Minnesota state parks offer real-life adventure

Gooseberry offers new interactive exhibits and mobile app

BY ALISON STUCKE

Real-life adventures await children this summer in Minnesota’s fabulous state parks. The state has 66 state parks, and many of them are close enough to the Duluth-Superior area for a family to make a round-trip visit in one day. There will be time to check out the park, have an adventure or two, and even share a picnic. At least two of these parks, Gooseberry Falls and Jay

Cooke state parks, are less than an hour’s drive from the Twin Ports.

Each park is overflowing with beautiful scenery, amazing nature and wildlife, opportunities to learn new outdoor skills, and fun activities for the whole family, including hiking, fishing, camping, swimming, picnic areas, geocaching, birding and more.

State parks are a great value, offering affordable family fun. A vehicle permit is required to enter the parks: cost is $7 per day or $35 for an annual pass. Many programs offered by the parks are free.

Many state parks offer year-round camping. At Jay Cooke, guests can spend the night in a rustic cabin. Many cabins include electric heat, electricity and a porch. Some are wheelchair accessible. Cabins can accommodate five to six people. Online reservations can be made at reservemn.usedirect. com/MinnesotaWeb/.

The “I Can!” programs of the Minnesota state parks and trails hands-on instruction in outdoor skills for beginners from experienced staff members. Activities include fishing, climbing, archery, canoeing and more. Gear is provided. These programs are designed for families to try any or all activities for the first time. Cost are low, making the program highly accessible. See dnr.state.mn.us/ state_parks/ican/index.html for more information.

Gooseberry Falls State Park, 13 miles northeast of Two Harbors, is a popular day-trip destination.

“Gooseberry Falls State Park is a park for multiple generations,” said Carolyn Rock, park naturalist. “Visitors of all ages enjoy visiting the park, hiking the trails and relaxing by the falls. There are over 13 miles of trails from short and level, perfect for strollers, to long and hilly for the more adventurous. The park main activity area is spread between the falls to Lake Superior, making it a place for everyone to visit. Families can enjoy a picnic on the Picnic Flow, hiking Gitchi Gummi Trail, biking the Gitchi Gami State Trail, or attending a naturalist program.”

Interactive Exhibits And Gooseberry Falls Go Mobile App

New interactive exhibits installed in the visitors’ center at Gooseberry were designed with the next generation in mind, as was the new Gooseberry Falls Go mobile app.

Touching is expected and encouraged at the new exhibits. Visitors can touch a topographic map table to get oriented to the park. They can slide a lever to see how dramatically the color and volume of water in the waterfalls can change, and they can touch the rocks in the geology exhibit, Rock explained.

Taking photos is encouraged, and park staff expect the wolf diorama at the entrance to the exhibits to be a popular backdrop for selfies.

“The exhibit also highlights the Gooseberry River’s watershed, providing a sense of place and greater understanding the role watersheds play in our lives,” Rock said. “Once visitors have seen the exhibits, they can then continue learning out on the trails with the companion Gooseberry Falls Go app.”

The app, available free from Apple and Android app stores, connects key elements in the exhibits to actual examples within the park. It uses a “GeoAlert” function to notify hikers with sound or vibration as they approach points of interest, such as rock formations and historic sites, along various routes within the park. For example:

• The one-mile CCC Camp Route explores park history and has hikers imagine what life was like for the members of the Civilian Conservation Corps, who built the park between 1934-41.

• The two-mile Gitchi Gummi Route highlights the great views of Lake Superior and diverse habitats (i.e. for a nesting colony of gulls) on the park’s oldest trail.

• Shorter routes for kids include tree and rock identification activities.

• The Gooseberry Stroll route is wide, paved and accessible. “Once you download the Gooseberry Falls Go app to your smartphone, you can take the interpretive route of your choice, and you can go at your own pace,” Rock said. “The app will help you notice things you might not otherwise have noticed.” — MDT

Alison Stucke is a Duluth freelance writer and frequent contributor to Moms & Dads Today.

BOB KING / DULUTH NEWS TRIBUNE

Make this the summer of the state park! Get your family outside for some real-life adventure. Make it a point this summer to visit one or more of the Minnesota state parks. See dnr. state.mn.us/state_parks/starter_kit/ index.html for Minnesota state parks’ Summer Activities Guide.

Nature Play

11a.m.-noon, July 22; Aug. 5, 19

Come get your hands dirty in the fun of nature! Mud art, boat races and other topics that will allow you to play in nature. Be prepared to get dirty.

Gooseberry: River of Life

2:30-4 p.m., July 21; Aug. 4

They’re creepy! They’re crawling! They’re very important. Come join the naturalist as we get our hands and feet wet exploring the marvelous life in the Gooseberry River. Identify some common critters that call the river home. Discover the reason why having these creepy crawlies is a good thing and why the river is very important.

Signs of Bigfoot

8-9 p.m., Aug. 4

Animals leave behind clues that can tell us a great deal about the animal. Come and explore the park in a unique and interactive way that allows you to gather information about the hidden creatures of Gooseberry Falls. Try your luck in an inquiry-based hunt for the elusive Bigfoot and see what you can learn about this legendary creature.

See dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/ events.html?location=spk00172 for more information.