Minnesota

At the Headwaters Trailhead there is a visitor center, bathrooms and a large interactive station for kids and adults to learn interesting facts about the Mississippi and the history of the area. The hike itself is just over a mile and completely flat. The trail follows the small Mississippi River...

Ely's Peak is located near the neighborhood of Gary-New Duluth. It is located right off of Becks Road. To get there from Grand Avenue you'll turn onto Becks Road. The small parking lot will be located about 2 miles north and will be on your right. If you are coming from Interstate I35, you'll tak...

This 5 mile roundtrip trail meanders along the Mississippi River bluffs on the west bank and is separate from the paved bike trail. The trail runs from 44th St. to Franklin Ave. Along the trail you will pass through an oak savanna restoration project, hike near the edge of bluffs and pass by the ...

From the parking lot, you can head right to the beach and scramble onto the rock formation seen in the first picture. If you head left you can check out the beach and scramble onto some bluffs with good viewpoints of the shoreline. 

It is 3.5 miles long one-way from the visitors center (3815 American Blvd. East 55425) to Cedar Ave. Bridge. Whether because of the foreword thinking early Minnesota legislators or simply because of the inhospitality of nature, most of the riverfront on both the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers t...

On November 28, 1905, a violent storm hit Split Rock Point on the North Shore of Lake Superior. While large storms aren't unusual at Split Rock, this particular storm resulted in the destruction of twenty-nine ships on the lake in a single day, prompting the construction of Split Rock Lighthouse....

After you drive past Tettegouche State Park, continue until you reach Highway 1. Turn left and continue on the road for 1.6 miles until you see a small gravel pull-off on the lefthand side of the road. Follow the path that leads to the river (easy to hear the waterfall). The trail will go past a ...

The town of Grand Marais on the North Shore of Lake Superior is two hours northeast of Duluth and about 4.5 hours from Minneapolis. If you're exploring the Northwoods, stop here for lunch and some exploring on Artists' Point.Located just blocks away from downtown Grand Marais, Artists' Point is p...

Chester Creek is a prime example of how Duluth, MN values the many green spaces within its borders. The trailhead to Chester Creek is easy to find. Right on the corner of 14th ave east and 4th st, across from Burrito Union.  For those of you without another form of transportation, there is a bus ...

This loop takes you from the Franklin Bridge to the Washington Avenue Bridge, crossing through campus, in between. Start at the Franklin Bridge (southeast end), walk down the stairs, and then take the elevated walkaway across the river, heading north.The middle section of the loop takes you past ...

The hike to the top of Oberg Mountain is short and sweet. The trail starts off with a climb of roughly 230ft in about a half of a mile before getting to the top of Oberg Mountain. At the top of the climb the trail forks, you can go either way since the trail loops around the top. I suggest you go...

The Gitchi-Gami is a paved bike path that will eventually extend from Two Harbors to Grand Marais. As it currently stands (2015), there's a really great segment that starts in Gooseberry Falls State Park and runs all the way to the town of Beaver Bay (total of 16 miles one way). I chose to do a ...

The badlands of South Dakota meet the prairies of Minnesota in Blue Mounds State Park.Located in the extreme southwestern corner of Minnesota, Blue Mounds is one of the largest prairie parks in the state. A majority of the 1,500 acres of grassland sits atop a massive outcrop of Sioux quartzite ro...

Temperance River State Park is located near Schroeder, and parking can be found alongside Highway 61 for easy access to the trail following the riverbed. There are two main falls that shape the gorges -- one just north of the highway and the other below the footbridge that is just south of the hi...

Located smack dab in the center of farm country, the Jeffers Petroglyphs are something you wouldn't expect to find in southwest Minnesota. If you're in the area or just passing through, this is an interesting place to view petroglyphs that have been dated back to nearly 7,000 years ago.Beginning ...

The AdventureThe work is done. According to The Photographer’s Ephemeris (app.photoephemeris.com) the sun will rise at 7:11 AM. You grab your gear, a hot beverage, and set out for the open road. Scenic 61 follows the shore of Lake Superior all the way from Duluth to Two Harbors, MN. The drive up ...