Minnesota Hiking Club #29 - Father Hennepin State Park

 

Minnesota Hiking Club

#29 - Father Hennepin State Park

Date Hiked: March 11th, 2025

Other Hikes That Day: Savanna Portage State Park, Mille Lacs-Kathio State Park

Wanderloon Ranking System Score: 3.33

Where I've previously been surprised that some parks came sooner on this list, here is an instance where the surprise is that it's come this late. 

Not that there's anything wrong with this park, far from it. But when I recall the truly memorable and eventful hikes from this self-imposed odyssey, this isn't the among the first that come to mind. Though, now that I say this, that could either justify a positive or negative response all the same, as memorable doesn't always mean I enjoyed it. See Franz Jevne State Park as an example for that. I did not have fun on that hike, but I sure as shit remember it vividly! 

Hennepin's name comes up a lot, as anyone who has even flown over Minnesota is likely to know. Hennepin county, Father Hennepin's Bluff Park in Minneapolis, it's not surprising to know he had a state park named after him. This is the Mille Lacs hike I enjoyed, and it was in the middle this day between getting lost in the deepwoods and adding gate mileage down the road at Kathio. This is the first time I've gotten this close to the lake itself, and yes, being in a frozen state counts. By the time it's no longer able to be walked on, the bugs and crowds will have likely kept me from doing anything but drive by on the way to somewhere quieter.

Father Hennepin State Park's Hiking Clib trail is, mercifully, right inside the closed gate during the winter, so it only involved an extra small walk by the loo, which doesn't dock it any. It's not particularly difficult, but it's no Lake Louise either. There's some elevation gain, but nothing that requires preparation or consideration. The actual path itself is probably easier to follow when not covered in ice as well. It's a two mile loop that looks like a cloud with a cigar in its mouth. On days where ice spikes aren't necessary, and if you didn't just put 5 miles in at Savanna Portage, I imagine it's a lovely lakeside stroll. 

A lot of signage is available in terms of interesting information, which is a factor in my rating system. For those who pay attention to such things, it is interesting to see how interconnected this state and its parks truly are. I didn't know what the Superior lobe or a glacial moraine were when I started tjese hikes, but I've seen multiple places that bear the marks of its existence through the Hiking Club. The more you know. ::sound effect::

The lake is a sight to behold, as it was the first time when I didn't know it was coming. Toward the end of my journey though, and having experienced the quality of hikes near the big lake to the northeast, it's difficult to not feel let down by the Mille Lacs offerings. It's not bad, it is closer to the metro, but I feel like it could be so much more.