Joe WhitsonExplorer

Halfway between Schroeder and Grand Marais, Cascade is usually little more than a pit stop on a longer trip. Since the main cascades are just a quarter mile from the highway, there is usually little incentive to further explore the 5300 acre park. However, those who take the time to wander around are rewarded by one of the most beautiful parks on the North Shore, if not the entire state.The par...

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...

Quetico Provincial Park, just north of Minnesota in southern Ontario, is the Canadian portion of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA). Truly a wilderness area, the 1.2 million acre park has no roads, few trails, and allows in just a tenth of the visitors that canoe the BWCA to the south. With over 2000 lakes, the best way to explore the park is by water. Motorized boats aren't gene...

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...

This diverse, 2,702-acre park has trails for both day hikers and backpackers – some with scenic views of the St. Croix River, others which drop into quiet ravines. For the best views of the valley, explore off-trail, where you may find hidden bluffs with panoramic views.The park also offers horseback riding, mountain biking, swimming, and cross-country skiing, in the winter.A good introductory ...

Situated on top of a series of craggy bluffs, Interstate State Park is a small park that offers amazing views of the St. Croix River gorge. With a pine forest ecosystem usually only found a hundred miles north of the park, the lichen encrusted rocks and spring wildflowers offer the Northwoods experience without the long drive.Suggested Hike A 3 mile trail runs from the main park entrance (the p...

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 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...

John A. Latsh State Park is directly off of Hwy. 61 a few miles north of Winona. Begin your hike at the parking lot, following the signs for the Riverview Trail. The hike itself is a short, but steep climb on a series of steps up the side of the Mt. Charity Bluff. Winding through verdant valley forest, thick with ferns and wildflowers, the stairs eventually emerge onto a bluffland prairie scatt...

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...

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...

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...

Kootenay National Park is one of the lesser visited parks in a chain of spectacular parks in the Canadian Rockies between Banff and Jasper. Straddling the Trans-Canadian Highway, the park offers hot springs, awesome mountain views, and glaciers. As you enter the park, keep an eye out for the grizzly bears that frequent the road sides.Floe Lake is considered the park's "classic" hike and is a gr...

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...

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...

Trail's End Campground is located at the very end of the Gunflint Trail, a remote highway that cuts into the heart of the Minnesota Northwoods. Catch the Gunflint Trail in Grand Marais along Highway 61 on the North Shore of Lake Superior. From Grand Marais, you'll wind your way sixty miles along the beautiful wilderness road, a trip that takes about an hour and a half. The campground, which is ...

If you are into extreme sports, ski jumping is definitely something you should try. Suicide Bowl (don't let the name put you off) outside of Marquette, MI is one of the oldest and most established ski jumping clubs in the country and a perfect place to either get started or hone your skills.  Before you go: Contact the Ishpeming Ski Club to set up a time to go to Suicide Bowl. There isn't open ...

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...

Begin your hike behind the Visitor's Center and follow the path to the left towards the Prairie Loop Trail. The path quickly breaks out of the woods into an open prairie, looping through the tall grasses and burr oaks. The pond with its boardwalk is a great place to see Canada Geese, Tundra Swans, and different ducks - ask at the visitor's center and they may give you seeds to feed the birds. T...

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...

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...

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...

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 ...

The Noquemenon Trail Network (NTN) is an extensive network of non-motorized trails in and around Marquette, MI and has become a popular site for winter fat tire biking. If you haven't fat tire biked before, the benefit of the nearly four inch wide tires is that it gives you incredible traction on ice and loose surfaces like snow or sand, making mountain biking a four season sport.  If you don't...