Camping Archives | Volkman Adventures

Adventure Coffee: 11 Fun Memories

Posted on December 19, 2023

How do you like your coffee?

I'll take mine in the woods, please.

There’s something about camp coffee – or even just drinking coffee outside in general – that hits different. I love going through my photos, and recently I was scrolling around the Photos app and noticed a common theme on our adventures: coffee! So I wanted to share a few of my many favorite adventure coffee spots with you today! In no particular order:

Keyhole State Park

Moorcroft, WY, USA

Oooh I just love a fresh camp coffee in the morning! Keyhole State Park, though we were only there for one night, brings up one particular memory that I’m not sure I’ll ever forget (in a good way)! Visiting this park was at the very beginning of a ~two month roadtrip, and were ready for sleep as we had driven eight hours already (plus a hike and couple of hours spent at Devil’s Tower National Monument). It was dark, and cell service was spotty at best.

The road – gravel of course – was sooooooo bad. It was 6.6 miles of brain rattling, vibratey awfulness because it clearly hadn’t been graded in a while and was even washed out in a couple of places. It was so bad we could only go between 5-10 miles per hour, and we truly thought the entire box of the RV was going to vibrate apart or that all of the cabinets were going to disconnect from the walls. But we made it after about an hour! We still laugh about it today.

Kohler-Andrae State Park

Sheboygan, WI, USA

One of our earliest “collaborations” also showed us one of our rainiest camping trips ever. Embracing the suck and despite the rain, we had a really great time checking out Kohler-Andrae SP. It was also one of our favorite places for camp coffee! Who doesn’t love a beautiful view of a Great Lake? Being right on Lake Michigan, Kohler-Andrae was a beautiful park, and one worth visiting if you’re in the Sheboygan area.

Alaskan Cruise

Off the coast of Moresby Island, British Columbia, CA

This coffee didn’t come from Moresby Island (nor have I ever been on it), but that’s the closest landmark for where this photo was taken (we were on an Alaskan/CA coast cruise) so I wanted to use that just for location context. This was such a special trip. It was our first family trip since I was a kid, my aunt from Louisiana was able to be there (who has since passed), and the experiences and memories made were unbeatable.

Deception Pass State Park

Oak Harbor, WA, USA

Eric and I were hiking along Cranberry Lake Trail at Deception Pass State Park, which goes along Cranberry Lake (surprise, I know) and ends at the Rosario Strait (the body of water between Washington State, USA and Victoria, British Columbia, CA. We hiked into a more open area where a cute coffee trailer was parked! Eric bought a delicious latte which gave us the energy to finish out the hike, check out more of the state park, and drive the remaining 2.5 hours to our final destination: Olympic National Park.

Kaffebrenneriet

Oslo, Norway

Great memories had here. I picked up this coffee at Kaffebrenneriet, a coffee shop in the park, and my sister and I went for a long walk. We roamed the park then headed toward another side of town. The snow was falling beautifully, and we walked around Vigeland Sculpture Park for an hour or so.

Iceland & Greenland Cruise

Greenland Sea, off the coast of Reykjavik, IS

This is the exact moment I learned how good Frangelico was in coffee, haha! Not only that, but we were headed to a new bucket list country I never thought was possible for me to step foot on, and I didn’t know yet just how life changing that was going to be! I am forever grateful for this trip and this coffee session. Someday I’ll get those memories written up to share with anyone who cares enough to read it.

Sibley State Park

New London, MN, USA

Our most recent camp coffee experience as we were there only ~one month ago! We had no plans for this trip to Sibley State Park other than to get a few miles in and soak up the crisp air knowing it would be our last camping trip of the season. We decided to hike the hiking club trail, and about halfway through, realized – wait – have we been here before? The answer was yes. We recognized the Mt. Tom lookout tower. Hahahahaha!

Logan Pass Coffeehouse

Cologne, MN, USA

Inspired by Logan Pass at Glacier National Park, Logan Pass Coffeehouse opened in Minnesota. It’s a lovely reminder of such a beautiful park, and provides your daily dose of wanderlust.

Minnesota Dispersed Camping

Up North, MN, USA

Last year we found solace in a special little hidden gem spot in northern Minnesota that has allowed us to revisit a couple of other times. I’m not usually a location gatekeeper, but because it’s private property I’m not able to disclose. However, there are hundreds of similar dispersed camping spots around Minnesota that can be found within the State and National Forests.

P.S. Peep that Women Who Explore mug <3

Sand Dunes State Forest

Big Lake, MN, USA

Another dispersed camping coffee! My absolute favorite place to work my full time job is while camping. I’m never so motivated, relaxed, and prioritized as I am while working at a campsite. Fresh air, fresh ground coffee, fresh perspective. If you have the ability to work remotely at any time, I would encourage you to try it from the great outdoors (at least once).

Our House

MN, USA

The place where we drink the most coffee – our home – is therefore the place with the most coffee photos, haha! Here are some of my favorite at home coffee-in-the-woods photos from over the years (+ one from our old home).

P.S. This post is part of the 2023 Blogmas series. Check out the other posts here.

Camping, Itinerary, MicroAdventures, Road trip

South Dakota’s hidden gem

Posted on September 1, 2020

Only have 1 day in eastern south dakota?

You can’t skip visit this hidden gem, Palisades State Park. Around 20 minutes from Sioux Falls, this park is a must visit.

Note: Something about the lighting off the red quartzite made the photos all orangey-red, and nothing could help them. View at your own risk! 🙂

Check in is 4pm, and a super simple process. With the global pandemic, you roll up to the ranger station, a park ranger comes out and takes your name and site number (if you’ve booked in advance) and checks you in and provides a park map. The entire process was probably less than two minutes, and we even needed to pay for a day pass!

Once we got into the park, we opted for setting up our site before heading out for the evening, knowing we would lose daylight if we waited to set up until we got back. Switching from full time tent campers to now glampers with our new (to us) Class C, it took us about 2/3 of the time to set up for the night as it would have if we had to set up a tent. Knowing we unfortunately only had one night at this park, we were off within 20 minutes!

After hearing from my sister that the Sioux Falls falls were a must see, we couldn’t miss it! This was the first thing we checked out once we set up for the night. The falls are in the city of Sioux Falls, so we spent about an hour and a half (round trip) checking them out—definitely worth the time and the stop!

The falls are massive. Definitely much larger and further spread than I would have guessed. And according to Experience Sioux Falls:

“The Falls of the Big Sioux River have been a focus of life in the region throughout history. Native American peoples were the first to visit the falls and bring stories of them to European explorers. They have been the center of recreation and industry since the founding of the city in 1856.”

After checking out the falls, we went back to Palisades State Park because we wanted to have enough daylight left to explore.

This park is so much more beautiful than I remember! I had last visited (also my first visit) around 13 years ago now, where a group of us went rock climbing for the day—we weren’t sightseeing that trip, so everything on this trip felt like I was seeing it for the first time!

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Fun Fact from my park brochure: “Geologists estimate the Sioux quartzite spires located in Palisades State Park are 1.2 billion years old.” Whaaaat! My brain can’t even fathom that. How awesome to be able to see and touch and sit on and climb something that old!

We started at the picnic area just past the 1908 Historic Bridge. This area overlooks the rocks and Split Rock Creek that flow through the park. It’s a wide open space to walk and climb around the beautiful rock, have a picnic, go swimming, or sit and observe wildlife. The sun was starting to set around the time we were walking around, which provided a beautiful backdrop to the park.

We spotted a trailhead not far from the picnic area that looked like it followed the creek. Sure enough, it did—an uneven/mildly scambly yet family friendly hike along the river starts at the Split Rock Creek Trail. This is a 1.5 mile trail that hugs the edge of Split Rock Creek and offers stunning views of water and rock face. If you’re lucky, you’ll even see some rock climbers along the way. We ended this hike resting on the most perfect sitting rock. We sat here fir a while in peace. It was nice. The park was pretty quiet for the most part during our stay, so it was especially awesome to be able to watch the sunset above the water without much disruption.

Perfect for those who prefer shorter and easier hikes, Palisades State Park has four hiking trails, three of which are all under .5 miles each. Split Rock Creek Trail is their longest hike at 1.5 miles round trip. This is the perfect park to meander around without an agenda to take in some views and listen to the birds. Such a hidden gem.

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After the sun went down, we went back to our campsite to relax and set the RV up and finish organizing everything for the remainder of the trip. This was technically day two of our six week road trip (we are counting our drive and overnight stay at my parent’s house as day one since it was day one of being away from our home in the Cities), but we still didn’t have everything in its place quite yet.

We loved our quick overnight at Palisades State Park and would recommend it for anyone looking for a park with water recreation, rock climbing, short hikes, and a peaceful night’s sleep in a beautiful campground 🙂

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Camping, MicroAdventures, Minnesota, Minnesota State Parks

Banning State Park

Posted on July 16, 2017

Eric, Archie and I visited Banning State Park on 6/9-6/10/2017. Even though this was just one overnight stay, Banning State Park quickly became one of our favorite Minnesota State Parks and quickly made its way to our “return to” list. There are so many great things to do and see at this park, we can’t wait to go back!

Established in 1963, the Banning State Park land was originally part of the Banning Sandstone Quarry. Affected first by the Great Hinckley Fire (which also affected St. Croix State Park), followed by several other fires, the Banning Sandstone Quarry never was able to recover and make a comeback. According to the Minnesota DNR website, “all that remains of the site are weathered ruins along the Kettle River.” The website also states that “In 1995, the local community of Sandstone, the DNR and the Pollution Control Agency worked together to remove the Kettle River dam and return the river to its natural state which now showcases the Big Spring Falls and the Sandstone Rapids.”

Recreation

Banning State Park offers a wide variety of recreational activities; there’s something for everyone! Summer activities include bird watching, hiking, canoeing, kayaking, biking, rock climbing, and fishing. Included in summer activities, and so very unique within this park, are its five rapids: Blueberry Slide, Mother’s Delight, Dragon’s Tooth, Little Banning and Hell’s Gate. Winter activities include cross country skiing, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling.

Wildlife

While we were there, we only saw a raccoon and varying bird species. Even though we hardly saw any animals, the Minnesota DNR website mentions here that the most “common species include white-tailed deer, black bear, coyote, fox, raccoon, beaver, red and gray squirrels, snowshoe hare, and ruffed grouse.” Also, to beware, we went in June and there were SO incredibly many ticks that we spent most of our time brushing Archie and plucking ticks off of him, even in the middle of the night.

Itinerary

Day 1: Arriving around 3pm, we wanted to ensure we allowed ourselves plenty of time to hike to the backpacking site and start exploring. The slower hike took only about 30 minutes. The grass was relatively overgrown, taller than Archie, making the 1/4 mile hike rougher than expected. It was very buggy and there were a lot of downed branches and brush (one log to crawl over also). Once arrived, we immediately set up our two person tent and, as usual, made ourselves at home.

Our campsite doubled as a backpacking site or canoe site; which seems like it wouldn’t work, but: you can either A) park and launch your canoe/kayak from the boat launch, or B) park to the side and hike from the same boat launch area. Because our campsite was also reachable via canoe/kayak, we had a beautiful view of the Kettle River. Not only was the view awesome, but the banks of the Kettle River made it easily accessible for dipping our feet in.

This campsite had so much greenery–it was so gorgeous!

This site even has a toilet in the woods (somewhere).

We spent the rest of our little-remaining daylight hours wandering around our campsite and sitting around the fire. Since we were backpacking, our food supply consisted of mostly granola bars (Nature Valley, of course), trail mixes, and freeze dried foods. Dinner included said trail mix (AlpineAire chocolate cranberry crunch) and a delicious meal of Mountain House spaghetti.

Day 2: Unfortunately due to the extremely large tick population this year, our main priority was to head out of this campsite early in the morning. Since we hiked in, we brought a freeze dried breakfast that only required water–a rather interesting bowl of Granola with Milk & Blueberries from Mountain House. Definitely worth trying but also not my favorite of the freeze dried foods.

Once we packed up and returned to the car, we made our way back to the main part of the park. From here, we parked in the eastern-most parking lot near a picnic area and Blueberry Slide Trail. This trail was so amazing; I highly recommend it. This is a great trail for those who love to hike but require lower-to-medium impact terrain.

And those views! You hike right up to various rapids; if you’re into whitewater kayaking, this is the Minnesota State Park for you. We were here in June, and saw a few whitewater kayakers heading down the Kettle River. It was neat to see they were able to ride the stretch of rapids, then easily portage their kayaks back to the starting point within a short distance.

Blueberry Slide Trail took you straight to the waterline of the Kettle River. Just past the rapids was a calm area of water. It was refreshing to play and cool off in, especially for Archie.

After playing in the water for a while, we continued to head down the Blueberry Slide trail. I’m not sure if you’ve heard of painted rocks, but it started as a “treasure hunt”-type social movement to bring joy to peoples’ lives. We were lucky enough to find a painted rock hidden within the sandstone walls.

Future Plans

Banning State Park has five canoe sites (one, which we stayed at, can be a backpacking site also). We would love to return to this park with our kayaks/canoe and actually paddle to a spot! We also ran out of time to go on most of the almost 20 miles’ worth of trails. This was due to the amount of time spent hiking the trails by the river (Blueberry Slide Trail), which had a few really neat spot with rapids. One in particular, Wolf Creek Trail, really catches my attention as the 4 mile trail leads to a hidden waterfall.

Cost Breakdown

Daily Park Admission: $7 per vehicle (though we purchased an annual pass for $25)
Canoe-In/Boat-In (also their backpacking site): (1 night): $15
Food: $22.50 (total)
- Mountain House freeze dried meals: $13 total
- AlpineAire trail mix: $6
- Nature Valley granola bars: $3.50
Archie’s treats & dog food: Brought from home; bought in bulk
Water: FREE (we use refillable water bottles)

Gear Brought

2 person backpacking tent from Alps Mountaineering
JetBoil camp stove with mess kit
Ohuhu two-person sleeping bag
Parachute sheet for sitting/eating on the ground
1 change of clothes each
Bug spray
Sun block
Hiking boots & water shoes
More packing tips from the MN DNR

Misc. Info

Year established: 1963
Distance from Minneapolis: 93.1 miles
Temperature: High of 74* | low of 51*

Camping, MicroAdventures, Minnesota, Minnesota State Parks

Glacial Lakes State Park

Posted on March 18, 2017

Eric and I visited Glacial Lakes State Park from 2/17-2/19/2017. This time, Elissa’s sister, Emily, tagged along for her first camping trip ever! We enjoyed this smaller Minnesota State Park, especially for its ease of access and navigation. The trails were a great mix of level and steep, depending on which way you went (unfortunately a trail map wasn’t available at the time at the ranger station or online, so I do not know the names), and always had great views and areas to explore. According to the HikingMN.com blog, “the 2,500 acre park is a series of rolling prairie hills formed thousands of years ago by receding glaciers.” There are also signs around the park to give you its history, so our plan when we return to this park is to check out all of the glacier-formed kettle lakes and continue to learn about the history of this area.

Recreation

Winter activities include hiking, cross country skiing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, and ice fishing. As this park’s focus in its lake, summer activities include swimming, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, stand up paddleboarding, horseback riding, biking, geocaching, and hiking.

Wildlife

The Minnesota DNR website states that “many species of prairie and woodland birds make their home at Glacial Lakes…” where “squirrels, deer, beaver, wood ducks, raccoons, pileated woodpeckers and occasionally coyotes can be seen.”

Itinerary

Day 1: We arrived around 6pm after about two hours of driving. We set up camp in our cozy cabin, which included two bunk beds (the lower bunks were full-size) and a table with benches for chairs. Slowly settling in, we decided to step outside to make some dinner. After firing up our old Glowmaster twin burner camping stove, our chicken noodle soup from Bear Creek was ready in less than 30 minutes (including the time it took to boil the water).

After dinner, the three of us decided to play some games in the cabin. We kicked the games off with one of our favorites, Love Letter, which is also mentioned in our Afton State Park post. In addition to being to being what seems like the worlds easiest game to tote around (it’s so small and comes in its own bag!), you can make this game as quick or as long as you’d like, making this one of our favorite games to bring on camping (or any kind of) trips! Eric absolutely loves learning new board games, so he brought with a brand new one for all of us: Grand Austria Hotel. While less than ideal for tent camping due to its large box and set up, it was great for cabin camping. Including teaching us the game, which is maybe more intermediate leveled, we spent around an hour and a half to two hours total playing it.

Day 2: Since we played games until midnight (or maybe later?), we decided to not set an alarm and start our day when we naturally woke up, which ended up being around 10am–oh, how nice it was to sleep in! Knowing lunch was in the near future, we had a light lunch, which consisted of bananas and the delicious Pillsbury Mini Blueberry Muffins; if you haven’t had these, you’re missing out. I’ve purchased a case of them on multiple occasions! Still waking up from sleeping in, Eric made coffee in his commuter java press from GSI and we decided to start a game. This time, Hanabi: a challenging co-op card game for 2-5 players where you give and take clues to each other to reach a common goal.

We went outside to start exploring around 12pm. Leaving from our cabin, we walked past the picnic areas and set foot on Mardy’s Trail. This trail took us along the lake shore, past boat launch, fishing dock, and beach. The lake was frozen over, and ice fisherman could be seen in the distance.

Turning on my MapMyRide iPhone app, we continued on the trail and decided to make our way around the entire 56-acre Signalness Lake. With the weather unexpectedly being in the mid-50’s, the trails were a slick combination of icy and muddy the entire way around (though the warm temps were definitely welcome!). Emily is an avid geocacher, so we would veer off the trails every so often in search of a cache.

The three of us spent the entire day hiking on the trails surrounding Signalness Lake. The trail terrain varied, and even had a wooden boardwalk around one portion of it. The views were so beautiful!

We returned to the cabin once it started to get dark out (sundown began at 5:45pm). Starting the campfire right away, we made some Annie’s Bernie O’s, opened up the s’mores kit, and sat and talked for a few hours before heading to bed.

Day 3: Having a two hour drive to the Twin Cities, and a four hour drive to Emily to get back home, we woke up early knowing we would need to leave shortly thereafter. The three of us walked around the cabin and picnic area in the morning to see the views of the lake one last time. We had some leftover firewood, so we started a fire to warm up before heading out (keep in mind that you always need to put a fire out, dead out, before you walk away).

Cost Breakdown

Daily Park Admission: $5 (we have an annual pass for $25)
Cabin (1 nights w/elec): $70
Food: $19.16 (total)

Annie’s Bernie-O’s: $2.19
Bear Creek soup kit: $2.99 (x2)
S’mores: $6 for all items
Pillsbury Mini Blueberry Muffins: $4.99/case of 6
Water: FREE (we use refillable water bottles)

Gear Brought

Ohuhu double sleeping bag & pillows (used as two single sleeping bags)
Glowmaster Twin Burner camp stove
Mess kit
Coleman battery-operated lantern
Slippers
Base layers
Wool socks
Winter coats
Columbia snow pants
Columbia hiking boots
More packing tips from the MN DNR

This Park is Good for those who:
…want to stay in a cabin
…want to walk around a lake
…want to go on a quick weekend getaway
…want to see deer
…enjoy easier hiking trails

Misc. Info
Year Established: 1963
Distance from Minneapolis: 134 miles
Temperature: High of 55* | low of 30*

Camping, MicroAdventures, Minnesota, Minnesota State Parks

Bear Head Lake State Park

Posted on November 14, 2016

Eric and I visited Bear Head Lake State Park from July 22-July 24, 2015. This has to be one of our favorite parks by far. The water was so beautiful, so serene. There are so many activities to do, so many things to see, that this park should be toward the top of your “Minnesota State Parks To Visit List,” as it has a little something for everyone.

This park is likely one of the most overnight visitor-friendly parks we have ever stayed at. It has ample camping options, from the traditional drive-in and electric sites, to RV sites, to group camps, to backpack and canoe sites. Also friendly for those who don’t camp in tents or have a camper or RV are the Camper Cabin (houses 5-6 people) and the Guesthouse (houses 10 people) options.

Being a part of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area within the Superior National Forest, there are endless opportunities for recreational experiences.

Recreation

With 23 miles of lake shore, Bear Head Lake State Park offers lots of water recreational opportunities especially, including fishing, swimming, boating (max 10 mph), canoeing, and kayaking. On land, this park offers 15 miles of hiking trails, wildlife watching, camping, birding, snowmobiling (1 mile spur connects with the Taconite State Trail), cross country skiing, snowshoeing, and geocaching.

Wildlife

This park is so rich in wildlife you can’t help but sit back and listen to the songs of nature. Great for bird watching, you can find bald eagles, boreal chickadees, pine grosbeaks, red crossbills, and my personal favorite: the loon. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for other woodland creatures large and small, including squirrels, chipmunks, snowshoe hares, white-tailed deer, black bear, moose, and wolves.

Itinerary

Day 1: After checking in to site #73, we set up camp and went on a short hike along the Beach trail. Beach trail is approximately one half mile long (down and back), and is an easy and beautiful trail following the lakeshore. This was a great short walking introduction to the park on our first day here.

After our hike, we went in to check out the town of Ely and have dinner. Growing up, we’ve always heard about “Ely” when people traveled “up north.” Ely (pronounced eelee) is a bustling little outdoor adventure town with quaint shops and restaurants. A town within the Boundary Waters, there are many outfitters and places to rent equipment in the area as well. If you’re considering a visit, be sure to check out the Ten Reasons to Visit Ely, Minnesota.

Day 2: Water day! I feel like we spent all day on or in the water on day 2. The weather was around 81*, making the water the perfect place to be. We set out mid-morning, after breakfast, around 9:00am to set off to paddle the beautiful clear waters of Bear Head Lake.

In total, we maybe only kayaked around three or four miles, but we moseyed around the lake taking in all of the amazing views and unbelievable sounds. THE VIEWS here are just STUNNING. Minnesota may not have mountains or tropical beaches, but these beautiful, layered pine trees along the shore line and in the distance brought out the same excitement and calming affect as mountains or a tropical beach. I could have spent forever floating in my kayak staring at the trees, shoreline, and listening to the loons. Have I ever mentioned how loons are my favorite bird? Their calls are music to my ears.

The water temperature felt so nice that we decided to head back in and go swimming before taking the kayaks back out of the water. I’m not one to spend a lot of time in the water, but this was just what I needed after a hot few hours of kayaking. Bear Head Lake State Park has a nice beach area for folks to go swimming.

Day 3: Day three was spent with the bears! After our morning breakfast bars, we took our usual morning walk around the campground. We planned to leave a little earlier on the last day so we could visit the North American Bear Center, where a friend of Elissa’s was interning for the summer.

According to their website, the North American Bear Center is “dedicated to replacing old myths with facts, people learn from the bears themselves about bear behavior, ecology, and their relations with humans.” I learned so much about bears in the two hours we were there than I have in my entire life. There were even resident bears who were to live at the North American Bear Center due to being unable to survive back in the wild on their own. I would highly recommend visiting here if you’re in the area in the summer!

Cost Breakdown

Daily Park Admission: Free as we have a Minnesota State Parks annual pass
Tent site: $23/night
Bear Center visit: $13 per adult
Gas: $50 round trip
Food: $40.50 (approximate total)

Hot Dogs + buns: $5
Nature Valley breakfast bars: $3
Spaghetti-O’s: $1.50
S’mores! $6 for all ingredients
Water: FREE (we use refillable water bottles)
Meal at restaurant: $25

Gear Brought

2 Necky brand 17′ kayaks
Suisse Sport Wyoming Tent
Glowmaster Twin Burner camp stove
Mess kit
Coleman battery-operated lantern
Sleeping bags & pillows
2 changes of clothes each, including swim suit
Bug spray
Sun block
Tennis shoes & water shoes
More packing tips from the MN DNR

This Park is Good for those who:
…want to hike by a lake
…want to go on a quick weekend getaway
…want to listen to nature
…want to partake in multiple water activities
…want a lot of variety in one park

Misc. Info
Year Established: 1961
Distance from Minneapolis: 244 miles
Temperature: High of 84* | Low of 57*

Camping, MicroAdventures, Minnesota, Minnesota State Parks

Afton State Park

Posted on February 11, 2015

Eric and I visited Afton State Park January 16-17, 2015. Established in 1969 and surrounding the Afton Alps Golf & Ski Resort, this state park is about 45 minutes southeast from the Twin Cities area, near the Minnesota/Wisconsin border.

This was my and Eric’s first “winter camping” experience. We rented one of the beautiful cabins, named White Pine, sitting just off of the St. Croix River in the South Camp area. I would highly recommend giving a cabin a try at least once, even if you prefer the traditional tent camping method of visiting our parks. They are beautiful. And CLEAN! The first Minnesota State Park to offer this, another non-tent option for camping at Afton State Park, added just at the beginning of this year, includes the rental of a Yurt. This park also has 1 canoe site and a whopping 28 backpacking sites! Perfect for anyone who wants to experience a “woodsy” park near a big city.

Recreation

Afton State Park offers some of the best opportunities around the Twin Cities area for the outdoor adventurers all-year long, including geocaching, hiking (also has a 1.5 mile plowed walking trail in winter), biking, snowshoeing, horseback riding, cross country skiing, fishing, backpacking, camping, swimming, and sledding.

Wildlife

Typical wildlife include birds (hawks, waterfowl, bluebirds, and meadowlark, to name a few), deer, fox, squirrels, badgers, and turkeys.

Itinerary

Day 1: We arrived not long after our check-in time of 4pm. Parking, potable water, and a vault toilet were no more than 500 feet from the cabin. We also had electricity, which was helpful at night, but also a distraction when the neighbors had their lights on.

After setting up our cabin and making ourselves at home, we immediately put on our winter gear (snow pants included) and headed outside to a nearby winter hiking trail. We hiked about 2 miles, and decided to head back to the cabin since it was getting dark. We had a “typical” camping meal, including hot dogs and baked beans over the fire and s’mores for dessert.

After dinner, we warmed up for a few minutes inside and played a couple board games. We played two of our favorite two-player games: The Rivals for Catan and Love Letter. When we warmed up, we went back outside and started a fire. The stars were beautiful. Eric downloaded an app on his iPhone called NightCap Pro, which allowed us to take fun night-time shots of the sky and our surroundings.

Day 2: As this was our last day here, we had a quick meal of cereal for breakfast, and wanted to head outside again. Being only a one-night stay, we spent most of day two playing in the snow and on part of the 6 miles of winter hiking trails. The main trail we stayed on was Deer Valley Loop, which totals 3.5 miles for hiking and snowshoeing.

Future Plans

Even though Eric and I only spent one night at Afton State Park, we fell in love with its landscape and beauty. One night was not enough, especially in the winter. Next time we visit this park in the winter, we will definitely be bringing snowshoes for the trails, and downhill skis to visit Afton Alps.

We are excited to visit Afton State Park again, and can’t wait to see its beauty in the summer months. Our plan is to visit again with hiking shoes on to get lost in the park’s 20+ miles of trails. Rather than stay in a cabin the second-time around, our plan is to stay in one of their many backpacking sites next time we’re here.

Until next time…

Cost Breakdown
Daily Park Admission: $5 (we have an annual pass for $25)
Cabin (1 night): $70
Food: $15.50 (total)

Hot dogs (Oscar Meyer): $3
Baked beans (Bush’s): $3
S’Mores: $6 for all items
Cereal: $2
Milk: $1.50
Water: FREE (we use refillable water bottles)

Gear Brought

2 burner camping stove
Mess kit
Hot dog and marshmallow roasting sticks
Sleeping bags & pillows
Snow pants
Snow boots
Winter coat
Base layers
Sweatshirt
More packing tips from the MN DNR

Misc. Info
Year Established: 1969
Distance from Minneapolis: 31.3 miles
Nearest Large Airport: Minneapolis-St. Paul International, 25.2 miles
Nearest Grocery Store: Less than 10 miles
Avg. Temperature During Visit: High of 33* | low of 15*
Permits: Required both to enter park (with a vehicle) and stay overnight
GPS Address: 6959 Peller Ave S – Hastings, MN 55033
Fun Fact: This park currently doesn’t offer any drive-in or camper camping–only cabins, a yurt, group sites, canoe, and backpack sites! A great opportunity to experience a camping method you’ve never tried before! Okay, there are two fun facts: Afton State Park has so much to offer that they even have a newsletter!

Camping, MicroAdventures, Minnesota, Minnesota State Parks

St. Croix State Park

Posted on July 14, 2013

Eric and I camped in St. Croix State Park the weekend of June 28th, 2013. Located in Hinckley, MN, this park is only about 15 minutes off of I-35 in northern Minnesota.

Home of one of the biggest fires in Minnesota history, a tall fire tower is a great highlight of this park–of which is accessible for guests to climb. Located on the St. Croix River (which is a National Scenic Riverway) and within boundaries of the Kettle River, this state park offers endless possibilities of trails, both in the summer and winter months. We hiked many of their trails, and enjoyed kayaking down the river.

Recreational Opportunities
Kayaking, canoeing, hiking, biking, mountain biking, horseback riding, swimming, wildlife observing, cross country skiing, and snowshoeing.

Wildlife
This park offers a wide range of wildlife, including deer, fox, raccoons, beavers, black bears, coyotes, and (though uncommon to see) eastern timber wolves. Birds are also abundant in the parks, including owls, eagles, osprey, flycatchers and warblers.

Itinerary

Day 1: Prior to our arrival at the Park, we stopped at the Hinckley Fire Museum, and learned about the town and Park’s extraordinary history. It’s so amazing how this thriving logging town bounced back after flames over four miles high leveled nearly a quarter million acres in just four hours in 1894.

After we checked in around 4:00pm, we set up our tent in the Old Logging Trail Campground, set out our chairs, and got comfy. Our camping trips usually tend to have a laid-back first day, especially if our arrival time is in the afternoon. We had Spaghetti-O’s for dinner, with s’mores for dessert.

Day 2: Breakfast consisted of eggs and toast. Our only full-day in St. Croix State Park, we took advantage of the opportunity to visit the Park’s fire tower, an experience not all Minnesota State Parks offer.

After climbing to the top of the fire tower, we decided to go hiking along the St. Croix River. We switched between the River’s Edge Trail and River Bluff Trail. Both trails are among the 127 miles of hiking trails within the Park. With amazing views along the way, both trails are great for beginner hikers looking for beautiful scenery.

We had deli turkey and cheese for lunch. Dinner comprised of our beloved foil packet dinners, first introduced by family friends at Lake Carlos State Park years back. Being delicious and easy to make, we have variations of these hobo meals almost every time we go camping.

Day 3: We had delicious eggs and bananas for breakfast. After breakfast, we took a long walk on the paved trails before heading home for the weekend. There are 5.5 miles of paved trails, which are located in the middle of the park, and can be used by either hikers or bikers.

FUTURE PLANS

There are just so many miles of trails, we definitely want to explore more! I feel like we saw a lot in the hours we were hiking, yet barely made a dent. We also would love to take a bike ride from the campground to the beach, following the park’s 5.5 mile paved bike trail.

Eric is hoping we can make it to St. Croix State Park in the winter so he can bring his snowmobile out, since there are trails which connect to Chengwatana and St. Croix State Forests. St. Croix State Park also offers some great snowshoeing through the woods, and we’re new at cross-country skiing so, with 11 miles of groomed trails, this park offers the perfect trail system for us to perfect those skills.

Cost Breakdown
Park Entrance Fee: $5 (though we purchased an annual pass for $25)
Tent Camping: $23/night
Food: $26 (total)

Spaghetti-Os: $1
S’Mores: $6 for all items
Eggs: $2/carton
Toast: $2/loaf of bread
Deli turkey: $3
Cheese: $2
Foil packet meal: $9 for all items
Bananas: $1 for two
Water: FREE (we use refillable water bottles)

Gear Brought

4 person tent
Sleeping bags & pillows
2 burner camping stove & fuel
Mess kit
Hot dog and marshmallow roasting sticks
Hiking boots & flip flops (for around the site)
Base layer to wear as pajamas
Lightweight capri pants
Lightweight/breathable tops
More packing tips from the MN DNR

Misc. Info
Year Established: 1943
Distance from Minneapolis: 101 miles
Temperature: High of 73* | Low of 59*