Minnesota

Quick and easy parking right on the north side of the northern break wall. It could be a few hundred foot walk if you want to walk out the entirety of the break wall.  

A trip to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area requires some planning ahead. First, you'll need acquire a permit/reservation via recreation.gov . Specify how many people are in your group, the number of watercraft you plan to use and how many days you'll be in the BWCA. You'll also need to select a gro...

Brewer park loop is located in West Duluth just above Skyline Parkway. The hike is a part of the Superior Hiking Trail that also has many mountain biking routes nearby and also intersecting the hiking route. The hike is well marked and easy to follow.  From 40th avenue West/Haines Road there's a...

The easy 2.4 mile hike follows the route of the Dakota Valley trail. Beginning at the swimming beach, located at the very bottom of the Redwood River Valley, the trail slowly climbs, winding its way through all of the different ecosystems the park has to offer. It summits at an overlook where you...

Cool off in the summer on Kadunce River Wayside Trail, a hike with small waterfalls that is accessible for the whole family. Follow the trail itself, or navigate down to the riverbed and wade your way upstream!

Near the border of South Dakota in Minnesota, 30 minutes north of I-90 on County Route 23 or State Route 75 is the historic town of Pipestone. From the center of town heading north on Hiawatha Avenue is the entrance into Pipestone National Monument. Entrance into the monument is free, but may be ...

Cuyuna is widely known for its world class mountain biking. However, did you know it's also one of the best places to watch the sun rise and set. Not to mention it's so rarely frequented that only the locals use it as a campground. There are two different options when going to Cuyuna to watch a s...

Begin your trip at the Seagull Lake boat launch at Trail's End Campground. The campground, located in Superior National Forest at the very end of the Gunflint Trail, is an hour and half drive from the nearest town of Grand Marais and is a great place to stay the night before. There are no motors ...

This trail starts either in the parking lot near the Ash River Visitor Center, or from the Kabetogama Lake overlook. We started from the Visitor Center since we were already there for a ranger program. The begins with some uphill but soon levels out and is mostly just a rolling trail that winds ...

Park on Huff Street on the bridge that divides Lake Winona (we parked in the lot by the Visitor Center).  Walk on Huff St. towards the highway (14/61) and turn left on W. Lake Boulevard (be careful here, it’s a busy road).  Continue on Lake Blvd. past Cty Rd. 44 .  Before the first house on Lake ...

Located nearly three hours north of Duluth, MN, this small border town is home to lots of natural beauty. The Larger jewel in the town's crown is the High Falls of the Pigeon River, but a lesser known and no less awesome place is Grand Portage National Monument. Ran by the national park service a...

Built in the 1930's by the Works Progress Administration, Lake Bronson was originally designed to be a major tourist attraction for the region. Due to lack of funding, most of the planned projects were never completed and the park has faded into obscurity. However, it still offers some of the bes...

Visiting Voyageurs National Park was the highlight of our summer last year. Full of history, beautiful scenery, and plenty of outdoor recreational opportunities, this park is a gem! Although its difficult to get to, the drive up to northern Minnesota is definitely worth it. We camped at the Wood...

Roughly an hour north of the Minneapolis-Saint Paul Metro, is William O’Brien State Park. Located on the Saint Croix River, this park is a great place for just getting away from the city lights and into nature. The park has two campgrounds, which are the Savanna and Riverway campgrounds. Eac...

Tucked away in the trees next to the popular Lake Mille Lacs and roughly 90 minutes from Minneapolis, MN, lies Mille Lacs Kathio State Park. Of great importance to the Native American tribes that originally inhabited the area, this park is a wooded oasis from the big city. With 35 miles of wood...