Circle Trail, Pipestone National Monument, July 2022 Pipestone National Monument in southwest Minnesota preserves the site of an active pipestone quarry used by the Sioux and other American Indian tribes to craft famed “peace pipes” popularized by groups in the northern plains of the United States. The Sioux Quartzite that predominates in the park dates …
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Minnehaha Falls, Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, July 2022 The Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota are known—perhaps more so to locals than non-natives—for having one of the most extensive park systems in the country, centering largely around the mighty Mississippi River. The National Park Service’s Mississippi National River and Recreation Area …
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Cascade Falls, Osceola, July 2022 Osceola, Wisconsin, situated on the St. Croix River and border with Minnesota, is a charming small town that is a popular day trip for Twin Cities residents. It owes its destination status in part to the natural landscapes immediately surrounding it, from the high bluffs to the gentle riverside to …
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Summit Rock Trail, Interstate Park, July 2022 Centuries upon centuries of freezing, thawing, and riverine erosion have carved the Dalles of the St. Croix, a basalt gorge that is one of the main natural attractions on the Minnesota-Wisconsin border and a popular destination for visitors from the Twin Cities and beyond. The St. Croix River …
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Pothole Trail, Interstate Park, July 2022 Evidence of ancient lava flows, prehistoric seas, and glacial erosion abounds at the Dalles of the St. Croix, a narrow gorge situated on the border of Minnesota and Wisconsin, about an hour’s drive from the Twin Cities. In addition to the high basalt walls that frame the dalles, the …
King's Bluff Trail, Great River Bluffs State Park, July 2022 The mighty Mississippi River—2,300 miles long and the centerpiece of the United States’ largest drainage basin—begins in Minnesota, passing through the Twin Cities before settling into a broad valley on the border with Wisconsin. Here—around the town of Winona, Minnesota—the river is bounded by towering …
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Fire Point Loop, Effigy Mounds National Monument, July 2022 Perched on the bluffs high above the Mississippi River Valley in northeast Iowa lies a hidden treasure of burial mounds, estimated to have been created by American Indians between 850 and 1,400 years ago. And these are no usual resting places: best viewed from the air, …
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Natural Bridge, Natural Bridge State Park, July 2022 Nestled in the unassuming woods northeast of Leland, Wisconsin, a sandstone bridge some 35 feet long and 25 feet high constitutes the largest natural arch in the state. Just below the aperture is the impressive Raddatz rock shelter, named for the family who once owned the land …
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Parfrey's Glen, Devil's Lake State Park, July 2022 Given the significant focus on Utah and the American West, narrow canyons and slots feature heavily on Live and Let Hike. But these beautiful features can be found in surprising places, such as the limestone gorges of Starved Rock State Park in northern Illinois and southwest Virginia’s …
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West Bluff Trail, Devil's Lake State Park, July 2022 It’s not too often that visitors are able to walk in a mountain range with rocky bluffs dating to 1.6 billion years ago, in addition to a rare freshwater endorheic lake—a body of water situated in a natural depression with no external drainage. And yet one …
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