SPORTS/OUTDOORS

Maybe like most of us in the fall, you’ve been to a few Minnesota state parks and walked Minnesota state trails and enjoy the leaf color. And maybe you’ve even wondered what phenomena brings on such lovely, vivid scenery.

Free Park Day is a special event that comes just once a season, giving families and explorers an opportunity to visit Minnesota’s state parks for free – no vehicle permit needed!

A 97-foot 1899 bridge in southeast Minnesota got the surprise of its long-life last November when a crane lifted it from its shifting foundation to a nearby fenced-in area provided by Parks and Trails.

A few former hunters in Minnesota now with disabilities added a new activity to the list of things they can still do. They can hunt.

Once again, the Parks and Trails Division of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources will offer its Fall Color Finder at mndnr.gov/fallcolor. The website’s primary purpose is to report the status of leaf color change across the state so people can finalize their travel plans to get outdoors and enjoy the fall colors season.

To anyone encountering our small group at Wild River State Park recently, you would have thought, how nice. Happy people out for a simple walk. Adults with children, zipped up jackets, a park naturalist talking away.

Both of Jody Popesh’s grandpas worked at the Soudan Mine located in northern Minnesota’s Iron Range – because that is what Iron Range men, mostly men, did back in the day.

For the second year in a row, Minneapolis has been named the best large city for bicycling by People for Bikes in their 2024 City Ratings. What makes us so special?

Sometimes eagles call the shots on the Blazing Star State Trail in south central Minnesota. In February, tree cutting was slated to begin as part of trail construction which included a 100-foot trail bridge across Albert Lea Lake from Myre-Big Island State Park to Hayward, MN.

Have you dreamed of camping under the stars or paddling down a gentle river? Maybe you’ve imagined conquering mountain biking trails or reeling in a big fish – but don’t know how.

When little Grace Hoeft was five, her dad Gary occasionally took Grace and her sister to work at Tettegouche State Park in northeastern Minnesota where the little girls helped count postcards or swept and vacuumed the floors.

(StatePoint) When choosing what kind of plants to put down in your yard, you likely focus on the what and the where. After all, a beautiful plant in a prime location enhances curb appeal and even bragging rights.

When Jeff Karels was a little shaver, his big brothers Keith and Ron took him everywhere. The family lived south of Mankato in river country and once Jeff learned to walk, the brothers taught him to fish and hunt.

Maybe you’ve thought about camping for a while. Minnesota state parks and recreation areas feature more than 5000 campsites throughout the state. Now is a good time to pick a location and make a campsite reservation.

It has been a particularly deadly winter season on Minnesota waters, with at least four people dead after falling through the ice. While some lakes are largely ice-free, people are still ice fishing on others, particularly those in the north.

Research for Thia Xiong’s graduate thesis introduced her to Minnesota state parks and recreation areas: their land, history, and culture.

Pursuant to NR 1.02(7)(c), Wis. Adm. Code, the Department of Natural Resources gives notice of the change in classification for 11 streams in Marathon County for a total of 75.48 miles of stream to be changed from unclassified trout water to Class I or II trout water.

Maybe like me you’ve wanted to plant a tree for a while. What about next spring? Kao Thao, a naturalist at Fort Snelling State Park, knows a lot about native Minnesota trees, differences between trees, and considerations in selecting a tree to add to your property.

Maybe like me, your first introduction to woodpeckers took place in the 1960s on a 30-minute television cartoon show, “Woody Woodpecker.” The whacky, red-headed character created for movie theaters in 1940 had this loud, ha-ha-ha-ha-ha cackle.

A couple years ago in the fall, park naturalist Mike Dunker returned to the Wild River State Park visitor center from his work outside — which could include prairie seed collection or a public program on prairies.

Below is an interview with Leland “Roger” James (Ojibwe), the parks and trails naturalist at Grand Portage State Park in the far northeast corner of Minnesota.

One of the best features of the new Minnesota Parks and Trails Junior Ranger Program book is that it gets adults thinking, too. Here’s another great feature: the impression made on children as they earn a patch that might lead them to a lifetime of love for the outdoors.

A Billion Years of History Packed Into An Hour

Bison Herd Takes Time From Grazing To Welcome Newest Calf Additions

Deborah Locke interviewed Parks and Trails Resource Management Supervisor Ed Quinn about the health of Minnesota bats. Below is their conversation.

Come for the April 22nd party, stick around for relaxation and recreation.

A second program at Fort Snelling State Park in February helped answer a question I’ve had for a long time. How do animals in the wild survive extremely cold winter months?

In the world of animals, a skinny short branch sticking out of the snow with stripped bark is the equivalent of a dating app. The adult male buck that stripped the bark left behind his scent for any interested doe.

The Afton State Park naturalist said to strap the snowshoes a certain way and walk a certain way and avoid the ski paths and know that if you fall, no big deal, and remember that snow can crust and be sharp so be careful.

Not long ago and while off the clock, Mike Dunker took a hike. While outside, he was recognized by a park visitor who remembered him from a naturalist program he led.

Need a gift idea for an outdoors enthusiast? It’s tough to wrap a waterfall or a scenic overlook, so how about a Minnesota state parks annual permit or gift card?

No matter what the season or where you live, everyone in Minnesota deserves their own state park.

Minnesota’s firearms deer season begins half an hour before sunrise on Saturday, November 5, and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources expects nearly half a million hunters to participate.

Minnesotans are invited to connect with nature and participate in hands-on outdoor activities including canoeing, birding, fishing, hiking, biking, fire-building, and more.

Dave Terry’s life has come full circle, and from all appearances, he couldn’t be happier with returning to where he started from.

For reasons that are not entirely clear, a record number of bison calves have been born at Minneopa State Park, located near Mankato, Minnesota.

Last summer, the Entomological Society of America (ESA) with a recommendation from its Better Common Names Committee dropped using the common name “gypsy moth” for the invasive insect accidentally introduced to the Boston area in 1869 by a French researcher.

During her career as a naturalist for Minnesota Parks and Trails, Megan Johnsen eagerly observed the many wildflower species that bloomed in the parks where she worked.

State parklands, trails, waysides and recreation areas cover some 234,500 acres in Minnesota and include a wide variety of diverse types of habitats and resources from prairies to wetlands, to forests.

Last fall at Afton State Park near Hastings, 60 fenced-in goats ate about three acres of buckthorn leaves and bark per week, which ultimately stresses and kills the buckthorn. It took four weeks to clear the area.