Welcome back, friends! I want to share my first camping trip of the season with you! Glacial Lakes State Park. The weather wasn’t ideal, but my hiking buddy and I made the best of it. I’m glad I rented a cabin this time around. I haven’t done that before, so it was a new experience.
Park Information
Glacial Lakes State Park is located in Starbuck, MN at the transition point between the original Minnesota prairie lands and the hardwood forests. It’s said that only one-tenth of one percent of that prairie still remain and the park preserves a portion of it.
The area is made up of rolling hills created by glaciers and a vast prairie filled with wildflowers and prairie grasses. The presence of Signalness Lake creates a habitat that has marshlands, in addition to the prairie and woodlands. Because of the diversity, you can find wildlife from settings throughout the park.
If you’re looking to hike, there are 16 miles to explore. One half of a mile is self-guided, as well as five miles of paved bike trail, and 11 miles of equine trails. In the winter, you can cross-country ski on six miles of ungroomed trails, snowmobile on the 11 miles of trail, and snowshoe anywhere in the park.
Want to camp here? Well, you’re in luck. There are 37 drive-in, one pull though, 14 electric, and four backpack sites. The park also offers eight horse camps that can accommodate 45 people, a group camp site that can accommodate 50 people, and camper cabins. There are accessible showers and flush toilets (seasonally), vault toilets, and a dump station.
Glacial Lakes State Park also offers a picnic area and shelter, both accessible; lake access with a fishing pier, swimming area, and drive-in boat launch; ranger station; interpretive exhibit; naturalist programs; gift shop; firewood sales; and rentals–boat, canoe, kayak, and paddleboard.
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 Glacial Lakes State Park
Parking
I stayed at one of the campgrounds and hiked in that area. There is parking in a large gravel lot with lots of parking. Another lot is available near the other campground that is similar.
Bathrooms
In the area I was, there is a vault toilet and a cold water only modern bathroom.
Getting to the trail
My hiking buddy and I walked to the trailhead from the cabins. We followed the map and signs for the hiking club trail. It was a little tricky to find at first, but it’s clearly marked once you get there.
Trail Information
The High Peak Trail is an out and back trail that’s almost four miles in length and has nearly 300 feet of elevation. My hiking buddy and I did about half of the trail in almost two hours. Granted we did stop to rest and take in the sites. The trail started off as a narrow dirt incline through the trees and led us through the prairie, around the lake, and through the wetlands.
Given the diversity the trail goes through, the changes is terrain and elevation shouldn’t be much of a surprise. Overall, the trail was a dirt path but it was uneven with lots of roots and rocks to maneuver around. The inclines were steep in several areas and I utilized most of the benches we saw along the way. This one definitely wore me out and had my body sore.
The trail was difficult, but I did enjoy the views and wildflower hunting we did. I tasted a columbine for the first time. I’ll have to give it another shot when they’re in season. There were also few people around, which was cool. Given the day was so cold, it doesn’t surprise me though. Thankfully, my hiking buddy had an extra parka for me to use or I probably would have suffered.
My rating
This trail would fall into the hard category of my rating scale. The inclines alone not only had me huffing and puffing, but had my lower half nearly crying for help. My hiking buddy felt the same way. It is rated as a moderate trail, but even if I was in better working order, it would still be hard.
Camping Experience at Glacial Lakes State Park
I stayed here, in a cabin, for the entirety of my stay. That was a good call on my part because a week before I left it was going to be 80*F and when I got there it was 49*F. May weather in Minnesota can be like that though…at least there wasn’t snow. This is the first time I’ve rented a cabin at a state park and I would absolutely do it again. The heat alone made it worth it on a cold and rainy day.
Cabin Facts…
I rented the Esker cabin, which is one of the accessible ones. Like you can see in the photos, it’s located right off the parking lot and has a ramp to the door. The doors opened outward–the screen door could be a little tough to get open wide enough for a wheelchair. If someone could hold it open wide for you, it would be maneuverable. The cabin has a lot of room for getting around. The table and benches for sitting inside were movable, so more room could be made if needed.
If you’re wondering about the beds, the bottom bunk of one of the beds stuck out a little further, which would he helpful for transfers. The bottom bunks were not made for sitting up on, which was rough for me. None of the seating (unless on the top bunks) had back support. I managed, but I was definitely big shrimping. The mattresses were more comfortable than I anticipated. They were firm though, so definitely not for side sleeping. I found that one out the hard way.
The site also had a fire ring with grill and a picnic table. The table wasn’t the accessible style like at Whitewater, but the end of the table could be used.
Other thoughts about Glacial Lakes State Park
There is a vault toilet right by the cabin and the modern cold water flush toilets were nearby. While the toilets were accessible, getting to the modern bathroom building really isn’t. It was all grass and on an incline. There was no clear path and I struggled on the wet grass a time or two. The sinks were a little tricky too. I had to push down constantly for the water to run and it blasted out. Only one hand could be washed at a time.
The cabin I chose was further back, so we were alone for most of the weekend. It was quiet and I enjoyed it a lot. There is a hiking trail and lake access nearby, so it is busy and there are people around, but they didn’t bother us at the cabins.
Firewood is sold here. The cords are kind of small in my opinion, but one was enough to cook dinner for the night. Someone did stop by and offer to sell me firewood, but I declined due to the weather. I probably would have gotten a better deal though.
There is some cell service here, which was nice. I got some novel work done and got to listen to music.
Have you been to Glacial Lakes State Park? 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
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