The park itself was relatively easy to find, especially if you've ever been to Afton Alps ski area. I was greeted by helpful state park staff at the gate, who got me my day permit (I should really just buy an annual permit) and let us know that the beach, in particular, was closed due to flooding. From there it was a short and winding drive to the various visitor parking areas. All along the drive, you are greeted with open prairie and wildflower areas. This was the first area we hiked as well, including parts of the Prairie Walk Interpretive Trail. There were numerous birds, butterflies and bees to be found among the wildflowers.
As it was a sunny morning and beginning to heat up, we decided to walk along the various trails following the St. Croix River. The trails were mostly paved and provided an adequate amount of shade for a hot Summer's day, along with the expected mosquito or two.
We stopped at a couple of lookout areas and headed down the paths toward the beach area. Water was beginning to creep up but the trails were still a safe distance away from the river water. Here are a couple of photos of the flooded areas, near the beach and dock area. You can see in the one photo where a bench is almost completely submerged by the river water. That's where we decided to stop and rest then return to the car, as it was almost noon and already in the upper 80s for temperature.
In total, we walked a little over 2 miles of hiking trails within the park. Most of the hiking was paved and flat, however there were a number of stairs to navigate on the way down to the beach picnic area. It was a great outdoor workout!
Just a couple more photographs to finish the post. I hope this has helped anyone considering visiting this Minnesota State Park!
Eek! I'm heading out there with friends on the 20th of this month - I hope it's dried out a bit. Love the pictures! Especially the one of all the clover.
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