Friday
8/8–8/10 Annual Game Fair
Hunting dogs, shooting sports, 300 outdoor exhibits
Location: Anoka
8/8 Geocaching 101
4 p.m.
Location: Minneopa State Park
8/8 Raptors of St. Croix
5 – 6 p.m.
Location: St. Croix State Park
8/8 Tree Rings
6 – 6:30 p.m.
Meet at historic lodge. Speaker Master Naturalist Chuck Stenson will present.
Location: Scenic State Park
8/8 Concert in the Park: Teri Bocklund
6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Location: Gooseberry Falls State Park
8/8 I can Fish Fridays—Kids in the Park
6:30 – 8 p.m. (Age 6–12, must have adult present)
Meet at Douglas Lodge
Location: Itasca State Park
8/8 American Bison
7 p.m.
Location: Minneopa State Park
8/8 Kid Educational Activity: Making Animal Tracks
7 p.m.
Location: Father Hennepin State Park
8/8 Owl & Raptor Presentation
7:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Location: William O’Brien State Park
8/8 Flooding of 2012, Video/Presentation
8 – 9 p.m.
Get an inside look at what has happened beyond the barricades. Meet at River Inn Int. Center.
Location: Jay Cooke State Park
8/8 Discover Your Spidy Sense
8:30 – 9:30 p.m.
Educational program at ampitheater.
Location: Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park
8/8 Nigh Sky in the Park
8:30 – 10 p.m.
Location: Lake Maria State Park
8/8 Full Moon Hike
8 – 9 p.m.
Location: Whitewater State Park
8/8 Campire Stories: Animal Folklore
8 – 9 p.m.
Location: Wild River State Park
Saturday 8/9
8/9–8/24 August Canada Goose Hunt within Intensive Harvest Zone
8/9 Women’s Fishing 101
9 – 11 a.m. pre-register required: 612-279-3550 or stop by Visitor Center (no fishin license required)
Location: Fort Snelling State Park
8/9 Fishing 101
9–11 a.m. (park sticker on car required)
Learn fish i.d., casting techniques, and then fish!
Location: Fort Snelling State Park
Also: Kids Fishing Clinic 1–3 p.m. William O’Brien State Park
8/9 Family Canoeing Educational Program
9 – 11 a.m., $5 (Ages 8+)
Location: Cedar Lake Farm Regional Park (New Prague)
8/9 Insects in Nature
10 a.m. Educational
Location: Lake Carlos State Park
8/9 Ferns
10 – noon
Location: Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park
8/9 Junior Naturalist: Water Scientists
10 – 11 a.m.
Perform simple water tests and discover how healthy the St. Croix River is.
Location: Interstate State Park
8/9 Got Milkweed? Monarch Joint Venture
10 a.m.– noon
Program presentation and info./resource sharing.
Location: Lac Qui Parle State Park
8/9 Nature Bracelets
10 – 11 a.m., fashion with natural fibers
Location: Whitewater State Park
8/9 I Can Fish! Hands-on Education
10 a.m.–noon (MN residents don’t need fishin license)
Location: Father Hennepin State Park
8/9 Food from the Forest
10:30 – 11:30 a.m., 1/2-mile trail walk
Location: Mille Lacs Kathio State Park
8/9 Basswood Bracelets
10:30 – 11:30
Location: Jay Cooke State Park
8/9 Nature Hike
10 – 11 a.m., 1 hour
Location: Frotenac State Park
8/9 Dr. Roberts Trail Hike
10:30 – 11:30
Meet outside Douglas Lodge, short walk
Location: Itasca State Park
8/9 Intro to Deer Hunting
noon – 5 p.m.
Adults + Families (Ages 10+), $10 or $15/family
Location: Forest Lake Sportsman’s Club
8/9 Furs n Skulls — yea!
1 – 2 p.m.
Location: Bear Head Lake State Park
8/9 Stories in Stone
1 –2 p.m.
Location: Jay Cooke
8/9 Geocaching n S’mores
1 – 3 p.m.
Learn the basics to geocaching while seeking out the goods to make s’mores
Location: Cleary Lake Regional Park
8/9 Archery in the Park
Stop by anytime 10 a.m. til 2 p.m.
Location: Zippel Bay State Park
Also: 10–11:30 a.m. Sibley State Park; and noon – 2 p.m Whitetwater State Park; and 4:30 – 7 p.m. Bear Head Lake State Park
8/9 Plants of the Park: Gooseberry
noon – 1 p.m.
Casual hike with park naturalist.
Location: Gooseberry Fall State Park
8/9 Historic Quarry Hike
12:30 – 2:30 p.m.
Location: Banning State Park
8/9 Frogs
1 – 2:30
Visit with a naturalist to learn all about frogs.
Location: Father Hennepin State Park
8/9 Carve A Walking Stick
2 – 3 p.m., DIY make your own to take home
Location: Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park
8/9 Reptiles
2 p.m.
Location: Lake Carlos State Park
8/9 Loons
2 – 2:30 p.m.
Educational program, PowerPoint talk
Location: Sibley State Park
8/9 Minnow Races
2 – 3:30 p.m.
Meet at Swim beach. Kids of all ages welcome. Explore, craft, have fun.
Location: Itasca State Park
8/9 Digital Nature Photography for Kids
2 p.m. (Age 8+), sign-up in park office required
Cameras provided or bring your own. Kids photograph and can bring home prints.
Location: Flandrau State Park (meet at playground)
8/9 Shaping the North Stat State
2 – 4 p.m.
Location: Fort Ridgely State Park
8/9 Skink Hide n Seek
3 – 4 p.m.
What’s a skink?! Come find out!
Location: Interstate State Park
8/9 Kids Educational Program: Turtles
3 – 4 p.m.
Location: Moose Lake State Park
8/9 Build a Birdhouse
3 – 4 p.m., $5 (for supplies)
Location: Big Bog State Park
8/9 Fossil Field Trip
3 – 5 p.m.
Location: Whitewater State Park
8/9 River Fish Presentation
4 p.m.
Location: Flandrau State Park (meet at playground)
8/9 Voyageur Life
5 – 6 p.m.
Meet a naturalist to learn what life was like in the region for fur traders 200 years ago.
Location: St. Croix State Park
8/9 Wild Edibles Presentation
7 p.m.
Location: Flandrau State Park (Meet at playground near swimming pond)
8/9 White-tailed Deer Campfire Stories
7 p.m.
Location: Lake Carlos State Park
8/9 Pie-Iron Campfire Cookin
7:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Location: Itasca State Park
8/9 Evening Exploration
8 – 9 p.m. easy hike
Location: Interstate State Park
8/9 Fur Post is Open!
7:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Learn about the fur trade era, interactive activities and campfire.
Location: Wild River State Park
8/9 Full Moon Accessible Stroll
8:30 p.m.
Guided stroll with naturalist on paved trails.
Location: Gooseberry Falls State Park
8/9 Star Party!
7 – 10:30 p.m.
Witness the Perseid Meteor Shower, make a Star Chart to take home, and more.
Location: William O’Brien State Park
8/9 Perseid Meteor Shower
8:30 – 10 p.m.
Location: Whitewater State Park
8/9 6th Annual Perseid Meteor Shower Party
8:30 p.m.
First treat at sunset over Lake of the Woods.
Location: Zippel Bay State Park
8/9 Moonlight Night Owl Walk
8:30 – 9:30 p.m.
Location: Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park
8/9 Full Sturgeon-Moon Hike
9 p.m.
Location: Gooseberry Falls State Park
8/9 Star Watch
10 – 10:30 p.m., bring a lawn chair (or not, whatev)
Location: Lac Qui Parle State Park
Sunday 8/10
8/10 Bird Banding Demo
12:30 – 2 p.m.
With Master Bird Bander Greg Munson
Location: Whitewater State Park
8/10 Music Under the Pines
7 – 9 p.m.
Location: Itasca State Park
8/10 Trout Fishing
10:30 – noon
Location: Whitewater State Park
8/10 Wokiksuye ka Woyuonihan: Remembering and Honoring Dakota People
11 a.m. – noon, visitor center
Location: Fort Snelling State Park
8/10 Fishing at the Sandbar
1 – 3 p.m., Rods, reels n bait provided!
Location: Wild River State Park
8/10 Moose
7 – 8 p.m.
Location: Gooseberry Falls
8/10 Geocaching 101
2 – 3 p.m.
Buffalo River State Park
For more listings, visit the DNR calendar.
$$$ Fee Events $$$
8/9
Intro to Deer Hunting
noon–5 p.m., adults + families (must be 10+)
Learn the basics to archery, rifle, shotgun, tree stand safety, tracking, regulations, and how to find hunting land.
Location: Forest Lake Sportsman’s Club (Forest Lake)
8/9
Geocaching n S’mores
1–3 p.m., $8, register 763-559-6700
Learn the basics while searching for the sweet stuff to make s’mores.
Location: Cleary Lake Regional Park (Prior Lake)
8/9
Family Basic Canoeing Lesson
9–11 a.m., $5
Location: Cedar Lake Farm Regional Park (New Prague)
8/8–8/10
Women’s Camping & Biking Weekend
$85, must pre-register: 888-646-6367
Location: Jay Cooke State Park
8/16–8/17
Moms & Daughters Firearm Safety Certification – FULL
9–5 both days, $15
Class is full at time of this posting so call 218-999-7949 for potential cancellations/sign-up
Location: Grand Rapids
8/23 Family Kayacking
3–5 p.m., $20 (Age 8+)
For beginners. Learn how to be safe, have fun, proper paddling techniques. Equipment provided.
Location: French Regional Park
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