Welcome back, friends! Thank you for being patient with the break in posting. I appreciate it. My vacation plus coming home to no internet for working slowed me down a bit. This week we’re talking about my latest adventure in Minnesota, Charles A. Lindbergh State Park.
Park Information
Charles A. Lindbergh State Park is located in Little Falls, MN on the Mississippi River. This location is comprised of oak, conifer, and aspen forest with grassland mixed in. It makes is a great place to add waterfowl to your birdwatching list. You can also see bald eagles, white-tailed deer, racoons, owls, hawks, warblers, and other songbirds. The park also offers camping, hiking, snowshoeing, accessible picnic area, accessible picnic shelter, playground, canoe, volleyball and horseshoe rentals, fishing, drive in river access, ranger station, visitor center, historic site, gift shop, and firewood sales.
If you’re looking to hike, there are seven scenic miles to explore. Three of those miles are available to hike in the winter. Snowshoeing is available throughout the park too. The website says that there is fishing here, but no information is given about the type of fish, etc. However, you are going to be on the Mississippi River, so it’s probably similar to the other areas of the river we’ve covered.
Want to camp here? Well, the campsites are wooded and private (I might have to camp here in the future). They have 38 drive-in sites–back in only, 15 electric sites, two cart-in sites, and a group camp site. There are accessible modern toilets and showers, vault toilets throughout the park, and a dump station.
Fun fact: It is named after the Congressman who served in the US House of Representatives from 1907-1917. Charles A. Lindbergh is the father of the famous aviator…The historical site is his childhood home.
All of this info came from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources website, so credit where credit is due. Click here to view the original source.
Accessibility of Charles A. Lindbergh State Park
Parking
There is a large lot with clearly marked spots with some of them being designated handicapped.
Bathrooms
There is a vaulted toilet outside of the park office and just off the parking lot in the picnic area.
Getting to the trail
The trail started right off the parking lot/picnic area. It was easy to see due to the map and markers.
Trail Information
The Lindbergh Hiking Club Trail is about 2.8 miles long and has 85 feet of elevation. I completed it in 1 hour and 20 minutes. The trail starts with stairs going down toward the river. It’s a dirt trail that is uneven, however, it’s manageable if you’re steady on your feet. There are several changes in terrain, which made if difficult at times. Most of it is shaded by trees though, which was nice because it was kind of hot out.
Speaking of those changes in terrain, I was surprised to see such a diversity–gravel, footbridges, dirt, and prairie. Some of the dirt paths were covered in pine needles, pine cones, rocks and roots. I definitely tripped a few times. There was also a set of stairs made from rocks. It had a wobbly handrail, but they were still my enemy. The inclines happened throughout the entire trail and had me shortness of breath often. I did have to take breaks and I was tired and sore by the end of it. There were a handful of benches along the way for resting, which is appreciated.
This trail was more difficult than I expected. I did enjoy all of the trees, views of the river, as well as hunting for wildflowers and looking for funny looking trees. The day I went was fairly quiet. I think I saw 10 people max. I heard a lot of songbirds, so that speaks to the serenity in those moments.
My rating
This trail would fall into the moderate category of my rating scale. Two sets of stairs, uneven terrain, and several inclines were tricky for me. I practiced my Pursed-Lip Breathing on pretty much my whole hike. It helped some, but I had to take a handful of breaks. My body was sore after too. It was my first hike of the season, so we’ll see how things go in the future.
Have you been here? Want to go? Comment below. I’d love to hear from you.
Do you spy Currently Unnamed CardyBear? If you spot him, put FOUND in the comments 😊
Be safe out there! REMEMBER YOUR MAPS AND PASSPORT STAMPS!! Seeyalaterbye <3
Also, if you feel called to help a sista out with her travels, check this out!
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