Minnesota State Park Tours Feature Fun, Learning, Movement And Something New To Think About
By Deborah Locke, DNR Information Officer
If you go on a cave tour at Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park in southeastern Minnesota, you will enter an environment defined by water stretching back 450 million years to when Minnesota was the floor of an ocean. At Blue Mounds State Park, you’ll see, smell and hear prairie sounds and possibly, the bison herd. While on tour at Lake Vermilion Soudan Underground Mine State Park, you’ll better understand our state’s important role in the mining industry.
Each of these tours that begin Memorial Day weekend will improve your mind, sharpen your curiosity, teach, and get you up, out and moving. Most parks offer language translators so if you need one, call the park a few weeks before your tour. Pre-registration is almost always required, so call the park in advance for instructions. You also need to ask if any age limits apply. Dress appropriately for the environment and at the end of the day, leave with memories that last a very long time.
I can vouch for that. A mine tour from my youth with my parents still brings happy memories. This summer’s state park tours include these:
Blue Mounds State Park
The 90-minute prairie tour may or may not include views of the elusive bison herd. The 67-member herd is expected to grow this spring as cinnamon-colored calves are born, but no one on staff will ever guarantee a viewing. With adult male members weighing in at 2,000 pounds, the herd goes exactly where it wants without much concern for enthusiastic humans. So cross your fingers and bring the binoculars!
Know that even without a bison sighting, there’s plenty of vistas to feast your eyes on like native grasses, wildflowers, cacti, songbirds, hawks, ground squirrels, snakes, pollinators, and a few white-tailed deer. Other attractions include the pink/red colored Sioux quartzite , a granular rock formed back when water covered large parts of North America. Prairie color in general is unique and changes through the seasons. The green tall grasses of spring give way to deep red and gold colors in the fall.
The tour truck seats 12, and children must be age four and over. Pay attention to the weather forecast before leaving because the tour truck is open, and prairies are known for wind. If there’s a hint of rain, bring rain gear. Tiffany Muellner, one of two tour guides at Blue Mounds State Park, said tour takers especially need to know that prairie weather can be unpredictable. “It can get hot or rain or be chilly, so everyone needs to be ready for that, and be open to see whatever the prairie offers that day,” she said.
Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park
Dawn Ryan, Cave Supervisor at Mystery Cave, explained that one of the fossils at the cave is more than 450 million years old. Of all the features of the 13-mile long cave, that one leaves visitors the most amazed.
“They are shocked when I tell them that the fossil they are looking at is left from an animal that lived long before dinosaurs roamed the earth,” she said. “It’s incredible the way caves provide a window to the past and show the immensity of time.”
I’ve taken the basic tour and was surprised by how damp the air is beneath the earth’s surface. Walls are slick with moisture and it’s important to wear sturdy shoes with a closed toe. The small Turquoise Lake was especially pretty, framed by dramatic wall formations.
“When you enter the cave, you enter an environment sculpted by water,” Dawn said. If it’s your first cave tour, consider the scenic route with its paved trails and easy walking. More advanced cave aficionados take the lantern or geology tours that are offered only on weekends and cover a far more rugged terrain.
Like the prairie tour, dress for the weather. The cave temperature is a steady 48 degrees year-round.
Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park
Flooding a year ago kept tour takers out of the underground mine and it’s not known when the tours can resume at this far northern post on Minnesota’s Iron Range. Check the visitor alerts on the park website for the underground tour start date.
Meanwhile, you can still get a good idea of mine operations from the hour and 15-minute surface tours which start Memorial Day weekend. You’ll see buildings like the engineer house, crusher, drill shop and dry house visitor center. A park interpretive naturalist will provide stories of the miners and their families, immigration throughout the area, and the critical importance of mining to Minnesota and to the United States. Hikers in your group will appreciate the seven miles of hiking trails.
Overall, anyone on a tour at a state park this summer will find something new to appreciate, or perhaps something quite old to marvel at, like a 450-million-year-old fossil. Some tours fill fast, so start making your plans now.
To make tour reservations, call 866-857-2757. Check in at least 15 minutes before the tour starts and be sure to include time for parking and a walk to the start point. Always look at the visitor alert to every state park before you leave home. There’s usually a fee for tours which you can reserve online. A vehicle pass to a state park or recreation area is $7.
Images courtesy Minnesota DNR.
