Whitewater State Park is a small part of the much larger White Water Wildlife Management area. This area contains space for many different recreational opportunities. One of the popular draws of this area are the large number of trails that permit mountain biking. Many of these trails are actually unmaintained roads and as such offer a solid base for exploration.
The history of the WMA is that up to and during the depression much of this land which is extensively in the Whitewater basin was farmed in an irresponsible manner. During the depression, the struggles of farmers along with the sensitivity of this land led the DNR to buy back the property and form the WMA.
Throughout our time in the WMA we were struck by the vastness of the land and they amount of area that could be explored on trail and off. This includes a number of bluffs that I was drooling over and dreaming of climbing, however my wife was a little less enthused as many of them were many hundreds of feet in vertical gain.
Among the trails that we had recommend to us were the Minneiska Cutoff trail and another trail that took off from the Decker lot. We hiked out and back on the Minneiska Cutoff trail a distance of about 7 miles total. The entire time there we never saw another human. This despite being less than a half an hour from the 2nd largest metropolitan area in Minnesota. There are also an number of pools that provide wildlife habitat for a variety of species.
All told, if you are looking for some interesting hiking in relative seclusion, I highly recommend the Whitewater Wildlife Management Area.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Whitewater State Park
When I went to sleep on Saturday, the forecast for Sunday was for rain. When I awoke to an absolutely beautiful spring day, I knew I had to cease the moment. Mid March days are not supposed to be Sunny and 70 degrees.
We packed up the car and headed to Whitewater State park near Elba, Minnesota. Because Whitewater is an easy 25 minutes from Rochester, it is one of the most visited park in the State. This was my first visit to a State Park since I began writing this blog, and as such I spent a little time talking with a ranger to get some tips for visitors to the park. Thanks to Jerry Bachman for taking the time to answer some questions.
When I visit a state park, my favorite activity is hiking and this visit was no different. Whitewater state park is situated in the Mississippi River Blufflands of Southeastern Minnesota and as such had some very interesting terrain, including limestone cliffs, steep hills and ravines, springs, rivers, and some really great overlooks. As a hiker, I would describe the parks trails as being moderate in difficulty and fun. This is very rewarding hiking. On this particular visit, we hiked the Dakota, Meadow Run, and Chimney Rock Trails. Because of the heavy snow and spring melt the trails were muddy in parts, but pretty good overall.
The Dakota Trail is one of two longer rugged trails in the park that often traverse the tops of bluffs, leading to interesting terrain and great overlooks. The Coyote Point Trail is the other, I have done this trail in the past, but did not do it this time. I HIGHLY recommend both of these trails, the are a blast. If your with young children, you may want to keep close as there are some cliffs that you come across. There are also two rugged shorter trails that I like, the Chimney Rock and Inspiration Point. These lead to great overlooks and interesting rock formations. Finally there are some easy trails that involve varying lengths and little elevation change. These include the Meadow, Valley, and Trout Run Trails. I particularly like the Valley Trail as it passes through Hardwood Bottom forest. All told this is a great hiking park.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, we had a huge snowstorm recently. Not surprisingly the parks in the region experienced some flooding. At Whitewater some stream crossing are out and there is mud everywhere.
One activity that I am not particularly into is fishing. Maybe because I grew up on a lake, I just never developed the interest. But I would be foolish not to mention that the park offers great trout fishing on designated trout stream. While I am not too much into fishing, I may have to take it up soon as I will be visiting the Wind River Mountains in Wyoming where I here there is world class trout fishing. I mention fishing here because I like to see all people outdoors doing what they love and many people love fishing. I believe that when people use the outdoors they will protect the outdoors.
In the you can see white tailed deer, wild turkeys, a number of birds including Blue Herons, and even, thought rare, a timber rattlesnake. As a likely result of climate change some formerly migratory birds such as the Blue Heron have been spotted throughout the winter at whitewater.
We left Whitewater State Park and continued our day at the Whitewater Wildlife Management Area. This will be the subject of another entry.
We packed up the car and headed to Whitewater State park near Elba, Minnesota. Because Whitewater is an easy 25 minutes from Rochester, it is one of the most visited park in the State. This was my first visit to a State Park since I began writing this blog, and as such I spent a little time talking with a ranger to get some tips for visitors to the park. Thanks to Jerry Bachman for taking the time to answer some questions.
When I visit a state park, my favorite activity is hiking and this visit was no different. Whitewater state park is situated in the Mississippi River Blufflands of Southeastern Minnesota and as such had some very interesting terrain, including limestone cliffs, steep hills and ravines, springs, rivers, and some really great overlooks. As a hiker, I would describe the parks trails as being moderate in difficulty and fun. This is very rewarding hiking. On this particular visit, we hiked the Dakota, Meadow Run, and Chimney Rock Trails. Because of the heavy snow and spring melt the trails were muddy in parts, but pretty good overall.
The Dakota Trail is one of two longer rugged trails in the park that often traverse the tops of bluffs, leading to interesting terrain and great overlooks. The Coyote Point Trail is the other, I have done this trail in the past, but did not do it this time. I HIGHLY recommend both of these trails, the are a blast. If your with young children, you may want to keep close as there are some cliffs that you come across. There are also two rugged shorter trails that I like, the Chimney Rock and Inspiration Point. These lead to great overlooks and interesting rock formations. Finally there are some easy trails that involve varying lengths and little elevation change. These include the Meadow, Valley, and Trout Run Trails. I particularly like the Valley Trail as it passes through Hardwood Bottom forest. All told this is a great hiking park.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, we had a huge snowstorm recently. Not surprisingly the parks in the region experienced some flooding. At Whitewater some stream crossing are out and there is mud everywhere.
One activity that I am not particularly into is fishing. Maybe because I grew up on a lake, I just never developed the interest. But I would be foolish not to mention that the park offers great trout fishing on designated trout stream. While I am not too much into fishing, I may have to take it up soon as I will be visiting the Wind River Mountains in Wyoming where I here there is world class trout fishing. I mention fishing here because I like to see all people outdoors doing what they love and many people love fishing. I believe that when people use the outdoors they will protect the outdoors.
In the you can see white tailed deer, wild turkeys, a number of birds including Blue Herons, and even, thought rare, a timber rattlesnake. As a likely result of climate change some formerly migratory birds such as the Blue Heron have been spotted throughout the winter at whitewater.
We left Whitewater State Park and continued our day at the Whitewater Wildlife Management Area. This will be the subject of another entry.
Monday, March 5, 2007
Memorial Day Resorvations...
...can now be made at www.stayatmnparks.com . Reservations can be made 90 days in advance. Typically I recommend advanced reservations for Memorial Day, 4th of July, and Labor Day weekends.
It's cold outside, but for those who want a site at Minnesota's best parks, now is the time to make your reservation. I did a cursory check and there as spaces available at every state park. Many park campgrounds will be full over Memorial weekend so advanced reservations are required. Of course no reservations are needed for day use in the parks.
It's cold outside, but for those who want a site at Minnesota's best parks, now is the time to make your reservation. I did a cursory check and there as spaces available at every state park. Many park campgrounds will be full over Memorial weekend so advanced reservations are required. Of course no reservations are needed for day use in the parks.
Sunday, March 4, 2007
You know we got a good snow when...
...snowshoeing is canceled at state parks all over the state. Where I live in Rochester we got about 30 inches of snow. The trees that are just above the snowbanks at the base of my driveway are about six feet tall. My lower back hurts from shoveling, and I am looking forward to the beautiful weather ahead.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
