2020 11 03 - State Park, Lake Maria

It is best to know where you are going today at this park. Not much for visible trails today.

This was the closest state park to where we were when we got done working today. About a 30 mile drive and we were here. We had been here a few years ago in the spring. Yikes. Mosquito haven. It wasn't very enjoyable last time.

Today it is 70+ degrees in November in MN. What is there not to like. No bugs. Also no wildlife. I didn't think about it until we were here that it could be hunting season and I try to day out of the woods then. But we didn't hear a single gun shot the whole time we were there.

Did hear some traffic noise most of the time. We are likely less than two miles from the interstate, but today a lot of what we were hearing were back up alarms so those were not coming from the freeway (I hope.)

This park has a blacktopped drive all the way to the trail head parking area. Campgrounds seem to be closed already as was the office. Wow. Again, a lot of people / cars. Last time there was just a couple of cars, this time there was a dozen plus.

Some people were wearing masks and going off trail to keep their distance. Others were not mask, no distance.

At times in the woods it was all leaves and it looked like it would be hard to follow the trail. But the trails we were on here today are wide enough for a 4-wheeler and enough people had been walking so you could see the crushed leaves.

Signs said horse trails were closed, but there were an awful lot of road apples for no horses. Mixed with the leaves they weren't always easy to see.

There are a few small lakes in this park. Right here the trail is fairly flat, but other area's were a good workout. Not the same as a 'rail trail.'

We had looked at a map and saw red and green, later we were thinking we should have stuck to the green :) No, I've looked again now and the green are horse trails, or maybe those are not so steep. I think we'll try those next time.

In total it was about a 45 minute walk today.

Maybe if we don't leave town we can do another 'park weekend' this weekend. 60+ through Sunday.