Cascade Falls & Falls Bluff Trail Loop (City of Osceola, WI)

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, Echo Canyon, & River Bluff Trail Loop (Interstate Park, WI)

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, WI)

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 …

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Natural Bridge Loop (Natural Bridge State Park, WI)

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 (Parfrey’s Glen State Natural Area, WI)

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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Devil’s Lake Loop (Devil’s Lake State Park, WI)

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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