MN Nature in St Paul, MN, provides FREE outdoor activities year-round. Many are family-friendly nature activities. Most are outdoors, so Dress for the weather! Events at state parks will require a state park permit on your vehicle (daily and annual passes for sale upon entrance into park). Enjoy winter in Minnesota!
02/11/18
Leafless Trees
1-2 PM Join the naturalist for a hike on the park’s trails and learn how to identify the many different species of trees native to the area–with leaves!
Fort Snelling State Park (meet at the Thomas C. Savage Visitor Center)
02/13/18
Circle Time Under the Pines: F is for Fancy Feet
10:30-11:30 AM Children 2-5 years old, come explore and have fun at Itasca as we learn about nature through stories, songs, crafts, and outdoor discovery. Bring your winter outdoor clothes (including snowpants and boots). Weather permitting, part of the program will be exploring the outdoors.NOTE: Adults must accompany children. Consider bringing a picnic lunch and enjoying your noon meal around the fireplace in the visitor center lobby after the program.
Itasca State Park
02/14/18 — Show Your Love For NATURE! Happy Valentine’s Day.
H.O.P. Into the Park: Healthy Older People
10-Noon. Adults only! “Healthy Older People” is a mid-week program each month that provides opportunities to socialize and learn about the natural world. Each month we welcome a new speaker to share about interesting topics in the blufflands region. Don’t get cabin fever; HOP into the park!
Whitewater State Park
02/17/18 – 02/18/18
Winter Camping Workshop
9-3 So, why do Minnesotans love winter camping? No bugs! No poisonous plants! Lots of fun! Join the Tettegouche State Park Naturalist and other staff for a one-day workshop that covers everything you need to know about winter camping. We will build a traditional quinzhee (an insulated snowcave good for sleeping). Also covered will be topics such as cooking outdoors in the snow, tricks for staying dry and warm in the winter, and methods for transporting gear through the snow. articipants who CHOOSE to do so will be able to sleep in the constructed quinzhees and try out the skills they have just learned. Come for just a day of winter fun and learning, or make a weekend out of it. You choose. Please register by calling the Park Naturalist at 218 353.8809 or emailing kurt.mead@state.mn.us
Tettegouche State Park
Women in the Parks: Snowshoeing Basics
Burn a few extra calories and learn about an ancient mode of transportation. Equipment provided and registration required. Dress for the weather, wear sturdy winter boots and meet at the Visitor Center. Registration required, call 612-725-2724 or email krista.jensen@state.mn.us.
Fort Snelling State Park
Snowshoeing Basics – Program Full
1:30-3 Burn a few extra calories and learn about an ancient mode of transportation. Equipment provided. Registration required. Wear sturdy boots.
Fort Snelling State Park (meet at the Visitor Center)
Snowshoeing to the Stars
7-8:30 PM Join us for a snowshoe trek to see and learn about the stars of the winter sky. Snowshoes and an introductory snowshoeing lesson are provided. Registration is required and is limited to the first 25 people. To register, call 320-532-3269 and leave your name, phone number and number of people attending. Meet at the Interpretive Center.
Mille Lacs Kathio State Park
Snowshoe Saturdays
12-2 Join a park naturalist each Saturday in February to explore the park by snowshoe. This is the time of year that we can go off trail and see some unique areas of the park. Bring your own snowshoes or borrow ours! Please call ahead if you plan to bring a large group.
Whitewater State Park
Winter Encounters Snowshoe Hike
1-2:30 Join us on these snowshoe hikes to discover the park in winter. After some “how to snowshoe” basics, we’ll head out on the trail to see what we encounter in the woods or along the river. Child and adult snowshoes are available. Please call ahead to reserve a pair at (218) 673-7005. Meet at the River Inn Interpretive Center.
Jay Cooke State Park
Snowshoe Adventure
1-3 PM Snowshoe a mile along the Old Caribou Camp Trail or the Marsh Vista Trail. Look for tracks and signs left by the winter animals. Listen for the birds that make their home in the Big Bog. Return to the picnic shelter for a fire and hot chocolate. Meet at the North Unit parking lot. A limited number of snowshoes will be available for free checkout. Vehicle permit required.
Big Bog State Recreation Are
Gooseberry Falls State Park Candlelight Event
6-8:30 Join us for a special evening at Gooseberry Falls State Park on Saturday, February 17th from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. Candle luminaries guide visitors on several miles of ski, snowshoe and hiking trails. Begin at the Visitor Center and follow the glowing luminaries to the along the trail. A bonfire and marshmallows await visitors at Lady Slipper Amphitheater. Hot beverages and snacks are available at the Visitor Center
Gooseberry Falls State Park
02/17/18
Snowshoe along the St. Croix
1-2:30 Join the Naturalist for a leisurely walk along the St. Croix River on snowshoes. Designed for ages 8 and up; we’ll explore a different topic each time on this 1-mile trek. Registration required by calling 651-583-2125 x 227. Program and snowshoe use is free – limited to 30 people. Cancelled if wind chill is below -15. If snow depth is inadequate, this will become a walk without snowshoes. Meet at the Visitor Center.
Wild River State Park
Family Snowshoe Hike: Wildlife Survivor
1-2:30 Learn about the techniques animals use to deal with cold MN winters. A talk and how-to-snowshoe lesson will be followed by a 1/2-mile snowshoe hike. We have provided snowshoes that fit kids from age 4 to large adults. Registration is required and limited. To register, call 320-532-3269 and leave your name, phone number and number of people attending. If conditions are poor, participants will walk instead of snowshoe. Meet at the Interpretive Center.
Mille Lacs Kathio State Park
Ice Fishing Frenzy
1-3 This program is designed around ice fishing basics. Have you always wanted to try going ice fishing? Or maybe you just want to walkout on a frozen lake. Either way, come out to the park and enjoy an afternoon on Mountain Lake. We will look at ice fishing equipment and techniques, while trying to catch a fish through the ice. We will be fishing outside, so dress for the weather! Our target species will be northern pike, sunfish, crappies, and perch. Please feel free to bring your own equipment and bait, as we will provide this, but have only limited quantities. Call Lake Carlos State Park at (320)852-7200 to register for this event. This program has a minimum of 12 participants and a maximum of 30 participants. *Important* MN residents do not need a fishing license to fish in the State Park. Those requiring a valid fishing license, please remember to have it during the program. Refer to the Fishing Regulations book for rules and regulations regarding licenses.
Glacial Lakes State Park
Antique & Vintage Snowmobile Show
11-11:30 Come to the Big Bog Visitor Center to enjoy cocoa and the classics! The Donald Nelson family will again make a stop at the park during their annual tour of Waskish. Complete with snowmobile suits, boots and helmets to match their machines, the family will remind you of fun trips from days gone by, including the break-downs!
Big Bog State Recreation Area
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