Friends Groups

April 20, 2018

Glendalough State Park hosts annual walk April 21

By Glendalough Park Partners — The 22nd annual Walk for Glendalough will be Saturday, April 21, at Glendalough State Park. Registration begins at 9 a.m. at the historic Glendalough lodge, which will be open for tours. There is no fee to enter the park on …

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April 20, 2018

Cleanup the Park at Lake Maria State Park

By Friends of Lake Maria State Park — Volunteer Park Cleanup Day Saturday, April 28 from 10am to 2pm Please join other park volunteers as we help prepare the park for the summer season. Volunteers will be raking, working on trails and planting trees. Lunch …

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April 20, 2018

Totally turtles program at Lake Maria State Park

By Friends of Lake Maria — Totally Turtles! On Saturday, April 14, naturalist Emily Roberts’s program covered all of Minnesota and Wisconsin’s native turtles. Kids learned what makes turtles so unique when a volunteer “transformed” into one! Kids even had the opportunity to hand-feed a …

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March 19, 2018

Friends of Wild River State Park and area school students are a perfect match

CHISAGO — Friends of Wild River State Park has partnered with the Chisago Lake School District Life Work Center (LWC) to engage with students in the outdoors, in safe and enjoyable ways, during all seasons. At their annual meeting and pancake breakfast, the Friends Group …

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March 15, 2018

Loon Program at Lake Maria State Park

By Friends of Lake Maria MONTICELLO – Lake Maria State Park will host an outdoor photography program at the park’s nature center on Saturday, March 24, beginning at 1p.m. Noted outdoor photographer John Pennoyer returns to Lake Maria to share tips on Common Loons and …

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March 9, 2018

Friends from around the state gather for Day on the Hill

On March 8, some 60 parks and trails supporters from across the state gathered for Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota's annual Day on the Hill event.
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Group shot of the 2018 Day on the Hill attendees
February 5, 2018

Meet Friends of Father Hennepin

They created the Friends of Father Hennepin, a group that continues to work closely with park staff as a source of volunteer labor, fundraising and community support for the park.
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Friends and GreenTouch volunteers cleaning up the park
February 5, 2018

Friends of Glacial Lakes State Park

Parks & Trails Council is proud to partner with this independent friends group.Parks & Trails Council cannot accept donations on behalf of this friends group. Banner photo: zjohnson16/FlickrCC Friends of Glacial Lakes State Park Mission Help promote, protect and preserve the natural beauty and natural ...
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February 5, 2018

Meet the Friends of Glacial Lakes State Park

“This place is a hidden gem,” says Glacial Lakes State Park president Jolene Moen. Part of the beauty is perhaps the quiet nature of the park, where visitors can often look across miles of rolling hills and not see a soul. Yet, these Friends know that the more people visit, the more they value it and invest in its preservation.
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January 29, 2018

Candlelight Hike at Lake Maria State Park

Lake Maria State Park’s annual Candlelight Hike will be held on Saturday, February 3,2018 from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. An approximately one-mile of trail through the Lake Maria forest will be lit by candle luminaries.  The trail begins and ends at the heated trail …

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January 10, 2018

Frontenac State Park Association to Host Candlelight Ski Party Jan 27

From Frontenac State Park Association Everyone is invited to Frontenac State Park’s Candlelight Ski / Showshoe / Walk Party on Saturday January 27 from 5 – 8 p.m. Come join in the annual candlelight event. Enjoy a hike, ski, or snowshoe on 2 different lit …

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Woman skiing at Frontenac
January 8, 2018

Friends of Scandia Activities in 2017

From Friends of Scandia Parks and Trails In 2017, Friends of Scandia implemented a number of initiatives, including educational programs, supporting Scandia Parks, and participating in events. See below for a quick review. Educational Programs Our activities for 2017 were focused on three educational programs. ...
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group picture

Winter Fun Day at Lake Maria State Park

By Friends of Lake Maria MONTICELLO — Please join the Friends of Lake Maria for our annual Winter Fun Day at Lake Maria State Park from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday January 20, 2018. A number of indoor and outdoor events are planned, …

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January 3, 2018

Plans focus on upgrading Camden residence

By Marshall Independent LYND — The Minnesota State Park System is working toward a plan that will re-purpose Jason Holm’s boyhood home. Plans are in place to convert the former park manager’s residence into a guesthouse. It will be available to families, youth groups, community …

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Swimming area at Camden by Jon Wood
December 18, 2017

Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission announces Legacy Grant Recommendations for FY19

By The Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission The Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission was established in 2013 to carry out system planning and provide recommendations to the legislature for grants funded by the Legacy Parks and Trails fund to counties and ...
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sunset over lake