Thanks to a brand new book, 49 Minnesota places for strolls, rambles, hikes and treks are getting some well deserved publicity and recognition.

Friday, October 29, 1999

Thanks to a brand new book, 49 Minnesota places for strolls, rambles, hikes and treks are getting some well deserved publicity and recognition.

The name of this book is &uot;Great Minnesota Walks&uot; by Wm. Chad McGrath. He’s described as a &uot;teacher, nursery owner, and avid outdoorsman who traveled over 8,000 miles&uot; to obtain the concise information about those 49 places. This paperback volume, incidentally, is published by Trails Books of Madison, Wis.

McGrath selected the sometimes overlooked and mostly obscure trails from all parts of the state. For each of these locations there’s a nice map, directions to help find the place, the walking distance involved, the time factor needed to make the walk, type of trail surface (paved, dirt or whatever), contact address, and worthwhile highlights to look for along the trail itself. And, as I will emphasize a few paragraphs later, one the trails featured in this book is right here in Freeborn County.

All the trails featured in this book are on public property. Most are in the state parks. Two are in Voyageurs National Park. Several are in the Superior and Chippewa National Forests, One is in a Wright County park near Buffalo; another is in Oxbow Park near Byron.

The author has organized these walks into the following categories: Waterfall Walks, In the Footsteps of the Voyageurs, Among Tall Trees, Bogs, Marshes and Wetlands, Riverside Rambles, Prairie Paths, Hikes Into History, Strolls Among Wildlife, Vistas, Views and Overlooks, Along Crystal-Clear Lakes, Wilderness Trails, and Of Geological Interest.

Some folks could question McGrath’s initial idea that Albert Lea Lake can be classified as &uot;crystal-clear.&uot; However, one of the trails under that category in this book is the Big Island Trail out in Myre-Big Island State Park.

According to McGrath, the Big Island Trail is 1.5 miles long and takes about an hour to hike along a pathway of both asphalt and worn dirt. This particular trail starts at the Owen Johnson Interpretive Center near the main parking lot and loops around the island. Along the way are quite a variety of trees, wildflowers, vines and shrubs, and plenty of poison ivy. The author advises the walkers to stay on the trail because of the poison ivy factor.

As I mentioned a few paragraphs earlier, the Big Island Trail is included in the section of the book under the heading of crystal-clear lakes. Yet, McGrath commented in this particular segment about the agricultural runoff, the algae blooms, and the somewhat pea-green color of the water in Albert Lea Lake.

Another nearby trail is in the section labeled Waterfall Walks. Now, some folks might think this trail is based on the area near the two waterfalls in Minneopa State Park, located a few miles southwest of Mankato. Such an idea isn’t quite right. The waterfall is actually in Nerstrand Big Woods State Park near Nerstrand.

The actual name McGrath uses to designate this 2.5 mile stroll through the grove of big trees and other vegetation up in Rice County is Hidden Falls and Fawn Trails. In reality, there are two trails which loop through this state park and are based in the center on the 10-foot-high Hidden Falls.

I do have one question about the Hidden Falls name. How can the waterfall still be hidden when its location is now so well known and it’s right next to a clearly marked trail? Just wondering.

Another nearby trail featured in McGrath’s book is the one-mile Zumbro Hill Cemetery Hike in Forestville State Park, located between Spring Valley and Preston. This walk to a hilltop pioneer cemetery is all uphill. However, the return trip to parking lot is an easy downhill stroll.

As mentioned earlier, one the trails is in Oxbow Park near Byron. This riverside ramble has the rather long designation of &uot;Third Bridge to the Second Bridge. via North Meadow Trail.&uot;

A copy of this book, &uot;Great Minnesota Walks,&uot; is now available at the Albert Lea Public Library.