Saint Paul/Ramsey County • No fee Crosby Farm Regional Park—indeed an old farmstead—offers almost seven miles of wooded, prairie and waterside trails just minutes from 35E and downtown Saint Paul. First, What I Didn’t Like I’ll admit my first impression of the park wasn’t high when I visited the restroom first thing. It had standing …
New in 2019 is Velo du Nord—a small locally-owned Afton business with an interesting combination of cycling, massage, homemade waffles and coffee! Most of us don’t automatically match those four things up together. But for co-owners Bjorn Selander and Sarah Engen, the combination is perfectly natural. Their ideas came out of their personal history and …
Taylor’s Falls/Chisago County to Osceola Landing • Daily or annual state park pass needed if you park at Interstate State Park This stretch of the St. Croix River—Taylor’s Falls down to Osceola Landing—is one of the most beautiful rivers to kayak or canoe in Minnesota. About the St. Croix River The St. Croix, combined with …
Sandstone/Pine County • State park daily or annual pass needed Banning State Park is just under 100 miles from either downtown Minneapolis or downtown Saint Paul. This 6,200-acre park is bisected by the beautiful Kettle River and hosts 17 miles of forested hiking trails. We followed the Quarry Loop Trail along the river, then headed …
Marine on St. Croix/Washington County • Daily or annual park pass needed Big Marine Lake is popular with boaters and anglers, but the natural shoreline on its south end and beautifully clear water make it great for kayaking and canoeing, too. There are three public accesses to Big Marine Lake. We used the one at …
You’ll find Aqua-Bound’s kayak and stand-up paddles used all over the world. And they’re made at their factory right next door in Osceola, Wisconsin. I have a special place in my heart for this award-winning company: I’ve been writing for their blog since 2016, so I’ve seen a fair amount of their inner workings. They’re …
Read moreAqua-Bound: Award-Winning Kayak and SUP Paddle Maker
Stillwater/Washington County • Daily or annual park pass needed The centerpiece of Square Lake County Park is 200-acre Square Lake, our kayaking destination on a gorgeous summer day. The Metropolitan Council has designated the park a regional “Special Recreation Feature” because of the lake’s outstanding water quality. It’s known as one of Minnesota’s clearest lakes—something …
Fridley/Anoka County • No fee Locke County Park is a small but lovely wooded park in urban Fridley. Rice Creek West Regional Trail goes through the park, and older children will love a little “mountain biking” here. I visited this lovely oasis in the middle of the city in early May, when the leaves were …
Hastings/Washington County • Daily or annual park pass needed St. Croix Bluffs Regional Park is another park in Washington County along the beautiful St. Croix River. The park hosts almost 10 miles of hiking trails across varied terrain, including both forest and upland prairie. All but a mile of them are natural-surface, either grass or …
The folks at Bending Branches, just across the river in Osceola, have been designing and manufacturing world-class canoe paddles since 1982. They’ve since added kayak paddles, kayak fishing paddles and stand-up paddle board paddles to their repertoire, and have loyal customers all over the world. I know this company well—I’ve been writing for their blog …
Read moreBending Branches: World-Class Paddles made in Osceola, Wisconsin