Autumn colors abound on riverside trail

The Two Rivers Trail runs alongside the Kettle
and St. Croix rivers.

Day hikers can walk along the wooded shorelines of two rivers at Minnesota’s St. Croix State Park. During autumn, the riverways are resplendent with harvest colors.

The 4.9-mile loop Two Rivers Trail suns alongside the Kettle River and a backchannel of the St. Croix River.

To reach the trailhead, from Hinckley take Minn. Hwy. 48 east. Turn right/south onto County road 22 and enter the park. At the park office, turn right/southwest. Don’t turn off this road and drive about 5 miles to Gate 23, or the Kettle River Overlook. Park there. The trail heads south from past Gate 23.

Kettle River
The trail descends through a mixed hardwood forest then at 0.3 miles reaches the Kettle River. The 83.6-mile long river is so named for the rounded holes – called kettles – in the sandstone near and in the river, ground out by swirling stones at the end of the last ice age.

Depending on when you hike the trail, the Kettle can look very different. During dry spells in summer and autumn, it’s a shallow river, barely seeming to move at all. Following the snowmelt or after a good rain, however, and it’s a deep raging torrent.

At 1.1 miles, the trail passes through a grove of large red pines. The fragrant evergreen can reach heights of 60-80 feet and if given enough time sometimes hit 10 stories tall. Their trunk diameter can reach 30-40 inches. It’s also known as Norway pine, though it’s native North America.

A junction for a trail that heads right/northeast to other side of the loop is at 1.2 miles. Continue left-straight/south, remaining alongside the Kettle River.

St. Croix River
The pines soon thin as the trail enters a floodplain ecosystem. At 1.4 miles, the trail reaches the confluence of Kettle River and a backchannel of the slower moving St. Croix River. Then the trail hairpins northeast to run alongside the backchannel.

Running 169 miles, the St. Croix River is slow moving this far north and often separates into braids, unlike its lower section where basalt and tall sandstone cliffs keep it hemmed in to a narrow channel. From the trail, islands with large trees between the St. Croix’s channels can be seen throughout the year.

At 2.2 miles, the trail crosses a stream draining into the backchannel.

The trail arrives at Pine Ridge campsite for canoers, located near a gentle rapids, at 2.8 miles. Those in search of fall color will love this next section of the trail, which passes through an older hardwood forest of maple, basswood, elm and oak.

The sugar maple is popular first for its seasonal leaf color – which changes from summer’s deep green to fall’s yellow, orange, red and then a dark burgundy – and of course, for its sweet maple syrup that tastes perfect on pancakes, waffles and French toast. It usually grows between 80-115 feet high. The younger trees have smooth bark, but as the trunk ages, it turns shaggy. Sugar maples can live up to 400 years.

Basswood, whose leaves turn olive in fall, usually are mixed in the canopy with sugar maple. The tree likes the same rich soils as sugar maples so often are found together in Minnesota and Wisconsin forests. Usually basswood rises between 60 to 120 feet high with a trunk diameter of 3 to 5 feet. Also known as the American linden, it’s easy to spot; the domed crown consists of spreading branches, the bark ranges from gray to light brown with narrow fissures, and the 4-6 inch long heart-shaped leaves alternate with the larger ones on the side nearest the branch. Depending on the the temperature and sunlight received, sometimes in autumn the leaves will turn a deep yellow with hints of orange. The edges usually brown before the leaves drop.

Elm, red oak
Graceful and stately, the American elm’s branches fall like fountain water. A hardy tree, it can withstand cold temperatures and is insensitive to daylight length. Its leaves turn yellow in autumn. Unfortunately, Dutch elm disease devastated the tree across North America during the 1950s, so they are rare find despite that at one time they lined many American streets.

Red oaks grows straight and up to 92 feet high; its trunk diameter can be up to 39 inches. Red oak often appears in soils created by glacial drift and in well-drained ground along streams. Their leaves turn brown in fall, a nice accent to the oranges, reds and yellows of this forest’s other trees. The tree is easy to differentiate from other oaks; its stout branches grow at right angles to its stem branch, resulting in a narrow, round head. Younger red oaks also can be quite tall, as they grow rapidly; a 10-year-old tree can be up to 20 feet high. Red oaks live up to 400 years.

At 4 miles in, the trail reaches Gate 25. Continue left/west by walking alongside the park road. The trail arrives at your parking lot in 0.9 miles.

Be sure to carry insect repellent with you, as you are close to two rivers the entire way and in a floodplain part of the hike. Usually during late autumn and certainly after a freeze, the insects will be nil, though.

Two Rivers Trail topo map. Click for larger version.

State park trail heads to small waterfall

Wolf Creek Falls at Banning State Park. Courtesy of Wikipedia.

Map to Wolf Creek Falls. Courtesy Minnesota DNR.

Wolf Creek Falls
drops 12 feet
in Minnesota

Hikers can enjoy a wooded walk alongside a river to a waterfall at Minnesota’s Banning State Park.

Twelve-foot Wolf Creek Falls await at the end of the 2-mile round trip Wolf Creek Falls Trail. This is not the trail’s official name but has been christened her for convenience’s sake.

To reach the trailhead, from downtown Sandstone take County Road 123/Third Street east toward the Kettle River. Turn left/north onto Old Wagon Road and enter forested Robinson Park. Park in the lot at the road’s end near the boat landing. From there, follow the wide dirt road north. You’re now in Banning State Park.

Through the trees to the west, you’ll catch some great views of the Kettle River as it flows over Quarry Rapids. The river also narrows here, so you may see kayakers walking along the trail as they make a short portage.

The river calms as the trail continues north through a forest. At about 0.45 miles, the trail crosses railroad tracks with a bridge over the river.

The Kettle River runs 83.6 miles flowing out of the northwoods from east of Cromwell. It ultimately joins the St. Croix River at Chengwatana State Forest to the southeast.

Since the last ice age, the Kettle has cut through glacial drift and into an underlying formation of Hinckley Sandstone, deposited here about 545 million years ago. The river was able to do that because it drained ancient Glacial Lake Duluth in a fast-moving flow.

At 0.85 miles into the hike, spring-fed Wolf Creek meets the Kettle. The creek is fairly short, flowing for a bit over 2 miles from outside of the state park.

Just upstream in 0.15 miles on Wolf Creek is the waterfall. To see the highest waterflow, visit in spring or early summer.

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

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

Fire tower, lake swim await day hikers at Minn.’s St. Croix State Park

Kettle River, St. Croix State Park
Photo courtesy of Minnesota DNR

An amazing 127-plus miles of hiking trails cross the St. Croix State Park’s 34,000 acres in Pine County, Minn. Three great trails you won’t want to miss at the park include:
g Kettle River Highbanks to Observation Tower Route – Day hikers can walk to and climb to the top of a 100-foot fire tower at St. Croix State Park in Pine County, Minn. The 3.6-mile (7.2-miles round trip) route is best for physically fit families with a lot of energy.
g Matthew Lourey State Trail – This trail runs for several miles roughly north to south through the park. A pleasant 2.3-mile segment heads from a trail center to Hay Creek.
g Park Headquarters to Lake Clayton Route – From the park headquarters, head west for 2.5 miles for Lake Clayton Beach. Have one of the adults in the group pick you up after a day of swimming.

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

Best trails near Sturgeon Lake/Willow River

Upper Willow River Trail. Map courtesy of USGS.

Northern wildlife, one of Minnesota’s best walking/bicycling paths, and even a possible Bigfoot sighting await day hikers in the Sturgeon Lake/Willow River region.

The two small towns sit between Minnesota’s largest metropolitan areas of Minneapolis-St. Paul and Duluth-Superior. Interstate 35 runs between those metro areas and close to Sturgeon Lake/Willow River, which boasts three state forests nearby.

Among the great day hiking trails in the Sturgeon Lake/Willow River region are:
g Dago Lake Day-Use Area Trail – Does the legendary Bigfoot stalk Minnesota’s Northwoods? Your best bet for spotting one might be a hike through General C.C. Andrews State Forest, an epicenter of Sasquatch sightings since the 1970s. With more than 7700 acres of jack and red pine woodland, the state forest near Willow River marks the perfect place for Bigfoot to hide. The 1.6-mile round trip trail at Dago Lake Day-Use Area is roughly equidistant from several major sightings over the years.
g East White Pine Forest Road Trail – An ATV trail runs for six miles between East White Pine Forest Road and Split Rock Forest Road at Solana State Forest in neighboring Aitkin County, west of Sturgeon Lake. The trailhead is at the end of the forest road, which is north of Pliny on Minn. Hwys. 27/65.
g Solana Forest Road Trail – Day hikers are likely to spot a variety of northern Minnesota wildlife on this 1.5-mile round trip out-and-back trail in Solana State Forest. Park off the road at the trailhead along County Road 2 (aka 220th Street).
g Upper Willow River Trail – The Upper Willow River Trail for ATVs runs five miles one-way through the Nemadji State Forest, over the Willow River, and into the Klondike Trail Grouse Management Area east of Sturgeon Lake. The trail is off of Erickson Road on the state forest’s west side.
g Willard Munger State Trail, Sturgeon Lake segment – A dirt parking area for the premier bicycling/walking path sits off of County Road 61 north of Second Street in Sturgeon Lake. Going south takes hikers into General C.C. Andrews State Forest.
g Willard Munger State Trail, Willow River segment – A parking lot is located at the end of Church Street, west of County Road 61 in Willow River. The north-bound trail heads into the General C.C. Andrews State Forest.

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

Day hikes lead to diverse array of sites in Sandstone, Minn., region

Big Spring Falls Trail, Banning State Park.
Photo courtesy of Minnesota DNR.

The remnant of a historic quarry site, a forgotten island and falls, and Northwoods wildlife await day hikers in the Sandstone, Minn., area.

The small town borders Banning State Park and is near several other public facilities, including state forests, multi-county hiking trails, and a national wildlife refuge.

Located about midway between the Minneapolis-St. Paul and the Duluth-Superior metro areas, Sandstone is easy to reach via Interstate 35.

Among the region’s top trails are:
g Audubon Center Tallgrass Prairie Trail – An unnamed mile-long trail skirts the edge of a tallgrass prairie then cuts through woods on the south side of the Audubon Center of the North Woods west of town. Park at the trailhead on the southside of Audubon Drive just west of the Fox Road intersection.
g Bean Dam WMA hunter walking trails – A 1.8-mile round trip unnamed trail leads to several other hunter walking trails off of 350th Avenue in the Bean Dam Wildlife Management Area west of town in neighboring Kanabec County. The trails offer the chance to see a variety of wildlife, including bear, forest game birds, turkeys, small game, waterfowl, and whitetail deer.
g Big Spring Falls Trail – An island and waterfalls in the Kettle River await hikers on the Big Spring Falls Trail in the section of Banning State Park located south of Sandstone. The sites on the 0.75-mile round trip trail only became visible after the Kettle Dam was removed in 1995.
g Gandy Dancer Trail segments – Day hikers can walk across an old railroad bridge over the St. Croix River at the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway and St. Croix State Forest on the Wisconsin border. The Gandy Dancer Trail, which starts dozens of miles south of the state forest, crosses the border into Minnesota at Danbury, Wis., about a mile south of the river for a 0.8-mile round trip.
g Lower Tamarack River Trail – From County Road 173, take the Tamarack Forest Trail to the parking lot for the Hiking Trailhead in the St. Croix State Forest. Walk south, paralleling the Lower Tamarack River; at the second trail junction, turn back for a roughly 4-mile round trip.
g Matthew Lourey State Trail, Churchill Lake segment – From the same parking lot along County Road 173, head north past Churchill Lake for a 3-mile round trip. The trail north of the lake enters wetlands in the St. Croix State Forest.
g Matthew Lourey State Trail, County Road 173 to Campground segment – The Matthew Lourey runs north to south through St. Croix State Forest. Consider parking at the trailhead along County Road 173 and taking it southwest through wetlands to the campground for a 2-mile round trip.
g Quarry Loop Trail – Day hikers can explore the ruins of an old quarry site as walking along a picturesque whitewater river on the Quarry Loop Trail in Banning State Park. At 2.4 miles in length, the Quarry loop offers several historical and geological sites.
g Rice Lake Pool Trail – A variety of wildlife, from eagles and loons to black bear and sometimes even moose, can be seen on the Rice Lake Pool Trail in the Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge southeast of town. The 5-mile round trip trail connects to several other loops in the refuge.
g Willard Munger State Trail, Finlayson segment – In Finlayson, park on Finland Avenue (County Road 60) immediately west of Front Street. Going south on the trail heads past green farmland in summer.
g Willard Munger State Trail, Sandstone segment – West of Sandstone, park in a dirt pull-off along County Road 27 at the County Road 61 intersection. Either direction takes you through wooded areas and past bucolic farm fields.

Read more about day hiking Northeast Minnesota in my Headin’ to the Cabin: Day Hiking Trails of Northeast Minnesota guidebook.

Plethora of day hiking trails await in Rutledge, Minn., region

D.A.R. Memorial State Forest.
Photo  courtesy of Minnesota DNR.

A scenic river and woodland walks await day hikers to the Rutledge, Minn., area.

Rutledge is easy to reach from Minnesota’s two largest metropolitan areas; it is about half-way between Minneapolis-St. Paul and Duluth-Superior off of Interstate 35.

Day hiking trails in the Rutledge area include:
g Cartway Trail segment – Banning State Park touches the southern edge of the city limits, but the developed trails are located at the main park area. The northernmost of them is the Cartway Trail. On the entry road, leave your vehicle at the park office-military kiosk and walk the side of park road north. Go left onto Cartway Trail, which heads through woods and skirts an open area. Turn around at the paved road for a roughly 1.33-mile round trip.
g D.A.R. Memorial State Forest center trail – An unnamed jeep trail heads into the state forest’s center for a 1-mile round trip. Park at the trailhead off of Partridge Road east of Minn. Hwy. 23, northeast of Askov.
g McCormick Lake Day Use Area Trail – At the McCormick Lake Day Use Area in General C.C. Andrews State Forest north of town, hikers can walk through tree plantations via the day area’s access road and a trail, open to ATVs, north of Walters Road. Add the spur trail for a 1.5-mile round trip. A parking lot and picnic tables are at the day use area.
g Northern Pine Trail south jeep trail – An unnamed ATV/OHM trail runs 2-miles round trip through woodland in the Nemadji State Forest east of town; extend the hike by a mile total via the spur trails at the end of the main trail. The trailhead is on the south side of Northern Pine Trail, east of the Lower Tamarack Road intersection.
g Solana Forest Road Trail – Day hikers are likely to spot a variety of northern Minnesota wildlife on the 1.5-mile round Solana Forest Road Trail. The trailhead is west of Rutledge on 220th Street past the County Road 41 intersection in the Solana State Forest.
g Willard Munger State Trail, Rutledge segment – Park at the City Hall and Community Center off Minn. Hwy. 23 N., taking a stem trail behind/north of city hall to the Willard Munger. Heading north brings hikers over and along the Kettle River. Be aware that the four miles south to Finlayson are the entire trail’s most difficult section, as there are several small but steep hills.

Read more about day hiking Northeast Minnesota in my Headin’ to the Cabin: Day Hiking Trails of Northeast Minnesota guidebook.

Variety of great day hiking options run in Pine City, Minn., area

Fur trading post along the Fur Post Trail.
Photo courtesy of Minnesota Historical Society.

A diverse array of woodlands, wildlife sightings, and a historic trading post await day hikers in the Pine City, Minn., area.

The small town sits about midway between Minneapolis-St. Paul and Duluth-Superior. It can be reached from Interstate 35 from either metro area.

Among the best trails in the Pine City area include:
g Cedar Interpretative Trail – Though short at 0.7 miles, this trail in the Governor Knowles State Forest just across the border in Wisconsin heads through five major lowland plant communities amid a cedar grove. You’ll likely spot the activity and impact of beavers on the landscape.
g Matthew Lourey State Trail – Previously known as the Minnesota-Wisconsin Boundary Trail or Willard Munger Trail East, the Lourey rambles for several miles north-south through Chengwatana State Forest. Tamarack and burr oak dominate the route, with wild turkeys, beavers, mink and muskrat along the way.
g North West Company Fur Post trails – The Fur Post, Snake River and Wetlands nature trails can be combined for 1.5 miles of hiking at the historical site that replicates life in this part of Minnesota during 1804. The Minnesota Historical Society operates the post.
g Redhorse Creek Northern Loop – Some 120 years ago, loggers swept through northeast Minnesota, as they fed a young nation’s growing need for lumber to build homes, make furniture, and lay rail beds. Hikers can see how that era altered the landscape on this roughly 4-mile loop in the Chengwatana State Forest.
g Snake River Campground Trail – About a mile-long trail heads south of the Snake River near the primitive campground site in the Chengwatana State Forest. The pathway runs between the Matthew Lourey State Trail and the St. Croix River with stem trails to the campground.
g Upper Phantom Cross Country Skiing & Hiking Trail – A set of four loops offer a hike of up to 3.7 miles in length at Crex Meadows Wildlife Area across the state line in Wisconsin. The wildlife area is part of one of the largest remaining pine barrens in the state.
g Voyageur Park walking paths – Several trails run through the Pine City park on the Snake River’s north shore. Picnic tables and a carved statue of a voyageur can be found in the park.

Read more about day hiking Northeast Minnesota in my Headin’ to the Cabin: Day Hiking Trails of Northeast Minnesota guidebook.

Multitude of trails run across Hinckley area

Confluence of Kettle and St. Croix rivers from Two
Rivers Trail. Photo courtesy of Minnesota DNR.

A fire tower, the confluence of two major rivers, and a popular multi-county path await day hikers in the Hinckley, Minn., area.

Located between the Minneapolis-St. Paul and Duluth-Superior metro areas, Hinckley easily can be reached via Interstate 35. St. Croix State Park is located southeast of town.

Five great trails to hike in the Hinckley area include:
g Kettle River Highbanks to Observation Tower Route – Day hikers can climb to the top of a 100-foot fire tower at St. Croix State Park. An amazing 127-plus miles of hiking trails cross the state park’s 34,000 acres; a combination of three of them (here dubbed the Kettle River Highbanks to Observation Tower Route) marks a great 3.6-mile (7-miles round trip) route for physically fit families with a lot of energy.
g Matthew Lourey State Trail – This trail runs for several miles roughly north to south through St. Croix State Park. A pleasant 2.3-mile segment heads from a trail center to Hay Creek.
g Park Headquarters to Lake Clayton Route – From the St. Croix State Park headquarters, head west for 2.5 miles for Lake Clayton Beach. Have one of the adults in the group pick you up after a day of swimming.
g Two Rivers Trail – The 2.5-mile loop at St. Croix State Park follows the Kettle River, overlooks the confluence of the Kettle with the St. Croix River, then runs north along the latter. Each autumn, the St. Croix’s mixed floodplain forest is regal with fall colors.
g Willard Munger State Trail – The southern terminus of the trail begins at a gravel parking lot along Second Street NW (County Road 18) between Old Hwy. 61 North and Root Avenue North. The trail passes the Grindstone Reservoir and dam with a bridge over the Grindstone River.

Read more about day hiking Northeast Minnesota in my Headin’ to the Cabin: Day Hiking Trails of Northeast Minnesota guidebook.

Willard Munger accessible in several cities

Willard Munger State Trail passes a rock cut between
Duluth and Carlton, Minn. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.

The Willard Munger State Trail ranks as among Northeast Minnesota’s premier recreational routes.

The paved bike path stretches across three counties, running 63 miles from Duluth south to Hinckley. It’s the fifth longest paved trail in the United States. Day hikers are welcome on the trail.

The Willard Munger can be accessed in a number of other communities. Among them are:
g Barnum – A parking lot is on the south side of County Road 6/Main Street west of downtown. Going north, the trail crosses the Moose Horn River.
g Carlton – A large parking lot with picnic shelter is along County Road 1 (Third Street) between North and South avenues. This route heads east/north toward Duluth with a connecting trail to Jay Cooke State Park.
g Duluth – The northern tip of the trail can be accessed at a number of spots. Among the most popular with parking lots are (from south to north): off 123rd Avenue West via the Superior Hiking Trail; off Riverside Drive at Grand Avenue (Minn. Hwy. 23); and marking the trail’s northern terminus, off Pulaski Street east of Grand Avenue (Minn. Hwy. 23).
g Finlayson – Park on Finland Avenue (County Road 60) immediately west of Front Street. Going south on the trail heads past green farmland in summer.
g Hinckley – The southern terminus of the trail begins at a gravel parking lot along 2nd Street NW (County Road 18) between Old Hwy. 61 N and Root Avenue N. The trail passes the Grindstone Reservoir and dam with a bridge over the Grindstone River.
g Mahtowa – Though there’s no designated parking lot, a number of access paths run from parallel streets, most notably Minn. Hwy. 61 and County Road 141. The trail heading north of town is more wooded that the southern route.
g Moose Lake – Park along Industrial Road between Third and Hickory avenues. Going south on the trail takes hikers across and then along the Moose Horn River.
g Rutledge – Park at the City Hall and Community Center off Minn. Hwy. 23 N., taking a stem trail behind (north of) city hall to the Willard Munger. Heading north brings hikers over and along the Kettle River.
g Sandstone – West of town, park in a dirt pull-off along County Road 27 at the County Road 61 intersection. Either direction takes you through wooded areas and past bucolic farm fields.
g Sturgeon Lake – A dirt parking area sits off of County Road 61 north of 2nd Street. Going south takes hikers into General C.C. Andrews State Forest.
g Thomson – Parking is available off the west side of County Road 210 south of Dalles Avenue and north of the trail. Heading west on the trial brings you past some rock formations and to a bridge over the rapids-laden St. Louis River.
g Willow River – A parking lot is located at the end of Church Street, west of County Road 61. The north-bound trail heads into the General C.C. Andrews State Forest.

A branch of the Willard Munger, known as the Alex Laveau Memorial Trail Segment, runs from Carlton through Wrenshall east to Minn. Hwy. 23. Major access points for this segment include:
g Carlton – Use the lot along County Road 1 (Third Street) between North and South avenues; walk south along the side of County Road 1, accessing the trail after crossing Otter Creek. Head southeast through wooded areas and rock outcroppings.
g Wrenshall – On non-school days, park in the Wrenshall Elementary lot northeast of the building; walk southeast on Pioneer Drive for an access road to the trail. The southeastern route runs through a nice mix of forest and farmland.

Learn more about nearby day hiking trails in my Day Hiking Trails of Northeast Minnesota guidebook.

Hike Solana State Forest trail to see wildlife

Solana State Forest. Photo courtesy Minnesota DNR.

Eagle, deer, grouse common
sights in popular woodlands

Day hikers are likely to spot a variety of northern Minnesota wildlife on the Solana Forest Road Trail west of Rutledge.

The 1.5-mile round trip out-and-back trail actually is located in Aitkin County. Late summer and early autumn mark the best time to visit, as the trail will be drier and the bug population lower.

To reach the trail from Rutledge, take County Road 39/Rutledge Road west. Turn right/north onto Maple Road. At County Road 41, go left/west; the highway curves north to become Jones Road then swerves west and becomes County Road 2 or 220th Street. About 1.5 miles into the state forest, turn onto a dirt road on 220th Street’s right/north side. In about 100 feet, you’ll come to a dirt parking area on the left.

Wildflowers and berries
Walk the dirt road north. A path circles around a gate for preventing unauthorized motor vehicles from using the road.

The road curves northwest through what at one time was a paper birch forest. As the woodlands grows back, this is an excellent area to look for a variety of ground plants that call the state forest home; among the flowers are trilliums, lady’s slippers, and Jack-in-the-pulpits as well as ferns. Several bushes sporting wild berries, including blueberries, chokeberries, highbush and wild cranberries, and raspberries, also grow in the state forest. Fernsare abundant, too.

About 700 feet from the gate, the trail enters a sparsely wooded area, then a quarter mile in thicker tree groves appear east of the trail.

Tamarack, black spruce, black ash, and lowland brush prefer the state forest’s lower elevations. The higher ground attracts red pine and white spruce.

Migrating moose
Which animals you might see largely depends on which trees dominate the area you’re passing through. While white-tailed deer are ubiquitous, black bears and gray squirrels prefer oaks for their acorns while ruffed grouse tend to hang around aspens. In more open areas, watch for bald eagles hovering above as seeking a meal.

At about 0.43 miles, a wetlands sits east of the trail. Migrating moose sometimes are spotted in the state forest, and small ponds like the ones here are among their favorite habitats.

In a little more than 0.75 miles, the trail curves east with an intersecting path heading northwest. This trail junction marks a good spot to turn around. More than a century ago, this area was heavily logged. A forest fire in 1925 ended that, however, and the land was sold to the government then eventually became a state forest, which has since expanded. Solana State Forest now stretches more than 68,000 acres across Pine and Aitkin counties.

Be advised that Solana Forest Road also serves as an ATV trail. For safety purposes, always yield the right-of-way to a motorized vehicle when hiking.

Read more about day hiking Northeast Minnesota in my Headin’ to the Cabin: Day Hiking Trails of Northeast Minnesota guidebook.

Look for Bigfoot while hiking Minnesota trail

Dago Lake Day-Use Area, General C.C. Andrews
State Forest, Minnesota; photo courtesy Minnesota DNR

Area near Willow River
a hotspot for sightings

Does the legendary Bigfoot stalk Minnesota’s Northwoods? Your best bet for spotting one might be a hike through General C.C. Andrews State Forest, an epicenter of Sasquatch sightings since the 1970s.

With more than 7700 acres of jack and red pine woodland, the state forest near Willow River marks the perfect place for Bigfoot to hide. A 1.6-mile round trip trail is roughly equidistant to several major sightings over the years.

Albino Bigfoot?
To reach the state forest, from Interstate 35 take Exit 209, heading east on Laketown Road/County Road 46E. The road curves around Sturgeon Lake. On the lake’s south side, turn right/south onto Pumpkin Seed Road, which angles west. Upon coming to State Forest Road 340E, go left/south onto it. Take the very next right, heading west into the state forest. You’ll pass four more road junctions; at the last of these, turn right/north into the Dago Lake Day-Use Area and park in the gravel lot at road’s end.

Hike back to the gravel road from which you turned to find the parking lot. Go left/east on the road, and in about 300 feet, take the (unnamed) sand ATV trail heading southeast. This pathway heads through a wooded area of gently rolling terrain and sandy soil.

Bigfoot sightings in the area date to August 1972 when a witness reported two white creatures – one nine feet tall, the other seven feet – in an open field just south of the state forest. The witness said the two creatures froze mid-stride like deer caught in headlight glare. During that time period, reports of a white Bigfoot were filed across the region from Duluth to Webster, Wis.

Strange vocalizations
More recently in February 2007 on a gravel road south of Sturgeon Lake, immediately east of the state forest, a driver spotted a large black, human-shaped figure in the middle of the road. The creature was so tall that it appeared like a large person from a quarter mile away.

Later that summer, several residents living south of Sturgeon Lake were awakened in the middle of the morning by strange vocalizations. One man who heard the screams later said it sounded exactly like the famous recording of a whoop-howl allegedly made by a Bigfoot in 1973 near Puyallup, Washington.

Other Sasquatch sightings have been made north of the state forest near Moose Lake.

Presuming you don’t spot one of the giant hominids and run in terror, in about 0.8 miles from the parking lot the trail reaches Willow River North Road, which runs north and south and marks the state forest’s boundary. At the road, turn back for your vehicle.

Read more about day hiking Northeast Minnesota in my Headin’ to the Cabin: Day Hiking Trails of Northeast Minnesota guidebook.

Trails await at little-known Chengwatana SF

Autumn leaves in Minnesota's Chengwatana State Forest.

Islands of upland boreal forest in a sea of brushland and marshes make up the little known Chengwatana State Forest along the St. Croix River in Pine County, Minn.

This hidden gem for hikers offers primitive camping sites and has designated trails for off-road and all-terrain vehicles. To reach the state forest, from Interstate 35 take the Beroun Exit onto County Road 14 and follow the signs.

Three major trails make for good day hikes the state forest’s 29,039 acres:
g Matthew Lourey State Trail – The unpaved trail links the St. Croix State Park to in the north to the St. Croix River along the forest’s southeast side. Tamarack and burr oak dominate the Chengwatana, which boasts wild turkeys, beavers, mink and muskrat along the way.
g Redhorse Creek Area Loops – Day hikers can see how the lumberjack era altered the northern Minnesota landscape on this trio of stacked loops. Today, paper birch and bigtooth and quaking aspen have largely replaced yesteryear’s white pine.
g Snake River Campground Trail – About a mile-long trail runs south of the Snake River near the primitive campground site. The pathway runs between the Mathew Lourey State Trail and the St. Croix River with stem trails to the campground.

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

Hike to 100-foot tall fire tower at St. Croix SP

View from fire tower at St. Croix State Park, Minnesota.

Day hikers can walk to and climb to the top of a 100-foot fire tower at St. Croix State Park in Pine County, Minn.

An amazing 127-plus miles of hiking trails cross the state park’s 34,000 acres. A combination of three of them (here dubbed the Kettle River Highbanks to Observation Tower Route) marks a great 3.6-mile (7.2-miles round trip) route for physically fit families with a lot of energy.

To reach the park from Minneapolis-St. Paul, take Interstate 35 north, exiting on Minn. Hwy. 48 in Hinckley. At County Road 22, turn south. In about five miles, you’ll reach the park headquarters. From there, turn right/west onto St. John’s Road. At the point the road turns to gravel, you have about a nine-mile drive. Your destination is the Kettle River Highlands, which offers limited parking.

From there, hike north paralleling the road you drove in on. You’ll first pass the Chapel Grove, an impressive stand of red pines. In about 1.5 miles, the road forks. Go right/northeast.

In just under 1.1 miles, a trail bridge crosses Bear Creek. At the next fork, go left/west. You’re now on the Matthew Lourey State Trail, which links the park to the Chengwatana, St. Croix and Nemadji state forests.

In about 0.8 miles, head off the Matthew Lourey by turning left/south for the observation tower. You’ll arrive at the tower in about a third of a mile.

The Civilian Conservation Corps constructed the tower in 1937. For the next 40-plus years, watchmen assigned to it scanned the surrounding forests for fires. No breaks or reading were allowed, and visitors were limited to 10-minute stays. The last watchman sat here in 1981, when aerial surveys became the preferred way to spot forest fires.

These days, you can stay in the tower as long as you like. Looking south from it, Bear Creek runs west to east immediately below. In the distance is the Kettle River, a State Wild and Scenic River, which flows southeast to the St. Croix.

After taking in the view, follow the trail back to your vehicle or have someone meet you at the parking lot below the tower (Yes, you could have driven straight to the tower, but then there wouldn’t have been any hiking, would there?).

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

Great birds, lakes await at St. Croix forest

Ospreys can be spotted along the Tamarack River
in Minnesota's St. Croix State Forest.

Day hikers will find a number of great trails in Minnesota’s St. Croix State Forest, a 42,105-acre spread along the Tamarack and St. Croix rivers.

Among the highlights:
g Gandy Dancer State Trail segment – Starting in Danbury along Wis. Hwy. 77, walk across an old railroad bridge over the St. Croix River in the state forest on this 2-mile round trip trail. Watch for bald eagles, osprey, northern harriers, hawks, and in autumn migrating sandhill cranes.
g Lower Tamarack River Trail – From County Road 173, take the Tamarack Forest Trail to the parking lot for the hiking trailhead. Walk south, paralleling the Lower Tamarack River; at the second trail junction, turn back for a roughly 4-mile round trip.
g Matthew Lourey State Trail, Churchill Lake segment – The Matthew Lourey State Trail runs north to south through the park. Consider parking at the trailhead along County Road 173, head north past Churchill Lake for a 3-mile round trip. The trail north of the lake enters wetlands.
g Matthew Lourey State Trail, County Road 173 to Campground segment – From the same parking lot along County Road 173, take the trail southwest through wetlands to the campground for 2-mile round trip.

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

Explore century-old ghost mining town

Sandstone outcropping on Quarry Loop Trail
in Banning State Park.

Day hike also heads past
rapids, potholes on river

Day hikers can explore the ruins of an old quarry site as walking along a picturesque whitewater river on the Quarry Loop Trail in Minnesota’s Banning State Park.

Located north of Sandstone, the state park boasts 17 miles of hiking trails. The Quarry Loop Trail, at 2.4 miles in length, offers several historical and geological sites to see at the park.

May marks a good time to visit the park. During warm years, blossoming white trout lily as well as Canada, rue and wood anemones spring through the grass as warblers sing during the early part of the month. By late May, trillium, bunchberry, clintonia, and star flower blossom.

To reach the state park, from Interstate 35 take Exit 195 and go east on County Road 23. Turn right/south into the park entrance. Upon passing the information/park office, watch for where the road splits; go left/southeast and park near the picnic area.

The trailhead is in the picnic area southwest of the parking area. Take the trail counterclockwise so that the best sites are on the last half of the hike.

Most of the trail follows an old railroad bed so is fairly flat with a mere 40 feet of elevation change. Interpretive signs can be found along the route. Watch for trail posts as other walking paths do intersect; just remember to always veer right.

Ghost mining town
Along the way, you’ll pass outcroppings of sandstone covered in moss, lichen, fern and liverwort, as water seeping from cracks in the rock encourage their growth. The forest floor also is littered with immense sandstone slabs and tiny rock piles, known as spall.

The loop trail crosses the site of the former mining town of Banning, which centered on a sandstone quarry that opened in 1892 but was abandoned in the 1910s. About halfway through the trail, you’ll come to the quarry.

Steep walls line the quarry of Hinckley Sandstone, whose warm pink color ensured its popularity as a building material many decades ago. The sandstone formed in a shallow sea more than 540 million years ago.

If hiking the trail in May or June, keep an eye out in the quarry for bird’s-eye primrose, a pinkish flower with a yellow center. The flower is found in only one other spot in Minnesota.

Leaving the quarry, you may notice large metal rings pounded into rock on the ground. Known as a deadman, the rings are anchoring points for cables that once supported giant derricks used for hoisting stone blocks onto railroad cars to be shipped south to Minneapolis and St. Paul.

As the trail curves east, it junctions with Hell’s Gate Trail. As inviting and as short as the Hell’s Gate stub looks, don’t take it if you have small children with you, as its narrow passages and steep drops are dangerous.

Classic whitewater river
When the Quarry Loop Trail curls back north, it comes to the Kettle River, a tributary to the St. Croix River. Aspen, pines and birch hug the shoreline, which the trail follows the rest of the way.

The Kettle River formed a mere 10,000 years ago following the last ice age when glacier meltwater found its way along a depression that is an old fault line. The rushing water exposed the sandstone bedrock, which in turn left riffles and rapids. Those features today make the river popular with whitewater canoeists and kayakers and gives it a pleasing, rushing sound.

The Little Banning Rapids is the first of those geological features hikers will come across. Where the river is calm, keep an eye out for holes in the sandstone; these are called kettles or potholes. As the river valley was formed, swirling sand and water from flooding meltwater drilled out these oddities.

After the rapids, the first of the three ruins from the trail’s quarry days – the stone cutting shed – appears. Workers sliced the larger slabs of sandstone there.

Next are the walls for the power house, which supplied the energy needed for jackhammers operated in the neighboring crusher building. Rock deemed not good enough for building construction was brought there to be crushed for use in cement.

The final feature on the trail is the Dragon’s Tooth, a rapids that turns the placid blue Kettle River into roiling white water.

After the rapids, the trail reaches the picnic area near your parking lot.

Read more about day hiking Northeast Minnesota in my Headin’ to the Cabin: Day Hiking Trails of Northeast Minnesota guidebook.

Cross St. Croix River railroad bridge on hike

St. Croix River, looking east from Gandy Dancer Trail bridge north of
Danbury, Wis. Minnesota is on the left and Wisconsin the right.

Trail links Wisconsin, Minnesota sections
of walking route

Day hikers can walk across an old railroad bridge over the St. Croix River at the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway and the St. Croix State Forest on the Wisconsin-Minnesota border.

The Gandy Dancer Trail, which starts dozens of miles south of the state forest in St. Croix Falls, Wis., crosses the border into Minnesota at Danbury, Wis. The segment described in this entry is about 2-miles round trip.

River crossing
In Danbury, parking for trail access is next to the walking route north of Wis. Hwy. 77 between Wis. Hwy. 35 and North Glass Street. From the lot, take the trail north.

You’ll head through a forested area. The mix of trees near the riverfront yields a fantastic multi-colored leaf display in autumn.

An added bonus for autumn hikers: You'll probably spot a number of migrating waterfowl, including sandhill cranes. Also watch for bald eagles, osprey, northern harriers and hawks, all of which reside year-round in the area.

In about 0.4 miles, you’ll reach the St. Croix River's tranquil blue waters as you pass through the scenic riverway. Cross the old railroad trestle bridge into Minnesota. To the left is a canoe access point for the river.

St. Croix State Forest
In short order, you’ll breach the invisible line into the St. Croix State Forest, the 42,105-acre spread along the Tamarack and St. Croix rivers. The trail continues through woodlands, mainly bigtooth and quaking aspen with islands of red oak and other various northern hardwood trees.

About 0.6 miles from the bridge, the trail reaches a pine barrens with a large gravel turnout. This marks a good spot to turn back.

The Gandy Dancer does continue on, so if you have a little extra energy, feel free to walk a bit farther. The trial ultimately runs for 30 miles through Minnesota before crossing back into Wisconsin south of Superior.

Be forewarned that the Minnesota side is an OHV (off-highway vehicle) trail, so keep an eye on children. Also, be sure to use insect repellent in spring and summer.

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

Observe effect of 1800s logging on day hike

Grove of paper birch

Birch, aspens grow where
white pine once dominated

Some 120 years ago, loggers swept through northeast Minnesota, as they fed a young nation’s growing need for lumber to build homes, make furniture, and lay rail beds. Hikers can see how that era altered the landscape on the Redhorse Creek Northern Loop in the Chengwatana State Forest.

Islands of upland boreal forest in a sea of brushland and marshes forms this state forest along the St. Croix River in Pine County. The Chengwatana offers primitive camping sites and has designated trails for off-road and all-terrain vehicles.

To reach the state forest, from Interstate 35, take the Beroun exit onto County Road 14. After 6.25 miles, turn south onto County Road 10/Evergreen Road. In a little more than three miles when County Road 10 and Evergreen Road split, turn left/southeast onto the gravel road (staying on Evergreen Road) then go left/east onto Chengwatana Forest Road. Watch for signs that make finding your way easy.

Where the Chengwatana Forest Road itself forks, go right/southeast. After crossing a stream, you’ll come to a parking lot on the road’s left side.

'White-pine town'
For the trailhead, follow the road you came in on south to a gate. On the other side of the gate, the trail is a stem leading to three stacked loops. Redhorse Creek is on the stem’s left.

At the first trail junction, you’ve reached the northernmost of the stacked loops. Go left/northeast so you do the trail clockwise. The trail is largely forested with a few spots that open to meadows.

The state forest’s name is an anglicized version of the Ojibwe word zhingwaadena, which means white-pine town. During the 1800s, eastern white pine was the dominant tree here. Then the area was heavily logged with the pine trunks floated down the St. Croix River to sawmills in Stillwater. The loop you’re on comes near the St. Croix after about a mile of walking.

At the next fork, go right. If you go left, you can extend the trail by either a little more than a mile by adding the middle stacked loop or by a little more than two miles through combining the middle and southern loop; the last combination also will take you alongside the river.

Today, paper birch and bigtooth and quaking aspen have largely replaced the white pine. The old granddaddy of the forest still can be found here, though, along with balsam fir, burr oak, jack pine, red oak, red pine, tamarack and white spruce.

Upon reaching the next trail junction, continue on your trail (that is, head west). If you accidentally turn, you’ll end up on a segment of the trail shared by the middle and southern loops.

The state forest still is logged today, though it’s controlled. The loop passes through a few areas in which companies have timber permits.

Excellent birdwatching
At the next fork, go right/north. You’re now solely on the northernmost loops and curving toward the trailhead.

Keep a watch out for wildlife. You’re likely to spot the footprints of, if not see, white-tailed deer, bear, beaver, mink, muskrat, ruffed grouse and turkey in the forest.

A number of other birds also can be seen here, thanks to the marshes and rivers. Bald eagles, northern harriers, osprey, sandhill cranes, and warblers all call the Chengwatana home. In spring and autumn, migrating waterfowl can be spotted as well.

The next junction is the stem you took to enter the loop. Go left onto the stem back to the parking lot.

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