Park Info
Crow Wing State Park is located in Brainerd, MN and is said to be a nature lover’s paradise. The habitats in the prairie, pine, and hardwood forests brings wildlife like beavers, white-tailed deer, muskrats, and waterfowl. There is so much to see and do here, including hiking, biking, snowshoeing, fishing, paddling, and camping.
There are 18 miles of hiking trails to explore, with one-third of a mile being wheelchair accessible and one-half mile being self guided. The paved bike trail is 6.5 miles and connects to another 115 mile trial. If you’re looking to snowshoe during winter, it’s okayed in the whole park.
Water access is on the river and is good for both driving and carrying your boats in. So, if you’d like to boat around and maybe catch some fish, you’re in luck. There wasn’t any information on the fish available here, so either let it be a surprise or do some alternative research, up to you.
Camping on your list of activities? There are 59 drive-in sites (back in only), 12 electric sites, two wheelchair accessible sites, and one camper cabin. The facilities here are showers, flush toilets, vault toilets, and dump station. The website doesn’t say if they are accessible or not, so that could be a question you ask if you plan on staying here.
Aside from all the outdoorsy stuff, you can find a park office, interpretive exhibit, historic site, gift shop, rentals, and firewood and ice sale. As for recreation facilities, there are two accessible picnic areas and an accessible enclosed picnic shelter (with electricity and indoor toilet).
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 Facility
Parking
There is a large lot with clearly marked spots with some of them being designated handicapped.
Bathrooms
A vaulted toilet is right off the parking lot. This was one of the nicest-smelling ones I’ve ever been in. It was probably air freshener-induced, but nice nonetheless.
Getting to the trail
The trail started right off the parking lot/picnic area. It was easy to see due to the historical information signs.
Trail Info
The Red River Oxcart Loop is two miles long and has about 80 feet of elevation. I completed it in an hour. The trail starts off as paved and is a little uneven, but manageable if you’re steady or have the wheels for the terrain. There are several changes in terrain, however, the path stays wide so there is room to maneuver. Despite the both flat and uneven terrain, the trail is well-maintained and decently shaded when you get to the trees.
Speaking of the changes in terrain, I was surprised to see pretty much every type I’ve been on this summer–gravel, boardwalk, dirt, and prairie. They were flat in the areas you’d expect, like prairie, gravel, and boardwalk, as well as uneven in the dirt portions. The inclines happened in the dirt portions as well. They weren’t super steep, but were enough to get my shortness of breath kicking in. I did have to take a couple of breaks and always let others pass me, but it was manageable for me.
While this trail was more difficult than I expected, I did enjoy all of the trees, views of the river, and all of the information posted along the way. There was plenty to see. I wish I would have had the endurance to go down the stairs toward the beach (we know I love a lake/river beach), but there’s always another time.
The Red River Oxcart Trail is busier than I’d hoped, but I think that’s a standard for the park. If you’re looking for a quiet jaunt in nature, this isn’t the place. Off season may be different, but it’s unlikely during regular season. It is a cool place to see though, so make sure it’s on the list.
My rating
This trail would fall into the easy to moderate category of my rating scale. The flat parts were easy, but the inclines got me (per usual). It’s also at the end of my endurance level for length and going into it I wasn’t in the best physical condition. I was a little fatigued and my chronic pain was around. Neither were bad enough to stop me, but they definitely affect my performance. I would have struggled with the inclines either way, so my rating would be the same, however we like transparency here.
Do you think you’d like to visit here? Already have? Let me know in the comments below!
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Be safe out there! REMEMBER YOUR MAPS AND PASSPORT STAMPS!! Seeyalaterbye <3
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