Minnesota Hiking Club #22 - Maplewood State Park

 

Minnesota Hiking Club

#22 - Maplewood State Park

Date Hiked: February 2nd, 2025

Other Hikes That Day: Buffalo River State Park

Wanderloon Ranking System Score: 3.50

This isn't the first time the elements absolutely kicked my ass, making the completion of the Hiking Club trail infinitely more difficult, but it is the first time I thanked the park for the privilege. 

After the hike at Buffalo River State Park, where the cold and wind were major factors but the trail-based factors weren't as comparably difficult, I knew I was in trouble before I even got to the trailhead of Maplewood State Park's Hiking Club trail. Despite this, I was excited to do it, given that I had an anecdote in my head about the place that had nothing to do with the park itself. I called it the "almost-first meeting place" with someone lovely who had suggested it before realizing it was a bit farther away than the city in Minnesota of the same name. 

I could've used a little Maplewood of the summer and closer proximity on this hike. 

It isn't the most difficult terrain I've navigated, nor the iciest or snowiest. But factor in the 6+ miles of distance with the considerable elevation changes, then mix in snow deep enough to make every step more exhausting, and that 6+ mile trek starts to feel more like 15. I'm once again aware of the fact that I did this to myself and nobody else suggested or insisted upon it, but having a park like this nearly to myself the entire time I was there is something of which I'm incredibly doubtful most people who visit get to experience. I bet this massive state park is exceptionally busy during the greener and warmer months. The options of activities alone must bring about crowds that fill beyond the parking spaces available. Even though I've lived in Minnesota for 8 years, I know very little about this portion of the state, but I can confidently hypothesize these ideas based purely on the awe-inspiring perspectives the Hiking Club trail offers.

The 6.2 miles the booklet lists seems to shortchange the actual distance a bit, and with nearly 600 feet of elevation gain, the Argentina-shaped loop traverses through woods, hills, lake views, and campgrounds that, while empty on this day in early February, must have waitlists and queues in order to have the privilege. I don't blame them at all either, a few days of immersion in a place like this must do wonders for the soul when the world is on fire. 

This wouldn't be an easy hike without the aforementioned factors, but it's up there with Manitou in these conditions. The snow was deep enough that spikes were pretty much irrelevant, as it was trudging rather than walking atop the path. The snow was heavy enough that picking up my boots took more strength and energy due to the resistance and weight. Though I needed more out-of-breath rest breaks than usual, though my body ached in ways it usually didn't, though I was cold and sweating simultaneously somehow, Maplewood State Park is absolutely stunning, ethereal, and gorgeous.