Afton is a relatively small park as State Parks go, it is only 1620 acres. It has only about 20 miles of trails for hiking.
In the winter, however, you can go anywhere in the park on snowshoes.
We have three main wildflower seasons in MN, one is in the spring, one is at the height of summer and one in the fall. We were there at the height of the summer bloom and the prairie areas were a riot of color.
Minnesota is very green in the summers but here the green was sparkling with little multi-colored jewels. It's too bad that none of my photos have been able to duplicate that visual treat.
The visitors center built into a hill, is surrounded by beds of wildflowers.
The hike was a pleasant one as the trail was shaded by trees. It was only in the Prairie areas that there were no trees.
Afton State ParkThe park is set in a rolling glacial moraine and bluffland. It contains a combination of oak openings and woodlands. The forests combine upland hardwoods with some pine plantations. Remnant prairies are being expanded and oak savannas are being restored through an aggressive resource management program that makes extensive use of volunteers. Park wildflowers include prairie pasque flowers and woodland ephemerals in the spring; butterfly weed and puccoons on the summer prairie; and sunflowers and blazing star in the fall.
The route that I chose started out paved. This is a shared trail for bicyclists and hikers.
I stopped every so often to admire some of nature's little jewels.
When I approached this one, I noticed what I took to be a butterfly sucking nectar off a flower.
I wondered why it didn't fly away as I approached closer and closer. Finally when I was really close, I noticed that he had been waylaid by a predatory insect of some kind. This little bandit had the perfect yellow and black camo on for hanging around this particular flower. Nature is amazing, isn't it?
I then took a turn off the paved trail and headed through a patch of Prairie. It's a shame that the camera didn't pick up the wildflowers in the tall grass.
There were handy benches every so often to rest or just to sit on and commune with nature.
In a little while we left the Prairie areas and came to some scenery that is more typical of northern Minnesota.
With tall trees reaching up to the sky on wither side of the trail, there was plenty of shade making the hike a really pleasant stroll. I took it easy as it felt good to breathe the fresh clean air and listen to constant chatter of birds.
A pleasant shaded trail
The trail made an abrupt ninety degree turn to hit the old railroad grade that followed the river bank.
It must not have been a very big railroad. The sides are now overgrown with trees but there is a pleasant wind coming off the St Croix river and the shade is ample. Here I did meet a lady with a backpack on, striding along very purposefully as she went by.
We are on a bluff high above the river here and the silence is only broken by the throb of an occasional power boat on the river.
I found an access to the river bank below and climbed down to stand by the water's edge. This panoramic shot shows a little bit more of the river and its surroundings. To see a larger version of this shot, click HERE
Then, as it was almost noon, it was time to go pick up the girls for lunch, so I speed walked the rest of the way back to the visitor's center.
....more to come....
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