All News

November 9, 2018

Celebrate the Mill Towns Trail Groundbreaking

The next phase of construction on the Mill Towns Trail will begin soon. Come join trail supporters on Tuesday, Nov. 13 at 4pm to celebrate the groundbreaking. The event will be held at the White Sands Trailhead at 900 Lyndale Ave. N in Faribault.

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A kid peddles away on his bike
November 5, 2018

#OptOutside with Friends of Lake Maria

Celebrate the day after a caloric Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, with a healthy and free walk in the park. All Minnesota state parks will waive the $7 daily entrance fee on Friday, November 23, 2018.
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October 11, 2018

Special Places Newsletter – Fall 2018

Inside this issue: Final piece of trail acquired for Great River Ridge State Trail Land transferred to Sibley State Park Tiny, mighty native bees 600 miles inventoried on state trails Remembering Tom Dwight Year-round camper cabins Friends of Tettegouche State Park

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Fall 2018 newsletter cover
September 12, 2018

Land purchased to extend the Great River Ridge State Trail

For years, local and state trail champions having been working to extend the Great River Ridge State Trail to its final destination in Eyota. On Tuesday, the nonprofit Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota (P&TC) announced an important step toward that goal as they purchased the final mile and a half of abandoned railroad corridor that runs from County Highway 9 to US Highway 14.
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Great River Ridge State Trail
September 7, 2018

#ResearchBike Trail No. 11 – Central Lakes State Trail

Photos from Trail No. 11 - Central Lakes State Trail for our #ResearchBike
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Parks & Trails Council's Research Bike
August 1, 2018

State Park digital maps now track you on the trail

Getting away from it all and traveling down a remote trail in the woods has all the makings for a great adventure. Unless of course you get lost. If you or someone you know is at all uneasy about this possibility, you may be interested …

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Person holding a GeoPDF showing their location (blue dot) at Itasca headwaters
July 31, 2018

#ResearchBike adventure underway

Collecting data on the condition of all the paved state trails in Minnesota Have you ever thought about biking all 600 miles of the paved state trails in Minnesota? Well, that’s what our intern, Karl, is doing this summer. And you can follow his journey, …

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Parks & Trails Council's Research Bike
July 30, 2018

Keeping Our River Clean – Annual St. Croix River Cleanup

The Friends of Wild River State Park has an annual summer tradition of gathering to canoe down part of the river—from Sunrise Landing to Wild River State Park Landing—to clean up any trash found along the way.
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July 23, 2018

Music Fills the Air at Maplewood State Park

Community members flocked to Maplewood State Park to attend two music concerts
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a crowd in the picnic shelter enjoys the music
July 13, 2018

Parks & Trails Council conveys 154-acre property to Sibley State Park

A multi-year effort to add key land to Sibley State Park was finalized on June 20 as Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota sold the 154-acre property to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
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The rolling grasslands with pond at Sibley State Park
July 6, 2018

Special Places Newsletter – Summer 2018

Inside this issue: Empowering volunteers to help restore landscapes List of projects funded by 2018 legislature Friends of Father Hennepin state park and more

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cover of newseltter
July 5, 2018

DNR and city seek public input on Gitchi-Gami trail development

The MnDNR will host an open house on July 12 to discuss and get feedback on the Gitchi-Gami State Trail's newest planned segment from Grand Marais-to-Cutface.
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bicyclists on Gitchi Gami with Lake Superior in back
June 27, 2018

Volunteers install 400 tree cages at Itasca State Park

Itasca is well-known for its old-growth trees. But growing the next generation has been a challenge as deer have been eating and destroying the young trees. In 2009, park staff planted a 65-acre region known as the Bear Paw Restoration.
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Four volunteers in woods with fencing
June 25, 2018

DNR upgrades outdoor recreation maps for mobile devices

From MnDNR – Navigating Minnesota’s woods and waters with a mobile device is now easier than ever with new digital maps available from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Cartographers in the Parks and Trails Division have recently upgraded nearly all of the maps for Minnesota …

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Looking at GeoPDF Map on mobile device
June 18, 2018

Friends respond to emerald ash borer by planting maples at Maplewood State Park

In a project coordinated by the Friends of Maplewood State Park and DNR staff, 15 sugar maple trees have been planted in the park. The newly planted trees, which are between six to ten feet tall, are a proactive response to the threat posed by the invasive insect known as emerald ash borer (EAB)
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Tree Planting at Maplewood State Park