Potential New State Park on Lake Vermillion!

Here is some interesting news as reported in the Star Tribune.

http://www.startribune.com

Gov. Tim Pawlenty announced plans to create a new state park Tuesday — at Lake Vermilion, a popular fishing destination near the Soudan Underground Mine State Park in northeastern Minnesota.

The proposal would establish Minnesota's 67th park, setting aside 2,500 acres on land currently owned by U.S. Steel. It needs legislative backing and could cost the state tens of millions of dollars.

The lake abuts the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and the Superior National Forest.

Lac Qui Parle State Park

This park was confusing to get to at first, but there was some really cool "stuff" at the park and I think it would make a great weekend trip for families. There are different sections of the park and an adjacent wildlife management area. There are also 2 campgrounds, one that is established and another where it appears there is an attempt to restore the oak savanna landscape.

The park is around a lake formed by a dam on the Minnesota River. Within the park the Lac Qui Parle River intersect the Minnesota River.

There is not a whole lot of hiking at this park, and most of it is concentrated in the Lower Unit. Because there is substantial amounts of restoration going on in the park, a system is being created where by our grand children will be able to hike at Lac Qui Parle State Park through Oak Savannah. For now there are some trails through the forest.

We also noticed a number of people fishing from a bridge over the Minnesota River in the park. I there for must assume, given the numbers, that there is some good fishing there.

As we were walking through the forest we saw a number of deer, rabbits, and other things to excite a dog.

Upper Sioux Agency State Park

And so begins my posts related to the parks visited over the 4th of July long weekend, 2007. The trip we planned basically took us to a number of parks in West Central Minnesota, and then on to Itasca State Park. As is often the case when I visit a number of parks, there is never enough time at each park, some park presently surprise, while some don't offer the type of outdoor activities or amenities that interest me. Since I figured that we would be driving well over 1000 miles I decided to rent an economy car. That worked out great, and I saved a ton of money, but as it turns out the car had no cruise control, which can get a little draining.

The first park visited was Upper Sioux Agency. This was a park I found to be very nice, but perhaps in need of some additional funding. There is a wealth of history surrounding this park, and the rangers can guide you towards some outstanding resources.

The hiking club trail in the park forms a loop through a variety of terrain in the park. The trail begins near the picnic area and follows a ridge line to the Yellow Medicine River. Interestingly, no one knows what exactly the Yellow Medicine plant is. From there the trail goes along the river and through the prairie. The trail then passes through a forest on it's way to the Minnesota River. Finally the trail climbs up hill and returns to the picnic area.

In total there are 19 miles of hiking train in the park, and while we only did the hiking club trail, the ranger suggested some other nice walks. Towards the West end of the park there are a number of steep trails that offer some nice views of the park. In addition, there is also a trail that follows along the Yellow Medicine and Minnesota Rivers.

As I mentioned the park is both a State Park and a Historical Park, there is some historical information available at the park office. In addition, the park ranger also recommends the following books: Through Dakota Eyes, Narrative Account of the Minnesota Indian War of 1862 by Gary Clayton Anderson and Alan R. Woolworth as well as The Dakota War of 1862, Minnesota's other Civil War by Kenneth Carley.

One last comment is that even on the 4th of July this was a pretty quite park. So If you are looking for a quiet park with a fair number of amenities, this might be the park for you.

Feedback Appreciated

I think that I will start advertising this blog in a couple of weeks. As such feedback is greatly appreciated. If you have suggestions or find factually incorrect data, please email me or just attach a comment.

Thanks,

Michael

Happy 4th!

Every year for awhile now, I have visited state parks over the 4th of July. You might be surprised, but some parks aren't even that crowded, especially when the 4th falls mid-week. This particular 4th I will be dividing time between parks in West Central Minnesota and Itasca State Park. Look for a number of updated on these parks in July.