Tag Archives: State Park

Devil’s Lake State Park, Baraboo, WI

Devil’s Lake State Park, S Lake Road, Baraboo, WI 53913

This place was amazing, but it is also one heck of a hike.  Be prepared for your legs to shake.  The lake itself was formed by Glaciers and there are these huge rocks all around it that you get to walk up or down depending on the direction you choose to go.

Devil's Lake May 15 2016 114

The park requires a sticker.  You can pay by the hour, the day, or the year depending on what you need.  It is more expensive to have an out of state car, but the prices will not break your bank.

You could get an hour pass and just have a picnic at one of the many picnic tables.  It is right along the beach which is a really nice beach.  You could even swim in the water if you like.  It was too cold for swimming when we went, but that made if perfect for hiking.

Devil's Lake May 15 2016 132

Devil's Lake May 15 2016 171

There are canoe rentals and the water looks perfect for such an activity.

A lot of the paths that you can walk on were built back in the 1930’s by the Civilian Conservation Corps.  As I followed the trail I kept questioning how they could make this path so far into the wilderness with such difficult terrain.  When I learned it was done back in the 30’s I realized they did it with real men putting in real work.  The history of this park is really interesting.  Check out the DNR’s page on the subject.

Devil's Lake May 15 2016 050

March out into the woods around Devil’s Lake and make your way to the top of the bluffs.  The views are incredible.

Devil's Lake May 15 2016 078

Devil's Lake May 15 2016 124

Devil's Lake May 15 2016 080

Devil's Lake May 15 2016 134

Between 1.3 and 1.7 million people will visit this park each year.  You should be one of them.

William O’Brien State Park, St. Croix, MN – Camping

William O’Brien State Park, 16821 O’Brien Trail N, Marine on St Croix, MN 55047

The last day of April 2016, the weather looks as if it might rain, but it doesn’t smell like it.  We head out with a car load of stuff for our car camping trip.

Driving into the park we sign in and get our site tag.  We made reservations online.  The process is simple.  We drive past all of the cabins and campsites with electricity until we find our simple sight.  This particular park has bathrooms everywhere so just pick a site where you like.

William O'Brien State Park 4

We setup our tent and head out for a nice walk.  A trail starts a little ways up the road, or if you keep going down the road you will meet the trail.  The main trail is a large loop with a few offshoot loops.

William O'Brien State Park 17

The camp site has a spot for your car, a place for your tent, a picnic table, and a fire pit.  You can purchase wood at the entrance.  Bring something to light it and some skills to get it going.

William O'Brien State Park 7

When you return from your walk have fun around the campfire.  Use the grate to cook yourself a meal.  Make yourself some marshmallows.  Enjoy the evening.

William O'Brien State Park 27

Our trip was a bit cold.  Make sure you bring a good enough sleeping bag or extra sheets.  The nice part about car camping is that you can drive in plenty of supplies.  Take advantage of it.

The site was nice.  The trails were convenient, yet far enough away that people do not randomly walk through your site.  There is some group camping closer to the middle of the park.

Mystery Cave, Forestville State Park, Preston, MN

Mystery Cave, Forestville State Park, 21071 Co Hwy 118, Preston, MN 55965

Once you have explored the rest of Forestville State Park or perhaps before make sure you visit Mystery Cave.  Take a tour.

Mystery Cave 17

Grab your jacket because the cave is always about 48 degrees, or something like that.  It is also wet so be prepared for that.  I was dripped upon several times.  You can bring your children, but make sure they are well behaved.  You wouldn’t want to lose one.

Mystery Cave 13

History, a trip through the caves is a trip throw history.  The layers of the cave are made up of sediment from when the oceans used to cover Minnesota.  Let me repeat myself here, the ocean used to cover Minnesota, but not just one time.  You see the ocean recedes for a while and then comes back again over the over again, layer after layer.  We are currently in one of those receding periods.

Mystery Cave 8

There are little bats in the cave, but nothing to worry about.  In fact we are more of a threat to them than they are to us.  Apparently there is some sort of bat disease that is killing the bats.  This is rather unfortunate as these bats eat half their body weight in mosquitoes each night.  Bats are cool.

This cave has stalagmites and stalactites.  Water seeps into the cave and as it drips it creates these formations.  The stalactites are at the top and the stalagmites are on the bottom.

Mystery Cave 11

As the water makes its way down through the cave floor it slowly becomes ground water.  Unfortunately there are so many chemicals on the ground these days that the water isn’t drinkable anymore.  Wrap your head around that for a moment.  We are slowly poisoning our own drinking supplies.

Mystery Cave 14

Now for those with a bit more adventure in them there are crawling tours.  It is just down that corridor.

Mystery Cave 15

I prefer the path more traveled and well lit myself.

Mystery Cave 7

There is a little treat if you want to call it that.  At one point in the tour they turn off all of the lights and you get a sense of what it is like to be unable to see at all.  It isn’t a darkness you have ever known on the surface, not even on the darkest night.

The cave is great.  Plenty of interesting things to see.  You might even get a look at one of those tiny bats.  Pay attention to the tour guide.  The history lesson is worth the time even if your are as much of a scaredy-cat as I am.

Forestville Mystery Cave State Park, Preston, MN

Forestville Mystery Cave State Park, 21071 Co Hwy 118, Preston, MN 55965

Forestville has it all camping, hiking, horseback riding (bring your own, I think), and even a cave.

The park is in two sections.  One section has the main part of the park where you will find the majority of the trails, the fishing area, the old Meighen Store, and fishing.  This is a great place to catch a trout apparently.

Forestville State Park 40

The Meighen store is across the bridge that is out, pedestrians only these days.  Plenty of people try their had at fishing along the stream that runs under that bridge.  Take a look around.

Forestville State Park 51

There is a pretty good trail just across the bridge.  It will get your heart racing if you take it very far, but the view from the lookout is nice.  Most of the trails seem to be both hiking and horses so watch your step.

Forestville State Park 16

You can rent a cabin and stay in the park.  Take a few days and enjoy as much of the park as you can.  It is a rather large park.  We explored a good portion of two days.

Forestville State Park 64

When you have your fill of the main area of the park you can head over to the gem of the park Mystery Cave.  Yes, the cave has bats, but they are cute little bats that eat the mosquitoes in the area which is great.

Mystery Cave 7

I highly suggest checking out Mystery Cave.  Take a tour.  Reserve your spot.  Enjoy the dark and most importantly the trip through time.

Fort Snelling State Park, Saint Paul, MN

Fort Snelling State Park, 101 55111, Lakeview Ave, St Paul, MN 55120

Looking for a park and a piece of history than look no further than Fort Snelling State Park.  Located near the Saint Paul airport you can watch the big metal birds fly by among other birds, real ones.  This is actually a great place for bird watching.

There are a couple of paths that you can take.  You can walk along the east side of the fort.  Stare up at the great walls and imagine manning such a fort.

Fort Snelling Wall

Anther option is walking up the hill and actually checking out the fort.  It is only open during certain times of the year, but the outside is quite nice.

Fort Snelling Feb 2016 7 Fort Snelling Feb 2016 10

You have the option of walking around the island.  Stolling around Pike Island is a pretty good walk when it isn’t too wet.  This path is along the Mississippi River on one side and the Minnesota River on the other side.  There is a cut across if the walk is too far.

There is plenty of picnic areas and places to go fishing.  Watch the boats go by.  Check out Snelling Lake on your way in.  There is a lot to do at this park.  You can even go bike riding.