Park Highlight: Lake Maria State Park
Before you say "Adios" to summer, you might take one last family adventure to explore a Minnesota State Park or Trail. Lake Maria State Park near Monticello is a short drive from the Twin Cities and offers visitors a glimpse of one of the few remaining stands of the "Big Woods," a maple, oak and basswood forest that once covered part of southern Minnesota. The park is perfect for hikers, backpackers, horseback riders, and cross-country skiers who enjoy the challenge of the rolling terrain. Take a stroll on the boardwalk which winds through a marsh.
Backpack sites, located on remote lakes and ponds throughout the park, are one to two miles from the trailhead parking. New log camper cabins, located near lakes and ponds, provide bunk beds for six people and a table and benches for campers who want more of the creature comforts.
 The List: Day Trips from the Twin Cities
Like Lake Maria State Park, there are several locations close enough to the Twin Cities to make for easy day trip getaways.
For example:
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Fort Snelling State Park is located in the heart of the Twin Cities where the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers join together in St. Paul.
- Located 30 minutes east of St. Paul is Afton State Park where you can find a swimming beach and a variety of trails and naturalist-led activities.
- Get up close to the St. Croix River, Lake Alice and majestic 100-year old pine trees as you explore the 1.5 mile Riverside Trail at William O'Brien State Park, a short drive north of Stillwater.
- Dust off your bicycle and try pedaling one of the many state trails located throughout the Metro Area including the Luce Line, Minnesota Valley and the Gateway State Trails.
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 Find more information on day trips and example itineraries.
Game Time: Outdoors in Every Language
Encourage your family to love the outdoors by exploring a variety of activities and finding ones that you enjoy together!
Below is an outdoor action word to share with young children and non-native English speakers to build new literacy skills and to experience the joy of connecting with nature.
This month's outdoor action word is "balance." With your child, explore your yard, neighborhood or nearby park for logs, boulders or uneven ground to practice balancing. At home you can make your own obstacle course with pieces of rope, cardboard or by drawing objects with chalk on the sidewalk. Try walking on the objects and take turns timing yourselves to see who can complete the course the fastest!
An
excerpt from “Let’s Play Outside! 50 Ways to Connect Kids with Nature,” a
project of the 2014
Collaborative Leadership Fellows Program, Rochester, MN.
 Traveler Tip: Don't Just Bring It; Wear Your Life Jacket!
It's not a myth; life jackets save lives. Life jackets only work when they are worn, and they do not take the place of adult supervision!
Did you know:
- A life jacket is a U.S. Coast Guard approved
device that helps the wearer float if they enter the water.
- A legal measure that went into effect in 2005,
requires children under age ten to wear a life jacket while boating in
Minnesota when the craft is under way. "Under way" is a nautical term and means moving under control and not tied to a dock or permanent mooring.
- A child should wear a life jacket anytime they
are near water such as in a boat or float tube as well as on docks and river
banks and at the beach when allowed by the life guard.
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Contrary to many TV shows and the movies,
drowning is usually silent. A victim (of any age) in the process of drowning
can NOT cry out for help. They just bob up and down in the water, their head
tipped back, mouth wide open gasping for air, and they are silent. It takes as
little as 30 - 45 seconds for a child non-swimmer and it usually happens when
an adult is nearby but doesn't recognize the telltale signs of a child in
distress in the water.
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 Find more information about life jackets including tips for purchasing life jackets for kids.
 Discover: Ruby-throated Hummingbirds
During the month of August, the Ruby-throated hummingbirds, the only hummingbird species found in Minnesota, will begin to gather around sugar water (nectar) feeders in yards. These birds will become more numerous at feeding stations because the newly fledged young along with migrants from up north will begin to gather as they prepare for their long migration across the Gulf of Mexico to Central America.
You can assist Ruby-throated hummingbirds as they prepare for migration by setting up hummingbird feeders or by planting tubular native flowers such as cardinal flower and bee balm. Make sure to change the water in nectar feeders before it grows cloudy or discolored and remember that during hot weather, sugar water ferments rapidly to produce toxic alcohol.
Visit a nearby park or nature center to observe hummingbirds fueling up for their long journey. Many Minnesota State Parks have bird feeding stations that provide an array of feeders and attract a variety of birds.
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Learn more about the amazing migration of the Ruby-throated hummingbird.
Meet the Field Staff
Get to know the staff behind the scenes at Minnesota state parks and trails. These friendly faces are here to help you and to ensure that you have a great experience and make memories to last a life time!
Sara Holger has been working at Whitewater State Park as an Interpretive Naturalist since 2006. Ever since she was a child, Sara has enjoyed fishing, collecting rocks and watching the birds. As a naturalist, she appreciates the changing seasons and the different programs she is able to offer throughout the year. Sara also enjoys helping with resource management projects like seed collecting, prescribed fire and surveying for timber rattlesnakes in the blufflands of southeast Minnesota.
Sara hopes to encourage other girls who enjoy being outdoors to pursue studies in natural resources.
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 Learn more about becoming a naturalist.
 August Events
If you visit the Minnesota State
Fair during August 23 – September 3, 2018, stop by the Department of Natural Resources building. Visitors can explore the many ways public lands and
Minnesota’s natural resources are important to us, featuring interactive nature
and outdoor exhibits, live animals and a variety of music and entertainment –
all free! Check out the on-line schedule of events!
There's plenty of time to plan one last outdoor adventure before the kids head
back to school! A variety of family activities will be offered at Minnesota state parks and trails throughout the month of August.
Check out some of the programs coming up!
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Find more programs and events.
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