Lowry Nature Center at Carver Park Reserve: Tamarack Trail (Blog Hike #716)

Trail: Tamarack Trail

Hike Location: Lowry Nature Center (at Carver Park Reserve)

Geographic Location: northwest of Victoria, MN (44.88202, -93.68272)

Length: 1.5 miles

Difficulty: 1/10 (Easy)

Date Hiked: August 2018

Overview: A relatively flat circumnavigation of Crosby Lake.

Park Information: https://www.threeriversparks.org/location/lowry-nature-center

Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=735097
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: On the west side of Minneapolis, take I-494 to SR 7 (exit 16B).  Exit and go west on SR 7.  Drive SR 7 west 13.2 miles to Victoria Drive.  Take the third exit from the traffic circle to head south on Victoria Dr.  The signed entrance for Lowry Nature Center is 1.2 miles ahead on the left.  Park in the large paved parking lot near the Nature Center building.

The hike: Located on the western edge of the Twin Cities metro area, 3719 acre Carver Park Reserve is the second largest park in the Three Rivers Park District, which was introduced in detail in the previous hike.  The park is named for its location in eastern Carver County, which in turn is named after the explorer Jonathan Carver who explored this area in 1766 and 1767.  The park reserve features the 57-site Lake Auburn Campground, an archery range, and the Grimm Farm Historic Site, which is often called the birthplace of the Dairy Belt because the Grimm family developed the first winter-hardy alfalfa in North America here in the mid 1800’s.

            In terms of trails, Carver Park Reserve offers 9 miles of horse trails and 10 miles of paved bike trails, but the park reserve’s best hiking trails are found in its 250-acre Lowry Nature Center.  Lowry Nature Center is the oldest nature center in the Twin Cities, and it offers multiple loop trails open only to hikers.  Because much of the Nature Center’s land is periodically inundated, bugs will be terrible here during the summer.  Therefore, I chose to keep my hike short by hiking only the Tamarack Trail described here.  Over the course of the trail description I will suggest several other loops you could add to extend the hike if conditions are more pleasant when you visit.

Exiting the Nature Center

            After exiting the front door of Lowry Nature Center, turn right on the asphalt trail, which quickly ends at a small butterfly garden.  Turn right again on a two-track dirt/gravel trail, and notice the small pier on Crosby Lake downhill to the left.  The Tamarack Trail starts as a mulch trail exiting left just past this pier.

            The northern arm of the Tamarack Trail’s loop heads west through a dense forest that features some large oak trees.  Just past 0.3 miles, the Aspen Trail exits right to start its 1.1 mile loop that includes an overlook of Stone Lake.  The Tamarack Trail continues west and passes two picnic tables that offer nice views of Crosby Lake provided the bugs permit you to linger awhile.

Crosby Lake

            At 0.5 miles, the forest starts to transition to prairie as the trail curves left around the west end of Crosby Lake.  The trail surface also turns to mowed grass here.  Ignore a short-cut trail that exits left, but at 0.7 miles a boardwalk spur exiting right leads a short distance to a platform overlooking a periodically inundated wetland.  The wetland makes for good wildlife viewing if the bugs are tolerable.

            0.8 miles into the hike, an unofficial trail exits right where you need to turn left to stay on the Tamarack Trail.  Some plastic blue diamonds mark this section of trail for cross-country skiers in the winter.  Now the trail heads east through the nicest prairie on this hike, and goldenrod lines either side of the trail.

Hiking through the prairie

            At 1.2 miles, the Lake Trail exits right to begin its 0.8 mile loop around a couple of small lakes.  Crosby Lake’s dedication monument, identified on the park map as Crosby Rock, is located on the left just past this intersection.  More flat walking brings you back to the butterfly garden where the Tamarack Trail closes its loop.  The Nature Center building and the parking lot lie just ahead.  If you want to do more hiking, the Aspen and Lake Trails mentioned above offer more aquatic scenery.  Also, the Oak and Maple Trails located east of the Nature Center building offer loops of 0.6 and 1.4 miles respectively through terrain similar to what you saw on the Tamarack Trail.

Elm Creek Park Reserve: Eastman Nature Center Loops (Blog Hike #715)

Trails: Sumac, Meadowlark, Oxbow, Heron, Monarch, and Creek Trails

Hike Location: Eastman Nature Center (at Elm Creek Park)

Geographic Location: northwest of Osseo, MN (45.15504, -93.45008)

Length: 3.8 miles

Difficulty: 3/10 (Easy/Moderate)

Date Hiked: August 2018

Overview: A loop hike through creekside prairie and forest.

Park Information: https://www.threeriversparks.org/location/eastman-nature-center/

Hike Route Map: http://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=705797
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: On the west side of Minneapolis, take I-94 or SR 610 to Maple Grove Parkway (I-94 exit 213).  Exit and go north on Maple Grove Pkwy.  Drive Maple Grove Pkwy. to its northern end at CR 81 and turn right on CR 81.  Drive CR 81 east 0.3 miles to Fernbrook Lane and turn left on Fernbrook Ln.  Drive Fernbrook Ln. north 1.1 miles to Elm Creek Road and turn right on Elm Creek Rd.  The signed Nature Center entrance is 0.6 miles ahead on the right.  Park in the Center’s only parking lot.

The hike: The Twin Cities’ Three Rivers Park District owes its existence to the Minnesota State Legislature, which passed legislation to establish the Hennepin County Park Reserve District in 1955.  Over the next 20 years the district purchased almost 21,000 acres of land, mostly farmland in the rapidly developing suburbs of Minneapolis.  In 2005, the district’s name was changed to the Three Rivers Park District to reflect the fact that the district’s range had expanded well past Hennepin County to include three major river watersheds: the Mississippi, the Minnesota, and the Crow.  Today the district operates more than 27,000 acres of park reserves, regional parks, and regional trail corridors at 25 different sites in and around Minneapolis, and more than 11 million people visit these sites every year.

            Located in the northwest corner of the Twin Cities metro area just off of I-94, 4900 acre Elm Creek Park Reserve is the largest park in the Three Rivers Park District.  The park reserve offers some nice amenities including a championship disc golf course, a chlorinated and filtered swimming area with a sand beach, several picnic areas, and 20 miles of paved bike trails.  Also located within the park reserve is the Eastman Nature Center, which contains Elm Creek’s best hiking options.  Loop trails extend both east and west of the Nature Center building, which is only open 9am-5pm even though the trails are open dawn to dusk.  This hike explores loop trails on both sides of the building, and it passes through a combination of woodlands and prairies, thus sampling all the habitats Eastman Nature Center has to offer.

Trail leading to floating boardwalk

            Before you start either of the main loops, the pond near the Nature Center building is worth a visit.  To get there, start walking back out the entrance road.  Where a paved trail starts on the right, turn left on the dirt/gravel trail that is signed as leading to the boardwalk.  A few yards later you reach the plastic floating boardwalk that takes you over the middle of the shallow pond.  I saw several turtles sunning on logs on the evening that I hiked over this boardwalk.

Small pond near Nature Center building

            After crossing the boardwalk, the dirt/mulch trail climbs slightly to reach an intersection with the Sumac Trail.  Turn right to begin a trip around the loop trails that are located west of the Nature Center building.  At only 0.25 miles, the Sumac Trail is the shortest loop trail at Eastman Nature Center, but it passes through some of the park’s best forest.  Numerous nice oak trees will be encountered in this area.

            Where a spur trail exits right to reach the asphalt bike trail, angle left to stay on the dirt Sumac Trail.  At the next intersection, turn right to temporarily leave the Sumac Trail and head for the Meadowlark Trail, Eastman Nature Center’s westernmost loop.  Very quickly you reach the Meadowlark Trail, where this description turns left to hike this trail’s loop clockwise.

Prairie view on Meadowlark Trail

            The Meadowlark Trail features more prairie than the Sumac Trail, and some benches give nice views of the prairie area that the Meadowlark Trail encircles.  This trail also features more elevation change than the Nature Center’s other trails.  The trail descends gradually as it approaches Rush Creek, which remains out of sight through the dense forest to the left.  At 0.7 miles, the signed spur trail to the Rush Creek Group Camp exits left near the westernmost point of this hike.  Angle right to climb slightly and continue the Meadowlark Trail.

Another prairie view

            The north arm of the Meadowlark Trail traces higher ground with the prairie still on your right.  At 1.2 miles, you close the Meadowlark Trail’s loop.  Turn left to get back to the Sumac Trail, then turn right to continue the Sumac Trail.  The southern arm of the Sumac Trail features more nice forest dominated by oak trees.

            Just before you reach the rear of the Nature Center building, you reach an intersection with the Heron Trail and Oxbow Loop, which will be our route to the loops east of the Nature Center building.  Turn right to leave the Sumac Trail and begin the Heron Trail, then turn right again to begin the Oxbow Loop.  As its name suggests, the Oxbow Loop takes you along some small oxbow lakes formed by slow-flowing meandering Rush Creek.  The stagnant waters in both the creek and the oxbow lakes form a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes, so expect lots of bugs when hiking along the creek in the summer.

Rush Creek

            At the Oxbow Loop’s eastern end, turn right to continue the Heron Trail.  At the next intersection, turn right again to join the Monarch Trail and begin a counterclockwise journey around the main loops located east of the Nature Center building.  This part of the hike is very forested, and Rush Creek with its many bugs stays nearby on the right.  Where the Monarch Trail turns left, stay right to head for the Creek Trail.

            Just past 2 miles into the hike, you come out at an asphalt bike trail.  Turn right on the bike path and use its bridge to cross Elm Creek near its confluence with Rush Creek.  Just after crossing Elm Creek, leave the pavement by taking a soft left on a signed trail that leads to the Creek Trail.  At the next intersection, turn sharply left to begin the Creek Trail.

Starting the Creek Trail

            The south arm of the Creek Trail treads a bluff that stands about 30 feet above Elm Creek.  Where the Creek Trail splits, the two options come back together in a few hundred feet, so you could go either way.  The left option stays in the woods and stays closer to the bluff edge, while the right option stays more in the prairie.

            After the two options come back together, you pass a picnic table with a trash can on the right before a spur trail exits right and heads for Goose Lake.  The Creek Trail curves left and descends gradually to cross Elm Creek on a nice wooden footbridge.  At the next trail intersection, turn right to climb away from Elm Creek for good.

Mathprofhiker's shadow in the prairie

            The rest of the hike features more prairie than forest as it follows first the Creek Trail and then the Monarch Trail on a westbound course.  At 3.35 miles, you cross a paved bike trail just before passing an interpretive sign that describes some common prairie plants.  Where another asphalt trail comes in sight, turn left to stay on the dirt/grass Monarch Trail.  The Monarch Trail roughly parallels the asphalt bike trail until the Nature Center building comes into view.  This building signals the end of the hike.

Buffalo River State Park: Wide Sky/River View Loop (Blog Hike #714)

Trails: Old Grade, Wide Sky, and River View Trails

Hike Location: Buffalo River State Park

Geographic Location: east of Moorhead, MN (46.86531, -96.46679)

Length: 2 miles

Difficulty: 2/10 (Easy)

Date Hiked: August 2018

Overview: A loop hike through prairie along the Buffalo River.

Park Information: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/park.html?id=spk00124#homepage

Hike Route Map: http://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=705403
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: East of Moorhead, take I-94 to SR 336 (exit 6).  Exit and go north on SR 336.  Drive SR 336 north 2.1 miles to US 10 and turn right to enter eastbound on US 10.  Drive US 10 east 8.3 miles to the signed park entrance on the right.  Turn right to enter the park, pay the entrance fee, and drive to the main parking lot at the main park road’s end.  Park here.

The hike: Located 14 miles east of the Fargo/Moorhead metro area, Buffalo River State Park protects 4658 acres straddling its namesake river.  The park was established in 1937 when the Moorhead Rod and Gun Club saw the land’s value as a public recreation area.  At that time the park land consisted of reverting farmland, but in 1979 efforts to restore the area’s native prairie habitat began.

            Today the park features some nice amenities including a swimming pool, a riverside picnic area, and a 44-site developed campground.  For hikers, the restored prairie takes center stage, and more than 12 miles of trails take you through prairie and riparian habitats.  While not the longest possible route, this hike explores both the prairie and riverside areas, thus giving you a good sample of the hiking this park has to offer.

Start of Old Grade Trail

            From the main parking lot, walk back out the entrance road a couple hundred feet to find the start of the Old Grade Trail on the right.  The Old Grade Trail is unsigned, but it starts almost opposite the campground access road, which leaves to the left.  The dirt/grass Old Grade Trail follows the route of an old road as it heads first north and then east across the restored prairie.  The prairie portion of this hike will be hot and sunny during the summer, so wear a hat and stay hydrated.

            Wooden posts adorned with plastic blue diamonds indicate that the Old Grade Trail is part of this park’s Hiking Club Trail.  Every Minnesota state park has a hiking club trail, and paying the $15 required to join the hiking club will earn you patches and plaques as you try to hike in all 67 of Minnesota’s state parks.  If hiking in all of Minnesota’s state parks sounds like a daunting task, you can start by trying to hike in more of them than I have: 10 as of this writing.  Minnesota also has a Passport Club for people content with just visiting its state parks.

Hiking through the restored prairie

            At 0.4 miles, you cross an old asphalt road and continue east through the prairie on the other side.  The trail’s name magically changes from the Old Grade Trail to the Wide Sky Trail (sometimes also called the Big Sky Trail) at this point, but the trail conditions and scenery remain the same.  Soon you pass an interpretive sign that points out some glacial erratics, or boulders transported here from points north by glaciers during the last ice age.

            Ignore side trails that exit right until you reach a major trail intersection at 0.95 miles.  A wooden bench sits at this intersection, and the Minnesota State University-Mankato Regional Science Center building can be seen ahead and to the left.  Turn right here and head steeply downhill but only for a short distance.  Interpretive signs tell you that this hill is a former Buffalo River cut bank, or a steep bank formed where the river used to run against the side of this hill, thereby undercutting and eroding the hill.

Approaching the Buffalo River

            When you reach the bank of the present-day Buffalo River, turn right and begin following the river downstream on the River View Trail.  A shallow sandy-bottomed prairie river, the Buffalo River flows northwest on a winding course for 139 miles to its mouth at the Red River, which in turn flows north into Lake Winnipeg.  Thus, the water you see here has a long way to go to reach the sea.  Birds and wildlife enjoy the riparian area, and while there are still a lot of prairie grasses and flowers including goldenrod, stands of basswood, elm, and box elder pop up along the river bank.

Hiking along the Buffalo River

            The remainder of the hike stays close to the Buffalo River.  Where the Savanna Cutoff Trail exits right at 1.65 miles, stay left to continue on the River View Trail.  When you reach a water treatment area, turn left again and quickly come out at the park’s swimming area, which was very popular on the warm Sunday afternoon that I hiked here.  Turn right to walk around the swimming area and get back to the main parking lot where your car is parked.

Wood Lake Nature Center in Richfield, MN (Blog Hike #695)

Trails: Perimeter and Prairie Trails

Hike Location: Wood Lake Nature Center

Geographic Location: Richfield, MN (44.88132, -93.29001)

Length: 2.3 miles

Difficulty: 1/10 (Easy)

Date Hiked: June 2018

Overview: A flat loop featuring a floating wetland boardwalk.

Park Information: https://www.richfieldmn.gov/around_town/wood_lake_nature_center/index.php

Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=734965
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: On the south side of Minneapolis, take I-35W to 66^th Street (exit 10).  Exit and go east on 66^th St.  Drive 66^th St. east 3 blocks to Lake Shore Drive and turn right on Lake Shore Dr.  Parking for Wood Lake Nature Center is less than 1 block ahead on the right.

The hike: Located in the heart of suburbia on the south side of Minneapolis, tiny Wood Lake Nature Center offers a green 150 acre oasis in a desert of concrete and steel.  The Nature Center dates to 1971, when a recreational lake surrounded by homes was converted to the wetland you see today.  In terms of facilities, the Center offers only a small picnic area and an Interpretive Building, which features many interesting exhibits about the wetland and the fauna that call it home.

            For hikers, the Center offers 5 trails totaling 3 miles that explore the Center’s wetland, prairie, and forest habitats.  The highlight of the trail system is a floating boardwalk that passes over the heart of the wetland.  The hike described here forms a figure-eight route with the boardwalk at the pinch of the route, thus allowing you to hike across the boardwalk twice without retracing your steps elsewhere.

Starting the Perimeter Trail counterclockwise

            From the front of the Interpretive Center, take the paved path to the west (right, as you stand facing the Interpretive Center’s front door) to begin heading counterclockwise on the Perimeter Trail.  Open water in the Center’s wetland sits to the left, but the Perimeter Trail stays in the shady woodlands for most of its loop.  After passing the picnic area on the right, the short Woodland Loop exits right.  The Woodland Loop and Perimeter Trail come back together in 0.1 miles, so you can choose either option you wish.  Some large basswood trees live here, and puffy litter from some cottonwood trees covered parts of the trail on my visit.

            The trail continues through a narrow strip of woods on a southwest course.  At 0.4 miles, you reach a trail intersection where you need to turn left to head for the floating boardwalk.  Soon you reach the edge of the open water, and a nice view of the Interpretive Center and some tall condominiums emerges over the wetland.  As this view indicates, the sights and sounds of suburbia are everywhere on this hike; they include these buildings, surrounding houses, adjacent I-35W, and a nearby airport.  Thus, while Wood Lake Nature Center offers a flat and pleasant hike, it is not the place to come for quiet and solitude.

Interpretive Center and condominiums across wetland

            Near 0.5 miles, you reach the floating boardwalk.  The boardwalk passes over open water, and its floating construction means that you have to step carefully to keep your balance.  The water is only a couple of feet deep, but I had no trouble crossing the boardwalk despite my lack of balance and physical coordination.  I spotted a beaver swimming in the water while walking across the boardwalk.

Floating boardwalk

            At the east end of the boardwalk, trails go left and right.  Going left takes you directly back to the Interpretive Center, and this hike will go that way a little later.  For now, turn right to explore the southern end of the wetland.  The wide dirt trail stays in the edge of the forest with the wetland on your right and some private residences on your left.

View from south end of wetland

            At 1.1 miles, you reach the south end of the wetland.  A bench here gives a nice northward view over the length of the wetland.  Just past the bench, the path forks with the Perimeter Trail going left and the Prairie Trail going right.  The two trails come back together on the west side of the wetland, so you can choose either option here.  Because most of this hike has stayed in the woods so far, I chose to take the right option and hike through the prairie.

Hiking over the causeway

            The Prairie Trail passes through its namesake prairie before heading over a narrow causeway in the wetland.  I saw a lot of birds on this part of the hike, including redwinged blackbirds, a family of Canada geese, a family of mallard ducks, and some egrets.  At 1.7 miles, you rejoin the Perimeter Trail.  Angle right to head back to the floating the boardwalk, and cross the floating boardwalk for a second time.

Hiking through the woods

            Upon reaching the east end of the boardwalk for a second time, choose the option going left.  The wide dirt trail stays in the woods as it heads up the northeast side of the open water.  Soon the parking area comes into view ahead.  The trail surface turns back to asphalt as the trail curves left to return you to the Interpretive Center, thus completing the hike.

Tamarack Nature Center: Dragonfly and Deer Pass Trails (Blog Hike #694)

Trails: Dragonfly and Deer Pass Trails

Hike Location: Tamarack Nature Center

Geographic Location: White Bear Township, MN (45.10154, -93.03802)

Length: 2.8 miles

Difficulty: 3/10 (Easy/Moderate)

Date Hiked: June 2018

Overview: A flat to rolling loop featuring prairie, wetland, and forest habitats.

Park Information: https://www.ramseycounty.us/residents/parks-recreation/tamarack-nature-center

Hike Route Map: http://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=695413
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: North of Saint Paul, take I-35E to Highway 96 (exit 117).  Exit and go east on Highway 96.  Drive Highway 96 east 0.8 miles to Otter Lake Road and turn left on Otter Lake Rd.  Drive Otter Lake Rd. north 1.5 miles to the signed Tamarack Nature Center entrance on the left.  Turn left to enter the Center, and park in the large paved lot in front of the Nature Center building.

The hike: Owned and maintained by Ramsey County, Tamarack Nature Center consists of 320 acres on the northern fringe of the Twin Cities metro area.  True to its name, nature takes center stage at Tamarack, as it offers only a play area, a small developed garden, and a Nature Center building for amenities.  The Nature Center building was closed when I came here after a math conference on a Tuesday evening, but I have read that it offers some nice exhibits and programs, especially for younger children.

            Tamarack Nature Center’s land includes a mix of prairie, wetlands, and woodlands, and all of these areas can be explored on the Center’s 6 trails that total 5.5 miles.  The Center’s trail system includes the 0.8 mile Bluestem Trail Paved Loop, and Ramsey County’s paved Birch Lake Regional Trail passes beside the Nature Center.  The hike described here forms a fairly flat 2.8 mile loop through all of the Center’s habitats by combining the Dragonfly Trail, which features the Center’s prairie and wetlands, with the Deer Pass Trail featuring the Center’s woodlands.  Note that pets are not allowed at Tamarack Nature Center.

Dirt road leading to Dragonfly Trail

            From the front of the Nature Center’s building, head north first on the paved trail, then continue north on a two-track dirt road where the paved trail curves sharply left.  Soon you reach post #2, where the short Bluebird Trail exits right.  Continue straight to begin the mowed-grass Dragonfly Trail.  Trail intersections at Tamarack Nature Center are marked with tall brown numbered posts bearing symbols for the various trails that meet at that intersection.  The Dragonfly Trail’s symbol is a white dragonfly with a dark blue background.

            At 0.1 miles, you reach post #4, where the Dragonfly Trail turns left.  For the next 0.6 miles the trail heads roughly west along the Center’s north boundary.  This section of trail passes between a pine forest on the right and a prairie and wetland on the left.  Traffic noise from County Road H2 E just to the right becomes audible.  At 0.4 miles, you pass a bench in an attractive location under a large, old pine tree.

Bench under pine tree

            0.7 miles into the hike, you reach the Center’s west boundary, and the trail curves left.  Noisy I-35E appears across the Center’s boundary to the right here.  A large number of cottonwood trees live in this area, and I saw a lot of birds including some redwinged blackbirds.

1 mile into the hike, you reach post #7 and a major trail intersection.  If you wanted to stay in the prairie, you could continue straight on the Dragonfly Trail here.  To also see the Center’s woodlands, this hike turns right to begin the Deer Pass Trail.  The symbol for the Deer Pass Trail is a white deer with a brown background.

Starting the Deer Pass Trail

            The Deer Pass Trail features more up-and-down than the Dragonfly Trail, and it appears to tread atop a sequence of kames, or mounds of dirt and gravel deposited at the end of the last ice age.  At 1.2 miles, you cross a small stream that feeds small Fish Lake.  A nice view of the lake emerges across the prairie to the left.

View across prairie to Fish Lake

            The trail climbs steeply to top the next kame as you pass around the south side of Fish Lake.  At 1.6 miles, a spur trail to Hammond Road and the Birch Lake Regional Trail exits right.  The dirt Deer Pass Trail curves left here.  Soon the trail crosses the outflow of Fish Lake and reenters the prairie.  If you look over your left shoulder just after reentering the prairie, you will see the white water tower that stands beside the White Bear Township administrative building.

            At 1.8 miles, you reach post #8, where the Deer Pass Trail turns right.  Just under 1000 feet later, the Deer Pass Trail ends at post #10.  Turn right to rejoin the Dragonfly Trail and continue your counterclockwise journey.  The Center’s wetlands now take center stage, and I saw a large number of Canada geese here.

Hiking past the wetland

            Soon a seasonal trail exits left, but it was closed due to wetness on my visit.  Thus, I was forced to follow the Dragonfly Trail all the way to its intersection with the asphalt Birch Lake Regional Trail, which runs adjacent to Otter Lake Road.  Turn left on the paved trail and walk it north 0.25 miles to another sign for the Tamarack Nature Center.  Turn left here to reenter the Center and continue the Dragonfly Trail.

            In quick fashion you walk around a vehicle gate and pass posts #13 and #12.  Side trails leading to the developed garden exit right, and other trails heading to the boardwalk on the Acorn Trail (not described in this blog) exit left.  Just shy of 2.7 mile, you intersect the Bluestem Trail Paved Loop.  A right turn and short walk will return you to the Nature Center building and complete the hike.

Superior National Forest, Laurentian Recreation Area: Lookout Mountain Trails (Blog Hike #646)

Trails: Lookout Mountain Trails

Hike Location: Superior National Forest, Laurentian Recreation Area

Geographic Location: north of Virginia, MN (47.57811, -92.54342)

Length: 3 miles

Difficulty: 5/10 (Moderate)

Date Hiked: July 2017

Overview: A somewhat rocky loop hike along the Laurentian Divide.

Area Information: https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/superior/recreation/hiking/recarea/?recid=43366&actid=50

Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=943476
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: The Laurentian Recreation Area is located at a roadside rest area on US 53 3.3 miles north of the town of Virginia.  The rest area is only accessible from the northbound lanes of US 53.  If you are traveling southbound, you need to pass the signed recreation area on the left and do a U-turn at the next opportunity.

The hike: Tracing a mainly east-west course across northeastern North America, the Laurentian Divide separates the watersheds of the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans.  The divide starts at Triple Divide Peak in Glacier National Park, Montana and heads east roughly parallel to the United States/Canada border until it reaches northern Minnesota.  The divide then curves northeast into central Ontario and Quebec before ending at the intersection of the Labrador Sea and the Hudson Strait.  The name Laurentian Divide comes from the Laurentian Mountains in Quebec.  In northern Minnesota, rain north of the divide drains into Hudson Bay while rain south of the divide drains into either Lake Superior or the Mississippi River.

            Where US 53, the main road through northeastern Minnesota, crosses the Laurentian Divide, Superior National Forest owns and maintains the Laurentian Recreation Area.  The area has only a few picnic tables and a vault toilet for amenities, but it features an extensive trail system called the Lookout Mountain Trail System.  The system includes trails for snowmobiles, skiers, mountain bikers, hikers, and a fitness trail with numbered stations.  15 miles of trails are open to hikers.  Although many routes are possible, the somewhat short route described here provides a nice sample of the hiking the Laurentian Recreation Area has to offer.

Common entrance trail at rest area

            A single gravel entrance trail accesses the trail system from the parking lot.  Maps of the trail system are posted at major trail intersections including this trailhead.  The fitness trail area near the trailhead is a real maze of trails, so take a picture of the trail map posted here if you do not print one from the forest’s website.

            Very quickly you reach a major trail intersection (signed as point A) that forms the loop portion of this hike.  No less than 5 trails converge at this intersection.  The trails marked with white plastic diamonds lead to stations on the fitness trail, so you do not want to follow those.  To get out of the fitness trail area and onto the “real” hiking trails, you want to follow the blue plastic diamonds.  Angle left to follow the ones that head east and uphill.  Going this direction will take you around the loop clockwise, and the gravel trail going right will be our return route.

Climbing along the fitness trail

            You pass fitness trail points E, C, and F in that order before reaching a gravel road at 0.4 miles.  Angle left to follow the gravel road for about 500 feet to reach the start of the “real” hiking trails on the right.  This intersection is labeled as point G, and it is marked with a trail map sign and a blue plastic diamond.  Turn right to leave the gravel road and begin a single-track dirt trail.

Starting the single-track

            The trail continues its eastward course through a wet area before climbing slightly to pass under a power line.  After passing trail intersection #5 where a trail exits left for the ski and snowmobile trails, you reach trail intersection #7 at 0.9 miles.  Continuing straight would take you deeper into the hiking trail system, but this hike turns right to begin a moderate climb directly up the gradient of the Laurentian Divide.

            After gaining nearly 100 feet of elevation, you reach trail intersection #6 just past 1 mile into the hike.  (Aside: the intersection numbering system made little sense to me, but they are numbered the way they are numbered.)  Turn right to continue our loop.  The trail descends slightly to approach but not reach the power line.  The national forest brochure touts some overlooks in this area, but I never came to anything I would call an overlook, at least not during the leafy summer months.

Blueberries beside the trail

            The trail makes a sweeping left turn away from the power line to begin a moderate climb.  Overall, you gain about 200 feet of elevation over the next 0.5 miles.  Some mountain bike trails marked with official-looking plastic markers exit left or right.  As I approached the top of the hill, some blueberries growing beside the trail were ripe for picking.

Meadow at hike's high point

            At 1.7 miles, you reach trail intersection #9, where a right turn is required to continue our loop.  A little more climbing brings you to a meadow area that marks the highest elevation on this hike and your crossing of the Laurentian Divide.  Surrounding trees block any views during the summer.  The trail curves left to exit the meadow area and enter an area with a large number of mountain bike trails.  Watch for the blue plastic diamonds to stay on the hiking trail.

            Now on the south side of the main ridge, the trail heads west as you begin a long gradual descent.  The birch forest in this area admits much more sunlight than the forest you hiked through earlier.  Be careful where you step: this section of trail is quite rocky, and tall grass may obscure some of the rocks.  I failed to notice one of the rocks, stepped on its side, fell down, and sprained my ankle.  I managed to limp around the rest of the loop, but extreme caution is needed on this section of trail.

Grass covering rocks on the trail

            2.7 miles into the hike, you reach trail intersection #1.  Turn right to begin the final leg back to the trailhead.  The last segment parallels US 53, so traffic noise from the left will be very audible here.  A short distance of fairly level hiking returns you first to the gravel fitness trail and then to fitness trail intersection A to close the loop.  A left turn and short walk out the common entrance trail returns you to the parking lot to complete the hike.

Jay Cooke State Park: Silver Creek Trail (Blog Hike #645)

Trail: Silver Creek Trail

Hike Location: Jay Cooke State Park

Geographic Location: southeast of Cloquet, MN (46.65462, -92.37047)

Length: 3.4 miles

Difficulty: 4/10 (Moderate)

Date Hiked: July 2017

Overview: A loop hike featuring the St. Louis River and Silver Creek.

Park Information: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/park.html?id=spk00187#homepage

Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=943478
Photo Highlight:

Directions to the trailhead: South of Duluth, take I-35 to SR 210 (exit 235).  Exit and go east on SR 210.  Drive through the town of Carlton and stay on SR 210 to reach the River Inn state park visitor center 3 miles east of Carlton.  Turn right to enter the large Visitor Center parking lot, pay the entrance fee, and park on the far side of the lot.

The hike: For my general comments on Jay Cooke State Park, see the blog entry from my 2010 hike at this park, which describes some of the trails in the northern part of the park.  The Silver Creek Trail described here leads south across a regionally famous suspension bridge and along the scenic St. Louis River.  In addition to the nice scenery, the Silver Creek Trail is this park’s Minnesota State Parks’ Hiking Club hike.  Thus, you should not expect to be alone on this hike, although the crowds do thin once you leave the suspension bridge area.  Bugs are fairly bad along the river and creek, so wear good bug spray during the summer.

Silver Creek Trail trailhead

            From the southeast side of the parking lot, head down the concrete path that leads past a bench to the suspension bridge, which is visible from the parking lot.  A regionally famous structure that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, a suspension bridge across the St. Louis River has existed on this site since 1934.  The bridge has been damaged several times by flooding, most recently in 2012, but the original design has been retained.  The stone supports and cedar hand rails give the bridge a rustic look.  Admire the bridge’s strength and aesthetics as it carries you across the rocky cascading river.

Suspension bridge

St. Louis River

            At the bridge’s south end, the Silver Creek Trail goes left and straight.  Turn left to begin a clockwise journey around the Silver Creek Trail.  This section of trail is also used by the Superior Hiking Trail, a 310 mile backpacking trail that starts a few miles southeast of here and leads up Minnesota’s north shore to the Canadian border.  Walking this direction leads less than 5 miles to the trail’s southwestern terminus while walking the other direction would take you toward Canada.  The somewhat rocky trail climbs slightly as it parallels the St. Louis River, heading downstream.  A few views of the St. Louis River can be had to the left, but for the most part the river is heard rather than seen.

            Soon the rocks end as the trail surface changes to dirt and grass.  Expect mud and tall grass if you are hiking here shortly after the spring snow melt.  The treadway also widens to begin following a two-track path that doubles as a cross-country ski trail in the winter.  Ignore the narrow and rocky River Trail that exits left and stay with the wider Silver Creek Trail.

Hiking through birch forest

            Just past 0.5 miles, you reach trail marker #30 where the River Trail reenters from the left and the East Ridge Trail exits right.  Major intersections in the park’s trail system are marked with numbered blue plastic diamonds and signs that feature trail maps.  The East Ridge Trail provides a short and fairly flat loop, but the Silver Creek Trail continues straight to begin a mostly gradual descent that features a few short steep drops.  Lots of ferns live in the understory of this open birch forest.

            Near 1.3 miles, the trail curves right to leave the St. Louis River and begin paralleling Silver Creek, heading upstream.  You soon pass a picnic table located atop a bluff that overlooks Silver Creek.  As with the river, the creek usually cannot be seen due to lush vegetation.

Picnic table on bluff

            At 1.7 miles, you reach trail marker #37 where you need to turn right to remain on the Silver Creek Trail.  The trail continuing straight leads to the park’s snowmobile trails and continues the Superior Hiking Trail.  This trail’s Hiking Club password is also located here.  Now on a westward course, the Silver Creek Trail climbs gradually through more of the same scenery.

Crossing a bridge

            2 miles into the hike, you cross the first of three sturdy wooden bridges that seem wide and strong enough to support a small car.  Although the rest of the Silver Creek Trail was well-maintained on my visit, the section between the first and last of these bridges did not appear to have been cut all year.  Thus, I ended up walking through some waist-high grass and a little mud on this section.  After I crossed the third bridge, the excellent trail maintenance began again, and I had no grass or mud trouble for the rest of the hike.

            At 2.4 miles, you begin the only significant climb of this hike: a pair of switchbacks raising you up 150 feet of elevation in roughly 0.2 miles.  A nice trail shelter makes a good place to sit and rest when you get near the top of the hill.  After reaching the top of the ridge that divides Silver Creek from the St. Louis River, a short bit of hiking on a narrow ridge brings you to trail marker #53.  Turn right here to continue the Silver Creek Trail.

Hiking along the ridge

            Now heading north, the East Ridge Trail comes in from the right at trail marker #31 before you reach a bluff overlooking the St. Louis River at trail marker #28.  Turn right here to begin the last segment of the Silver Creek Trail.  The trail surface turns to gravel and a wire fence appears on the left as you descend back to the south side of the suspension bridge to close the loop.  Cross the suspension bridge to return to the parking lot and complete the hike.