Minnesota Hiking Club #23 - Wild River State Park

 

Minnesota Hiking Club

#23 - Wild River State Park

Date Hiked: March 14th, 2025

Other Hikes That Day: William O'Brien State Park

Wanderloon Ranking System Score: 3.42

The final day, the penultimate stamp, concluding a series of winter hikes on a day that was over 70 degrees, but would drop to 45 by the next day because Minnesota, my speedrunning the Minnesota Hiking Club journey was near its end. 

My gratitude to myself was infinite for saving two of the closest parks for last, rather than trying to trek all over the northwest corner or several hours on the North Shore, because driving barely over an hour to Wild River seemed to take as long as some of those all-day commutes. Only Wild River and William O'Brien remained, and the latter looked closer but longer, so I decided to hit that on the way back after Wild River. 

No coat, scarf, hat, or gloves were necessary on this day, which made me feel underprepared and silly. Yes, hiking in short sleeves after a reasonable commute is when I felt silly, rather than trudging through three feet of snow to get 1.3 miles of credit by hiking 4+ miles to keep my heart from exploding. It made sense at the time. 

Wild River State Park is one of the W-coded St. Croix line, starting with Afton, moving up to William O'Brien, Wild River, and then St. Croix. All were off limits until the snow and ice turned to mud more slippery than ice, but more on that in the William O'Brien edition, because Wild River wasn't too bad. That and half of it was paved, thus making the muddification significantly more difficult on the part of the terrain. Among the most simple shapes of the loop trails, dare I say it makes nearly a perfect rectangle: two horizontal lines with the entirety of the elevation gain on the short vertical ends. I must've done the descent to riverside where most are finishing off the trail because I found the password almost immediately. 

There were people there; a sight even more unusual than my lack of layers or my cheeks being red in the shape of Eric Draven's makeup. I overheard one person ask another how bad the mud was, and as I'd just reached the end, I heard the other say it wasn't bad. I silently agreed. She didn't ask me, but I nodded to myself the same way I usually do when I know the answer to a question I overhear. I don't get it, I just no longer question these things. This is just what E.A. Moon does. 

After I'd found the correct parking lot, which followed two wrong turns and more potholes than Flint in 2017, I wrapped up the 3+ miles of the Wild River State Park's Hiking Club trail feeling good. Half hike by the river, half paved former mining trail, I only had William O'Brien to go, and how hard could that possibly be? Never mind that this was the 15th Hiking Club trail I'd done in a week, what could go wrong? It's not like heat could affect me...

Minnesota Hiking Club #24 - Crow Wing State Park

 

Minnesota Hiking Club

#24 - Crow Wing State Park

Date Hiked: January 7th, 2025

Other Hikes That Day: Charles A. Lindbergh State Park

Wanderloon Ranking System Score: 3.42

It would be very easy to say that the January 4th trilogy of hikes were what led me to attempting this single winter speedrun of the Minnesota Hiking Club, especially since zero of those three have been listed yet, so the implication of how I felt about them should be obvious by now. 

But, that also wouldn't be accurate, as the trilogy was more of a single day mission statement (more on that when they come up) than the beginning of an attempt to complete the entire club before the yellow-rumped warblers start arriving in the trees. Crow Wing State Park, and specifically the photograph above, was where I truly started to feel like I was onto something with this odyssey and how it might be a unique experience to write about. And not just because the GPS tried to take me 20 minutes farther than the brown sign pointing to the left did, which was an early hint of rapid epic failure piles of sadness by a certain tech company, but that's a different travel series. 

After I unfortunately found out the loo was locked, the speed with which I intended to traverse this relatively short trail was considerable. This moment, at the confluence of the Crow Wing and Mississippi Rivers respectively, felt magical in a way that was hard to articulate. It took the words of someone important to me, who may very well be reading this, for it to truly process. An ethereal sky, a moment frozen in time, still waters where movement is more prevalent and observed; I was traversing in solitude and cold weather, but I wasn't just checking some name off a list with a stamp and a password. I was figuring out, on many levels, who I actually am; not who people wanted me to be, not who people thought I was, not who I was expected to embody, but the authentic and unfiltered Wanderloon that has always been there before the filters and societal programming interrupted or otherwise corrupted that image The E.A. Moon that writes to you of this journey in retrospect, not the one that set out to combat loneliness and seek new photographic waystones. Granted, that did happen, but I ended up with a lot more than I expected along this speedrun. 

I don't owe anyone the folding of myself that I was doing constantly in order to feel more socially acceptable or to fit someone else's definition of what identity means. I spent far too much of my life trying to be what and who people wanted me to be, but alone on these trails in the winter, my body and mind forced themselves out of those tiny boxes and Wanderloon energy radiated in a way I could no longer ignore. 

This simple, flat, beautiful hike didn't create that epiphany in a flash that I understood, but looking at that photo brought it all back in a tangible way in which I now flourish with infinite gratitude.

Minnesota Hiking Club #25 - Camden State Park

 

Minnesota Hiking Club

#25 - Camden State Park

Date Hiked: February 9th, 2025

Other Hikes That Day: Lake Shetek State Park

Wanderloon Ranking System Score: 3.42

Being from the east coast, "state park" is not the first thing that comes to mind when I hear the name "Camden." Take that any way you want, but outside of the name, the two have nothing in common whatsoever. 

I went to university in Philadelphia, so my familiarity with the former is more than an internet meme. I'm not throwing shade either, but even without casting any judgment, a "walk through the snow in the woods" and "Urban Delaware Valley Metropolitan Area" are two very different experiences. 

I started this hike twice, because I initially left the parking lot without my ice spikes, but upon seeing the first descent, I quickly rectified that poor decision. Given how narrow and steep it got in a short amount of time, I'm very glad I did that, because in addition to the terrain, it was next to an open-flowing water source. Do the math with factoring in winter in Minnesota, and regardless of the weather on this particular day, scenes from the third act of Titanic come to mind. Spikes made a considerable difference in preventing me from growing icicles on my nose or throwing a diamond underwater instead of giving it to someone who could use it, so that's a plus. 

Camden is technically a ghost town, though one wouldn't likely find any evidence of such by visiting this park. Many spectres do haunt the deep immersion into the woods, and not just the actions of humanity's past. As the website lists, "buffalo, elk, prairie chickens, and golden eagles were an integral part of life here. They are gone now." It's hard to make this gorgeous hike without thinking of that, especially when one must walk right next to the edge of farmland on the Hiking Club trail. It's reminiscent of just how close protected land has to be carved out in order to not be completely overrun. 

Initially, I thought I might be headed to Split Rock Creek after this one, but considering the weather and snow factor, I opted for Lake Shetek and saved the southwest corner for another day, and you know how that went by now if you've read this far. The loop is shaped like an anteater sprinting toward the finish line at Canterbury, and at points it gets a bit confusing with several close trail junctions. The distance is on the shorter end, being just a bit over two miles, but the elevation gain is a factor, both in steepness and difficulty. Take your time on the aforementioned narrow rock descents, even if you're not dealing with ice; I don't imagine that fall would be pleasant in any weather. 

The latter portion of the trail edges private property and feels more like a prairie walk, so one gets to experience distinct landscapes in a short amount of time. With freshly fallen snow and the solitude these winter excursions brought about, the woods portion felt magical and ethereal, which likely led to my very favorable rating. 

Minnesota Hiking Club #26 - Scenic State Park

 

Minnesota Hiking Club

#26 - Scenic State Park

Date Hiked: February 24th, 2025

Other Hikes That Day: Schoolcraft State Park

Wanderloon Ranking System Score: 3.33

This may sound like a brag but it's just a statement of how I work: I'm writing these travel essays the same way I hiked these parks: way faster than anyone asked me to for no other reason than I wanted to. I'm writing this on April 4th. When you are seeing this, it is obviously... not. I'm nothing if not consistent.

This was one of those hikes where I wondered why I was doing this to myself, but it turned out pretty well, comparatively at least. 

February 24th was an unseasonably warm day, and I chose to spend it going way up north to trudge through the snow because that's who I am as a person. Again, writing this two months in advance, it tracks. As I've no doubt detailed by this point, some parks are easily accessible in the winter months, some are gated off and require finding out what thigh-deep in snow feels like. This was... somewhere in the middle of those. 

While the gate was open, I'm not sure I parked in a real space, but no one else was there so it didn't matter a great deal. 

The snow was melting due to the weather, but not enough to make steps easier. Better than Franz Jevne, but taking more effort than walking on ground or on top of snow like Soudan; but the beauty and, dare I say... scenic nature of this park made up for how exhausting it was. I feel ridiculous saying that, but hey, it's not just a clever name. 

I imagine that when most people who have been here think of this park, it's about the swimming, canoeing, being on the lakeshore, or other activities that bring out the best of the summer's offerings. And it should, that's when most people choose to be there, and I can't emphasize enough that I don't blame them for that. My goal with these essays are not to chastise people for not hiking them through two feet of snow, but to offer the perspective of what it's like when no one else is there, as stated from the very beginning. That said, blue and green surroundings are not a prerequisite for being scenic either.

I long to see this place when I can hear loon tremolos and wails alike, though I'll have to choose my time carefully.  

This is not on the easier end of the Hiking Club trails, regardless of snow factor. There are two distinct parts that are separated by a junction, which is also probably easier to follow in times where creatures are awake and mosquito buffets are plentiful. Conversely, what is likely easier during occasions when touching grass is possible, that the loop in the woods half of the trail, was on veteran difficulty for reasons I've already stated. But the other half, which is a down-and-back excursion on a narrow peninsula, was tremendously easier than the flat loop because it was clear of almost all snow. Everything is perspective. 

Minnesota Hiking Club #27 - Kilen Woods State Park

 

Minnesota Hiking Club

#27 - Kilen Woods State Park

Date Hiked: February 14th, 2025

Other Hikes That Day: Kilen Woods (but again, in reverse) State Park

Wanderloon Ranking System Score: 3.33

I don't even celebrate holidays, but this trek through the snow was enough to make me feel lonely and isolated regardless. 

A few days earlier when I'd intended to hit Split Rock Creek and Blue Mound before swinging back to this one on the way home, the flat tire left me with no possible way to mark this one off that day. Freshly re-tired and restless, I headed back to the southwest specifically for this park, which was less than three hours away, but after driving home several hundred miles on a spare on the aforementioned expedition, that was more welcome than usual. 

Admittedly, on this day I was in a pit of sadness, for reasons that aren't appropriate to this series. Escaping to the woods in solitude has been a coping mechanism of mine for a long time, but I needed more of a reprieve than usual due to the circumstances. Even in the passport journal, I described myself as a disaster, but I had a virtual date night to look forward to on a different day than usual. 

Kilen Woods State Park felt incredibly remote, or at least did until I made the drives to Savanna Portage or Lake Bronson respectively. This was good though, I wanted to feel invisible, like a spectre wandering in the snow drifts away from everything. I was also beginning to feel a bit restricted to the lengths of the Hiking Club trails. The multiple hike schedule to which I was keeping had 1-4 hikes no longer than 7 miles, whereas my style before the Hiking Club was a single hike but farther. My AllTrails totals weren't accumulating like they had, and while that matters to nobody but me, autism brain sees the comparison as a sign of failure. Never mind the fact that it's winter in Minnesota and 10-plus mile hikes are a lot less practical, clearly I should be out there as much as I was when there was no snow, ice, or cold to deal with. Thanks brain, I appreciate your negativity at a time where I already felt like a mess anyway. 

It started to snow, and there were no other parks within a reasonable distance, so when I finished the two miles, I turned around and hiked it in reverse. 

Kilen Woods State Park's Hiking Club trail isn't as long as some of the other woodsy and remote selections, but it does give more of a vibe of an actual hike than many in the catalogue. Through the dense woods, there are elevation changes, multiple landscapes, an overlook, seeing Iowa but being glad to not be there... The things one usually appreciates on a Minnesota hike. But, it is a park in Minnesota, so you know what that means...

Glaciers! 

Although I confess, when I read the name "Des Moines Lobe," the vision in my head was someone getting their first ear piercing at a Claire's in 1996, but my first guess should've been glaciers. It's always glaciers.  

Minnesota Hiking Club #28 - Big Bog State Recreation Area

 

Minnesota Hiking Club

#28 - Big Bog State Recreation Area

Date Hiked: February 22nd, 2025

Other Hikes That Day: Franz Jevne State Park, Zippel Bay State Park

Wanderloon Ranking System Score: 3.33

Not exactly much for the creative names on this one! "There's a bog, it's pretty big, what should we call it? Big Bog. Cool!" Can't fault it for accuracy or false advertising, at least. 

As I detailed in the other two posts for this day's hikes, Big Bog was meant to be my last stop on the way back down, but after a solid five hours of driving, I reversed it because I just wanted to get out of the car. That, and it's February in Minnesota, daylight could've potentially been a problem. 

An unseasonably warm day led me to attempt the parks on the very top of the map. Unlike other days inspired by such conditions, it was consistent up north, so I wasn't having my face frozen off while people were in short sleeves back at home. Obviously, this is another example of "this really is a huge state." When heading through Bemidji and there's still over an hour to go, it truly starts to set in. With no interstates headed this way, and most of this route being two-lane roads, that likely adds to the travel time. 

Once I arrived at Big Bog, found the information for the Earthcache (and realized I'd need to find more signs than the Adventure Lab would), I headed off around the lake next to the entrance. The small loop is at the beginning/end while the rest is a boardwalk that goes down-and-back. Along the way, the information signs are plentiful and detailed, as well as historical and biological. And, of course, don't follow the lights is practical advice. Or it would be during times where everything beneath the boardwalk isn't snow in the silence of the north. That being said, there is an immaculate beauty in that silence, knowing what a bog's biodiversity would look and sound like on occasions when people would normally be there. 

The historical context definitely makes this an even more interesting stroll, at least when one isn't nearly slipping off the ice and into the great unknown. They tried to drain it and use it for mining and gravel pits, but the bog (of the biggest variety, as we now know) wasn't having it. The caribou of the area weren't so lucky, because people had to ruin absolutely everything before they started having the radical idea of preserving it, but I digress. 

At 2.2 miles, this was surprisingly the longest of the three hikes on the north-central triangle. I can't say I appreciate that, or I wouldn't had I been there at a time where I wouldn't be trekking through closed gates and deep snow, anyway. Even from the population centers of Duluth and Grand Forks, this is a considerable distance to travel for the Hiking Club trails. I recognize these parks have more than the Hiking Club selection, but there is a bit of resentment on my part for driving five-plus hours for a hike short enough that a pack isn't even necessary. 

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.