and typically is open during summer and autumn when water levels have gone down. The fresh scent of pine needles upon the trail and the gentle rush of water along the river’s rock walls instantly lulls you into a feeling of serenity. Roughly half of the trail follows the river, mainly through a good mix of hardwoods common to a floodplain forest in this region. During autumn, their leaves turn gold, red, orange and brown. Across the water is Wisconsin, and with the two undeveloped shorelines, tranquility reigns. From Marine on St. Croix, take Minn. Hwy. 95 north into the park. Turn right/east onto O’Brien Trail North/County Road 33. The road curves south, dead ending in a parking area alongside Lake Alice. The trail begins at the picnic grounds immediately east of the parking lot.

Battle Creek Regional Park (Maplewood)
Tan-colored oak and yellow-leaved birch await hikers at Battle Creek Regional Park in Maplewood. The 1.5-mile Battle Creek Loop passes tree-lined ponds and crosses ridgelines overlooking oak-filled gullies. From Interstate 94 east of St. Paul, exit right/south onto White Bear Avenue then turn left/east onto Upper Afton Road. Go right/south onto Winthrop Street then right/west into the park’s lot.

Big Marine Park Reserve (Forest Lake)
Hikers can enjoy a walk through a woodlands and on long pier at Big Marine Park Reserve. The unnamed trail in the Washington County park runs 0.75 miles round-trip. The turf trail leaves from the park’s western side, entering a deciduous forest, which makes for a colorful walk among yellow, orange, red, russet and olive leaves in autumn. From Forest Lake, take Minn. Hwy. 97 east. Turn left/south onto County Road 15/Morning Trail North. The park entry road (aka Lomond Trail North) is on the left/east. When the entry road splits, go straight/west, following it to the last/northernmost parking lot (the road loops back onto itself at the lot).

Osceola Bedrock Glades State Natural Area (Osceola, Wis.)
Fantastic river views beneath a colorful forest canopy await hikers on the this pair of trails near Osceola. Not to be confused with Ridgeview Trail at the adjacent Osceola Bedrock Glades State Natural Area, this pair of trails actually are two loops that only locals really know about. They run through the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway and the Osceola State Fish Hatchery on a bluff overlooking a St. Croix River back channel. The oranges and reds of maples dominate here with the occasional pine grove.

Great autumn hikes around Forest Lake MN

Swedish Immigrant Trail

There’s no better way to experience autumn colors in the Forest Lake 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 Forest Lake to

hike. Some are right out your back 

door, while some are a day trip that you can do in an afternoon.

Big Marine Park Reserve (Forest Lake)
Hikers can enjoy a walk through a woodlands and on long pier at Big Marine Park Reserve. The unnamed trail in the Washington County park runs 0.75 miles round-trip. The turf trail leaves from the park’s western side, entering a deciduous forest, which makes for a colorful walk among yellow, orange, red, russet and olive leaves in autumn. From Forest Lake, take Minn. Hwy. 97 east. Turn left/south onto County Road 15/Morning Trail North. The park entry road (aka Lomond Trail North) is on the left/east. When the entry road splits, go straight/west, following it to the last/northernmost parking lot (the road loops back onto itself at the lot).

Swedish Immigrant Trail (Chisago)
Hikers can follow some of the same footpaths and rail lines that the region’s first Swedish immigrants used to settle Chisago County and Minnesota on the Swedish Immigrant Trail. During the late 1800s, many Swedish immigrants took the ferry across the St. Croix River and then footpaths to their destinations. A spur off the St. Paul-Duluth rail route to Wyoming opened during 1880, helping speed the immigration inland. Perhaps the best of the trail’s completed portions is the Shafer Segment, which runs roughly west of the hamlet through wooded areas and past bucolic landscapes. Birch trees dominate in some sections, but the trail is mainly lined by mixed hardwoods that leave the path and its grass shoulders covered in an array of colorful leaves during autumn. Park on the street in downtown Shafer, off of Redwing Avenue near 303rd Street. The trailhead is near 303rd and heads for about two miles east of Redwing. Look for the white signs with the trail logo in the blue and yellow colors of Sweden’s flag.

Minnesota Interstate State Park (Taylors Falls)
The southernmost section of Minnesota Interstate State Park offers a number of great day hiking trails to explore the Dalles of the St. Croix. To reach the area, from U.S. Hwy. 8 in Taylors Falls, turn east onto Milltown Road. A parking lot is at the end of the entry road. Along the parking lot’s northwest side are three trailheads. The Sandstone Bluff Trail heads northwest under Hwy. 8 to a nice vista of the valley and river gorge below. A 1-mile lollipop trail, it’s spectacular in autumn with a mix of colors from the orange maples, red sumac and brilliant yellow oaks.

William O’Brien State Park (Marine on St. Croix)
Day hikers can learn about the power of floods on the St. Croix River via the Riverside Trail at William O’Brien State Park. The 1.5-mile trail loops through a floodplain and typically is open during summer and autumn when water levels have gone down. The fresh scent of pine needles upon the trail and the gentle rush of water along the river’s rock walls instantly lulls you into a feeling of serenity. Roughly half of the trail follows the river, mainly through a good mix of hardwoods common to a floodplain forest in this region. During autumn, their leaves turn gold, red, orange and brown. Across the water is Wisconsin, and with the two undeveloped shorelines, tranquility reigns. From Marine on St. Croix, take Minn. Hwy. 95 north into the park. Turn right/east onto O’Brien Trail North/County Road 33. The road curves south, dead ending in a parking area alongside Lake Alice. The trail begins at the picnic grounds immediately east of the parking lot.

Wild River State Park (North Branch)
Silver maple and basswood flourish along the St. Croix River at Wild River State Park. The 1.5-mile River Terrace Loop and its stem trail circles through a bottomland forest in this popular park. Originally called St. Croix Wild River State Park – and it still appears on various maps that way – it’s now just Wild River State Park. From North Branch, take Minn. Hwy. 95 to County Road 12. Drive County Road 12 to the park entrance, and follow the main park road to a parking lot near the picnic area.

Great hikes await near Marine on St. Croix

Lake Alice on Riverside Trail at William O'Brien State Park. 

Walks along the scenic St. Croix River, a historic river bridge, a lakeside beach, and more await day hikers in the Marine on St. Croix, Minn., area.

The tiny village sits north of Stillwater and at the William O’Brien State Park entrance. It’s the site of the first commercial sawmill on the St. Croix River, dating to 1839.

Among the many trails in the area are:
• Arcola High Bridge Trail – An undesignated trail in the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway runs 1-mile round trip down a bluff to the a cedar grove and the St. Croix River just below the hundred-year-old railroad bridge. Park in the pullout along Arcola Trail about 3.5 miles east of Minn. Hwy. 95 south of town.
• Big Marine Park Reserve Trail – Hikers can enjoy a walk through a woodlands and on a long pier at Big Marine Park Reserve west of town. The unnamed trail in the fairly new Washington County park runs 0.75 miles round-trip.
• Falls Creek Scientific and Natural Area Trail – The primitive nature trail runs through several diverse ecosystems atop a St. Croix River Bluff north of town in Chisago County. An access road off of Hwy. 95 directly across from Pilar Road North leads to a parking lot.
• Jackson Meadows Trails – Several undesignated stacked loops run through a city-owned woods immediately east of Jackson Meadow. Pick up the trail at the parking lot on the west side of Jackson Trail near the Sandpiper Lane junction.
• Old Guslander Trail – A 0.66-mile trail loops through a city-owned woods adjoining William O’Brien State Park. The trailhead runs north from Old Guslander Trail North just west of the Broadway Street junction west of town; park off the road at the trailhead.
• Square Lake Park beachwalk – A beach stretches just under 0.25 miles along the eastern shores of a pretty lake at Square Lake Park south of town. Leave your vehicle in the Washington County park’s lot just off of County Road 7 south of the County Road 59 junction.
• Riverside Trail – Hikers can learn about the power of floods on the St. Croix River via this trail at William O’Brien State Park north of town. The 1.5-mile trail loops through a floodplain and typically is open during summer and autumn when water levels have gone down. Park in the lot alongside Lake Alice. Many other trails, including those through a restored prairie, can be found at the state park.

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

Hike crosses moraine at new Minnesota park

Fishing pier on Big Marine Lake.
Photo courtesy of http://www.co.washington.mn.us. 

Day hikers can enjoy a walk through a woodlands and on long pier at Big Marine Park Reserve in east-central Minnesota.

The unnamed trail in the Washington County park – christened here for convenience’s sake – runs 0.75 miles round-trip. The park is roughly equidistant between the communities of Marine on St. Croix, Hugo and Forest Lake.

A fairly new park, Big Marine opened in 2008. It currently consists of 657 acres and features a swimming beach. Plans call for expanding the preserve to 1800 acres with about four-fifths of it set aside as a prairie-like area similar to the way pioneers found it when first settled there.

To reach the park, from Minn. Hwy. 95 in Marine on St. Croix, head west on County Hwy. 4 (aka 170th St. N.). Turn right/north onto Morning Trail North. The park entry road (aka Lomond Trail North) is on the right/east. When the entry road splits, go straight/west, following it to the last/northernmost parking lot (the road loops back onto itself at the lot).

The turf trail leaves from the park's western side, entering a deciduous forest, which makes for a colorful walk in autumn. Sitting between two wetlands, the woods is atop a ground moraine, or sediment – usually sand, clay and boulders – deposited in piles as the glacier retreated at the end of the last ice age.

Upon reaching the intersection with the paved trail, retrace your steps back to the parking lot. Once at the lot, cross to its northeast corner, where a dirt path leads to a fishing pier on the south side of Big Marine Lake; the pier is 100-feet long and handicap accessible.

A popular fishing lake, Big Marine sports populations of bluegill, crappie, largemouth bass, northern pike, walleye. Fishing poles and tackle available at the park's contact station, just in case you forgot your own.

One more caveat: Dogs are allowed on the park's trails but must be leashed.

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

Minnesota trail features live beaver lodge

Beaver Lodge Trail. Photo courtesy of Minnesota DNR.

Route crosses oak savanna
on way to pond, wetlands

Day hikers can see a working beaver lodge on a short trail at Minnesota’s William O’Brien State Park.

The 0.7-mile Beaver Lodge Trail loops a wetlands where beavers have created a small pond. With the connecting trails, hikers will walk 1.7-miles round trip.

To reach the trail, from Stillwater, Minn., head north on Minn. Hwy. 95 to the park entrance. At the first junction, go left/southeast then turn at the left/southwest into a parking lot at the visitor center.

From there, walk the Wedge Hill Savanna Trail south, staying on that loop’s western side. The trail heads alongside a woodlands, the scent of dry oak leaves heavy on the air, as pileated woodpeckers tap-tap against the trees and warblers sing an array of melodies.

At the next junction, go left/west 0.2 miles. Here, the woods opens up to an oak savanna.

Tough lodge
Next, go left/south onto the Wetland Trail. When the trail splits in a few feet, it’s reached the Beaver Lodge Trail loop. A pond stretches between the two trails. Take the trail going left/south alongside the pond. You’ll quickly spot the beaver lodge sitting near the pond’s northern end.

Beaver lodges primarily provide a home so they are safe from predators. Though constructed of twigs and branches, it’s covered in mud that when frozen in winter is as hard as concrete.

If their lodges look like mansions, that’s because beavers are larger than most people think. They’re usually 35 to 40 inches long and weigh 40 to 50 pounds, but large males can be up to five feet long and top the scales at 90 pounds.

Should you be lucky, you’ll spot a beaver swimming about the pond. Don’t be surprise if you hear what sounds like a gunshot – it’s just a beaver snapping its tail against the water to warn its family of your approach.

Ideally adapted
Beavers are ideally adapted to living in water and can remain submerged for up to 20 minutes. Their tails act as rudders and propellers, while nictitating membranes cover the eyes to act as goggles when in the water. Their lips close behind the front teeth so that it can carry a branch in its mouth but not drown.

In a third of a mile from where the trail split, you’ll reach an intersection with the Wedge Hill Savanna Trail. Go right/west to stay on the Beaver Lodge Loop.

The trail circles about a wetlands where you may see signs of the beavers’ logging. With iron in their teeth and super strong jaws, beavers can chew through a 6-inch diameter tree in a mere 15 minutes. A single beaver can fell hundreds of trees a year.

In 0.2 miles, the loop intersects with the Wetland Trail. Go right/northeast. In another 0.2 miles, the trail reaches the split at the head of the beaver pond. From there, retrace your steps to the parking lot.

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

Photo Album of Minnesota’s Riverside Trail

The scenic Riverside Trail loops for 1.5 miles through Minnesota’s William O’Brien State Park on the St. Croix River.

To reach the park, from Stillwater, Minn., take Minn. Hwy. 95 north to the park. Turn right/east onto O'Brien Trail North/County Road 33. The road curves south, dead-ending in a parking area alongside Lake Alice.

The trail heads through a floodplain and typically is open during summer and autumn when water levels have gone down. You’ll find rest areas (some with benches) about every 900 feet on the trail, as well as interpretive signs.

The trail begins at the picnic grounds immediately east of the parking lot. To the west is a swimming beach on Lake Alice (below).

Several spur trails head off the main loop to the lake (below).

The trail is mostly flat and wide, consisting of pea gravel (below).

A number of views of Lake Alice are on the trail’s west side (below). St. Croix River views are on the trail’s east side.

In May, carp often can be seen spawning in Lake Alice; they make ripples in the otherwise calm water (below) and sometimes even jump out of the water.

Here's a full description of the trail.

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

Array of great day hiking trails await at Minnesota's William O’Brien State Park

St. Croix River shoreline at William O'Brien State Park

More than 12 miles of excellent day hiking trails crisscross Minnesota’s William O’Brien State Park, which sits on the scenic St. Croix River.

The hiking trails head past beaver ponds, around prairies, and through woodlands. Their difficulty level varies from easy to moderate, though reaching some of them will require taking a number of connecting trails.

The trails can be divided into three clusters, with three specific parking lots offering access to each trailhead in that zone.

Wedge Savanna Trail Cluster
Take Minn. Hwy. 95 to the park entrance. At the first junction, go left/southeast then turn at the next left/southwest into a parking lot. Trails that can be easily reached from this lot include:
• Wedge Hill Savanna Trail (small loop) – This 0.5-mile loop sits on a prairie atop the river bluff. From the parking lot, take the connecting trail left/west to the Savanna Trail trailhead, going left at the first junction.
• Wetland Trail – The 2.2-mile loop heads around a blufftop wetlands; with connector trails, the hike runs about 2.6-miles round trip. At the trailhead for the Wedge Hill Savanna Trail, go right/north for 0.1 miles to the Wetland Trail loop.
• Beaver Lodge Trail – The 0.7-mile loop encircles a wetlands where beavers have created a small pond; you’ll hike 1.7 miles round trip with the connecting trails. Upon reaching the Wedge Hill Savanna Trail, stay on that loop’s western side. At the next junction at the bottom of the loop, go left/west 0.2 miles, passing a junction for the Savanna Trail’s larger loop; after that, go left/south onto Beaver Lodge Trail loop.
• Hardwood Hills Trail – Though this 1.1-mile loop trail through a forested area at the park’s northern boundary heads off another cluster’s trail, the Savanna Trail parking lot is the shortest route to it; you’ll walk 4.1-miles round trip with the connecting trails. At the Wedge Hill Savanna Trail junction, go right/north, then at the Wetland Trail junction, head right/north; after passing below the railroad overpass, go right/northwest onto the Woodland Edge Trail. The next junction is the Hardwood Hills Trail.

Prairie Overlook Cluster
From Broadway Street in Marine on St. Croix, Minn., take County Road 4/Ostrum Trail north into the park. After going under the railroad overpass, turn right/north into a parking lot. Trails accessible from this lot include:
• Prairie Overlook Trail – The 1.6-mile narrow loop with a pond at its center heads through both open country and a woods. From the parking lot, take the 0.1-mile stem trail to the loop.
• Woodland Edge Trail – This 2.1-mile loop runs through a forest; you’ll hike 3.6 miles total with the connecting trails. From the parking lot, take the stem trail to the Prairie Overlook Trail and head up its west side; at the first junction, go either left or right onto the Woodland Edge Trail loop. You can add 1.1 miles to the loop by taking the adjoining Hardwood Hills Trail.
• Rolling Hills Savanna Trail – This 1.1-mile loop gently rolls through a small woods; connecting trails make for a 4.1-mile round trip. Head up the Prairie Overlook Trail’s west side. At the first junction, go left onto the Woodland Edge Trail and then take the next left/south onto the Rolling Hills Trail.

Alice Lake Cluster
Take Minn. Hwy. 95 into the park. Turn right/east onto O'Brien Trail North/County Road 33. The road curves south, dead-ending in a parking area alongside Lake Alice.
• Riverside Trail – The 1.5-mile trail loops through a floodplain and typically is open during summer and autumn when water levels have gone down. You’ll find rest areas (some with benches) about every 900 feet on the trail, as well as interpretive signs. The trail begins at the picnic grounds immediately east of the parking lot.

Read more about day hiking this park and others along the St. Croix River in my guidebook Hittin’ the Trail: Day Hiking the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway.

Hike alongside lake, thru floodplain forest

St. Croix River shoreline at William O'Brien State Park.

Riverside Trail map

Day hikers can learn about the power of floods on the St. Croix River via the Riverside Trail at William O’Brien State Park in Minnesota.

The 1.5-mile trail loops through a floodplain and typically is open during summer and autumn when water levels have gone down. Don’t think of this area as a swamp, though – you’ll find rest areas (some with benches) about every 900 feet on the trail, as well as interpretive signs.

To reach the trail, from Marine on St. Croix, Minn., take Minn. Hwy. 95 north into the park. Turn right/east onto O'Brien Trail North/County Road 33. The road curves south, dead ending in a parking area alongside Lake Alice. The trail begins at the picnic grounds immediately east of the parking lot.

Floodplain forest
At the amphitheater, the trail curves east then north again as paralleling a back channel of the St. Croix River. The fresh scent of pine needles upon the trail and the gentle rush of water along the river’s rock walls instantly lulls you into a feeling of serenity.

About 0.3 miles from the amphitheater, shortly after passing a stem trail leading to a campground, the back channel joins the main channel. Roughly half of the trail follows the river, mainly through a good mix of hardwoods common to a floodplain forest in this region. During autumn, their leaves turn gold, red, orange and brown. Across the water is Wisconsin, and with the two undeveloped shorelines, tranquilityreigns.

A little more than halfway through the hike, the trail veers from the river and follows a small stream that flows from the bluffs into the St. Croix. Frogs make their home along the creek in large numbers, and you’re likely to hear them through the day.

The trail then curves south and soon crosses O’Brien Trail North. This marks the steepest section of the trail as it rises and drops about 40 feet over a knoll.

Lake Alice bird life
Next the trail squeezes between the road and Lake Alice. The lake was named for Alice O'Brien, whose donation of 180 acres in honor of her father, William, launched the park.

Springs at Lake Alice’s north end feeds it through the year, assuring the water remains clean and blue all summer. Keep an eye to the sky for eagles and hawks looking for a meal in the lake. Geese and ducks usually can be spotted floating about, so if you have little ones, bring some dried bread they can toss into the water to feed the waterfowl.

The Riverside Trail is wheelchair accessible. It also has restrooms and a swimming area on Lake Alice at trail’s end, so be sure to pack your kids’ swimming trunks.

Read more about day hiking the scenic riverway in my guidebook Hittin’ the Trail: Day Hiking the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway.