Joe WhitsonExplorer

This beautiful, green hike takes you along Beaver Creek, as it winds through a lush gorge within the bluffs. Park at the entrance to Beaver Creek Valley State Park, where the park ranger can direct you to the trailhead. Here is a helpful map of the park.

Begin at Meyer's Beach in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore near Cornucopia, WI. There is a parking lot, but get there early in the day to get a spot and make sure to use the bathroom before heading out. There is no opportunity on the ice.Head out onto the frozen lake and follow the shoreline east about a half a mile to the first caves. The caves, arches, and ice formations extend a mile a...

Big Bog, an uninspired name for the 500 sq. mile bog in north central Minnesota (the largest in the continental United States), is sometimes called Minnesota's last true wilderness. The Boundary Water Wilderness is so remote, unvisited, and uninhabitable that all attempts at settlement failed - the bog wouldn't drain, the land couldn't be farmed, and mosquitos drove people mad. Wildlife has tro...

The locals will tell you that if you go one place in Marquette, MI, it needs to be Black Rocks Cove. A favorite cliff jumping site in the summer, the cove is just as worth visiting in the winter in order to see the impacts of Lake Superior's winter storms on the landscape like the ice blasted trees and the undulating pancake ice in the cove.  While much of the main road that loops around Presqu...

The Noquemenon Trail Network in Marquette, MI puts on a series of races the last weekend of January every year featuring a 50k ski race, skijoring races, and fat tire bike races. Among the shortest of these is the Noquemenon Snowshoe 5k. If you are interested in getting a feel for snowshoe running or winter race culture, this is a great one to sign up for.  The race begins at the Forestville Pa...

Every Autumn, Superior National Forest in northern Minnesota designates some of it's best roads as official Fall Color Routes. These roads go deep into the forest, far from towns and cell phone reception to show off the best Minnesota has to offer. Peak season is short, only a week or two sometime between mid-September and mid-October, so plan ahead and don't miss your opportunity.Driving all t...

Built in the 1930's by the Works Progress Administration, Lake Bronson was originally designed to be a major tourist attraction for the region. Due to lack of funding, most of the planned projects were never completed and the park has faded into obscurity. However, it still offers some of the best prairie hiking in the area and is one of only places in the United States you can experience aspen...

Sugarloaf Mountain is one of the most popular hikes in the Marquette area. The easy hike quickly takes you up to clear views of Lake Superior and is perfect for a winter afternoon. Begin your hike at the trailhead off of Big Bay Road north of Marquette. There are two routes to the top - labeled easy and difficult. Both are easy, the difference is whether you prefer trails or stairs. The easy ro...

The Lookout Point Loop actually combines parts of three trails to bring you through some of Wind Cave's best prairieland. Begin at the trailhead for Centennial and Lookout Point off of Hwy 87 and take Lookout Point trail east to Beaver Creek. At Beaver Creek, you'll catch the Highland Creek Trail and follow that until you hit Centennial Trail. You'll loop back through Reaves Gulch and Curley Ca...

Imagine you have been driving for hours through North Dakota. The landscape is uncompromisingly flat and there isn't so much as a tree to obscure the horizon in any direction. Then, with no warning, the topography transforms. The prairie around you crumbles, dropping down into a series of immense ravines, gullies, and hills. What was endless monochromatic grassland becomes a multihued dreamscap...

Great River Bluffs State Park follows a series of impressive bluffs along the Mississippi River just south of Winona. For those of you who think Minnesota is as flat as a pancake (and I'm not saying there aren't places in the state that are), Great River Bluffs will be a surprise. King's and Queen's Bluff are half hills, gradually rising from the valley only to end in a 500 ft cliff along the r...

Crow-Hassan Park Reserve is the largest prairie based park in the Twin Cities metro area. Although there are many ways to experience Crow-Hassan including horseback riding, canoeing on the scenic Crow River, or even staying the night in one of the park's campgrounds, the simplest way to enjoy it by foot.The park is known for its prairie, so if you're visiting for the first time, that is a good ...

The easy 2.4 mile hike follows the route of the Dakota Valley trail. Beginning at the swimming beach, located at the very bottom of the Redwood River Valley, the trail slowly climbs, winding its way through all of the different ecosystems the park has to offer. It summits at an overlook where you can see the river and much of the valley, a view best seen during peak fall color season.For most o...

An easy hour along the North Shore Scenic Byway from Duluth, Tettagouche State Park is a rugged, 10,000 acre park on Lake Superior. Although the interior of the park offers miles of trails to waterfalls and mountain tops, the best way to see the coast is to take the easy hike to Shovel Point. Begin your hike behind the visitor's center following the signs for the Hiking Club trail. The trail he...

The largest of Wisconsin's Apostle Islands, Madeline Island is about the size of Manhattan, but extremely sparsely populated and a great place to explore a north woods ecosystem. The best way to get to the island is by ferry from Bayfield to La Pointe. From La Pointe, it is about a ten minute drive to Big Bay Town Park, the best place to camp on the island. There is a state park with camping, b...

Amnicon Falls State Park, as its name suggests, has a waterfall as its central feature. Amnicon is a small and developed park and the biggest attraction is the covered bridge connecting the main park to a small river island.Do the main loop trail beginning at the covered bridge. You'll be rewarded with great views of the cascades and craggy banks as well as open pine and cedar forests and unide...

It is 3.5 miles long one-way from the visitors center (3815 American Blvd. East 55425) to Cedar Ave. Bridge. Whether because of the foreword thinking early Minnesota legislators or simply because of the inhospitality of nature, most of the riverfront on both the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers throughout the Twin Cities is undeveloped, protected for the survival and enjoyment of people and ani...

This easily accessible loop takes you on a moderate walk around Lake Harriet, a popular recreational site for cyclers, walkers, runners, and families. You can cycle this trail in the clockwise direction, or opt to walk. Be sure to explore the surrounding park and gardens, afterwards!

This loop takes you from the Franklin Bridge to the Washington Avenue Bridge, crossing through campus, in between. Start at the Franklin Bridge (southeast end), walk down the stairs, and then take the elevated walkaway across the river, heading north.The middle section of the loop takes you past the University of Minnesota boathouse, as well as the Weisman Art Museum (free admission).Head acros...

Although there are dozens of ways to do this trip and I encourage you to explore, I suggest one hike that I think does a good job of introducing this areas to new visitors. If you are planning on snowshoeing like I suggest, try to get a day with a good amount of fresh snow (6+ inches). Packed snow works fine and is easier to handle, but it's just not as fun.Almost all of the Minnesota State Par...

Named after a legendary Native American princess, Minnehaha Creek cascades over a cliff in these dramatic falls just minutes from the downtowns of both Minneapolis and St. Paul. A favorite place for summer picnickers, the falls are beautiful all year long. They are strongest in June after the Spring rain, but winter transforms the falls into an icy tower. For hikers or snowshoers, take the sta...

Whitewater State Park is at the cusp of bluff country, straddling the Whitewater River, a small tributary of the Mississippi. Spring and Autumn are the best times to visit. In Spring you'll hit wildflower season when the forest glades in the depths of the valley folds are literally carpeted with flowers. It's like wading through a sea of white and yellow and violet. Get a wildflower guide and h...

Pattison State Park is a Northwoods paradise. Home to Big and Little Manitou Falls, water is a main attraction here. Big Manitou Falls is across the highway from the main park (accessible by a tunnel) and is the fourth tallest waterfall east of the rocky mountains. This is a great place to start your day - a quick walk and big return on your investment. The 165 ft drop flows into a foggy canyon...

Glacial Lakes State Park is located on the easternmost border of the once immense prairie that covered much of the Great Plains. This prairie oasis gives visitors a taste of what traveling across the that treeless wilderness would have been like for American Indians and pioneers two hundred years ago.Although the park offers drive-in campsites, the best way to see the park is to hike the three ...