Minnesota Hiking Club #63 - Carley State Park

Minnesota Hiking Club
#63 - Carley State Park
Date Hiked: January 6th, 2025
Other Hikes That Day: Whitewater State Park
Wanderloon Ranking System Score: 2.08

Unlike some of the other hikes that were hampered by terrible weather or conditions, this one was overshadowed by the one I did earlier that day. 

Coming off the heights (literally and figuratively) of Whitewater State Park, which mercifully had no ice, I had just enough time to check off nearby Carley State Park before heading back home for an appointment. Yes, I was relatively underwhelmed, but I doubt I would've felt that way if I switched the sequence. 

Carley State Park's Hiking Club trail is unique in its shape, resembling an upside-down "U" when viewed from above on AllTrails, and the park is known for its Virginia bluebells bloom. That, of course, is not visible in early January, which also required an extra hike to get to the actual hike due to the gate being closed. Mercifully, unlike Franz Jevne, there was no snow through which to trudge. 

Because of the limited time, even more exacerbated by my difficulty figuring out where to go once the gate was closed, it was a micro-version of the speedrun through the Hiking Club itself; getting through it without even taking a picture for reference and heading back north to maintain punctuality. 

Yes, it paled in comparison to the bluffs and views of Whitewater, which I'll be talking about much later in this series. But also, it's a perfectly fine walk through the woods. The shape, looking like a second grader tried to draw the logo on the helmet of the Indianapolis Colts, was decently maintained, and unlike other later hikes, I didn't run into any mud issues. Its only notable flaw is its proximity to a park that I'm much more likely to revisit without the Hiking Club requiring it for completion. 

Curling along the North Fork Whitewater River (twice), it does feel like an escape from the mostly flat agricultural land in its immediate surroundings. Unfrozen water and green leaves likely enhance this effect, and I'm sure those of you who visit this park when it's not desolate and silent will find it to be lovely and peaceful. But, you're reading the wanderer who did the hike when the gates weren't even open, so while the former may be the more common narrative, and the different vibes and characteristics in its solitude are emblematic of why I thought this series would be interesting in the first place. 

I spent less than the airtime of a TGIF sitcom in Carley State Park, and that is no fault of Carley or the Hiking Club. The southeast section of Minnesota's state parks are filled with giant bluffs, rocky trails, gorgeous views, plentiful nature and wildlife, and the true escapism and peace in which state parks and Hiking Clubs allow their patrons to indulge. 

If you're doing the Hiking Club and looking to knock off two in a relatively short time, I highly recommend hitting Carley first and then proceeding to Whitewater. In hindsight, it might be less difficult, because those elevation gains at Whitewater are no joke.