Checking out Interstate State Park (MN)

I've always been a fan of State parks, and recently I checked out the Minnesota side of Interstate State Park in Taylor's Falls. Located about an hour northeast of the Twin cities, it was a short drive for a scenic park. The fall is a great time to visit, especially when the colors are in full swing in early October.

We arrived in the morning, and quickly made our way around the Pothole trails, which happened to be very crowded. These glacially-made potholes ranged widely in size, and one of them was a huge pit, roughly 60 feet deep! This made for an interesting geology lesson, as Interstate State Park is home to more glacially formed potholes in such a small area than anywhere else in the world.

Our next destination was the River trail, a 1.25 mile trail that runs parallel to the river, essentially from the visitor center on the North end of the park to the office on the South end.  Heading south, the trail starts with a highway overlook, but quickly drops into the woods, and offers some nice views of the St. Croix River and of the landscape across the river in Wisconsin. The trail is definitely well-used, and due to the pleasant fall weather, we saw several other groups along this trail.

Naturally, 1.25 of hiking wasn’t enough to make me (or the other members in my group) satisfied, so we continued our hike on the Sandstone bluffs trail, which starts after going through a tunnel near the south office. This trail was a bit more extreme. There were many stairs and some narrow passageways where if you lost balance you could get seriously injured. In addition, we saw two small snakes slithering around on the trail, daring us to continue. I took the opportunity to play some tunes off the “Rocky” Soundtrack and our group got pumped (Ok, I got pumped) as we continued to ascend the stairs. The Sandstone bluff trail showcases a spot where many years ago, a waterfall existed, and offers a couple of scenic overlooks.

The last trail we went on was the Railroad trail, which was basically a walk through the woods, relatively flat, except at the very beginning, where there was another stairwell. This trail led us into town, and back to the Park's north Entrance.

In addition to hiking, the Minnesota side of Interstate State park also offers camping, rock climbing, and boat tours. While not mentioned in this blog, the Wisconsin side of the park has a lot to offer as well. Here is an article that has some more info: Things-to-do-in-Interstate-State-Park. I definitely recommend visiting!