Carley State Park

Carley State Park has been affectionately referred to as Whitewater State Park's overflow. And about 50 weeks a year I completely agree. The park is often neglected as Minnesota continues to not allow conservation funding to keep pace with inflation. I don't think I have ever seen a ranger when I have visited the park. Some of the trails are sorely in need of maintenance. Pictured on the right is the Whitewater river which passes through the park on its way to Whitewater State Park.

But for a couple of weeks every spring Carley is a superstar. Carley has some of the very best wildflower displays in the state of Minnesota. On this visit we were too early. Based on the appearance of the forest floor there will be an incredible wildflower display around the first week of May. The picture on the left is an image of one part of the forest floor. Everything you see is a growing wildflower. When they bloom it is spectacular. In particular Carley is famous for Blue Bells.

This is one park that I can say beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I have hiked every mile of trail. Really, this park has only about 6 miles of trail and the trails are not particularly difficult. As for recommendations, I would recommend doing the hiking club trail in the spring when the wildflowers peak. Also take a little time and just relax down by the river. There is camping at this park and the campsite is usually not crowded and is quite.

I did notice that some trails are currently closed and it appears the the park boundaries have recently changed. The park was originally formed after the state received the land as a gift. On of the key reasons the land is significant is the presence of native White Pines. While White Pines are native, they are now rare in Southeastern Minnesota. The DNR recently announced long term plans to include Carley in a 50 mile bike loop.

I number of birds can also be seen at Carley. The link below will bring you to a through checklist. I don't claim to be a birder, so I'll let you look at the list and make your own judgments.

http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/outdoor_activities/state_parks/carley/bird_checklist.pdf

The town on Plainview is near by and is also a neat town to visit. The town is thriving due to a surge in corn prices, strong local businesses, and it's proximity to the high paying jobs of Rochester. Lodging and Food is available in Plainview or Elgin.

As was the case at Forestville and Whitewater, spring flooding did some minor damage in the park. The picture to the right shows a concrete segment that has been moved by high water.

I can't emphasis this enough. Get too Carley at the beginning of May to see the awesome display.