Email: ... Grand oaks and delicate prairie flowers grace the rugged, rolling landscape of this park. The park also provides Geocache group activities throughout the year, so make sure to check out their events calendar to see when their next available date will be. 6959 Peller Ave S Hastings, MN 651- 436-5391 IMPORTANT! Introduce them to the magic of floating atop powdery snow on this family-friendly snowshoe tour of Afton State Park. What do frogs and toads do in the winter? Afton State Park Afton, MN • 50K, 25K. Afton House Inn and St. Croix River Cruises will help you plan your version of the perfect... (Wedding Venues Afton) One of the biggest challenges facing the St. Croix River is harmful blooms of algae in in the lower river, due to excess nutrients in runoff. Important Please Read! Pretty amazing! If this is not possible, SCRA has a limited number of snowshoes available that participants can borrow … Many parks offer rentals. Beginner loop is 2 1/2 miles long. St. Croix 360 is powered by a broad community of St. Croix River-loving people. Please visit our submission page to send tips, press releases, and other news. Monday, November 30th brings the Full Beaver Moon; it’s not clear if this moon takes its name from a high degree of beaver dam-building going on at this time of year, or from it being a good time to trap beavers to ensure a good … Frogs that spend most of their time on land, called “terrestrial frogs”, like the wood frog, are not good diggers and look for cracks and spaces in rocks and logs. The leaves are four to seven inches long, and are widest above the middle. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Hikes and Humanities - Afton State Park. Click here to learn more… Afton 4th of July Parade JULY. Grand oaks and delicate prairie flowers grace the rugged, rolling landscape of this park. Afton State Park volunteer Nina Manzi has been updating the phenology calendar in the visitor center with events and pictures for years. Before you go: Anyone age 16 or older must carry a signed ski pass when using groomed cross-country ski trails in state parks or state forests, or on state trails or grant-in-aid trails. Feb 16, 11:15 AM – 1:30 PM. The Swamp White Oak grows in moist soils along rivers and wetlands, and can live to be 150 to 200 years old! ... Held at Twin Cities area parks, these day-long events will include reflection time, conversations about selected readings, and moderately challenging hiking. More Info + … The rest of the trails are intermediate or advanced. COVID-19 Press Release 6/10/20 for the Afton Trail Run - The 2020 Afton Trail Run has been cancelled. Purchase a vehicle permit before you go and get a year of unlimited visits to all of Minnesota's state parks and recreation areas. To help increase awareness of the St. Croix River, news organizations and other outlets are free to share St. Croix 360 content, as long as you follow a few simple rules. For a time their hearts actually stop! The park offers visitors a swimming beach, backpack campsites and a visitor center with interpretive displays. Annual events include street dances (May, July & October), Afton's Strawberry Festival (June), Afton Fest (August) and Afton Art in the Park (September) and Holiday in the Village (December). ... are once again are requiring that all TCH participants wear masks from the start point through to the endpoint of each event. Social. Registration is CLOSED but you can register in-person at the event with cash or check. The visitor center offers a good place to get oriented to the trails and special features of the park… With 1,600-acres of forested ravines, rolling gr… DNR RESPONSE TO COVID-19: For details on adjustments to DNR services, visit this webpage.For information on the state’s response, visit … Grand oaks and delicate prairie flowers grace the rugged, rolling landscape of this park. Adult Member Registration. Tickets. The park’s trails plunge into deep ravines and climb up to ridge tops where you can overlook the St. Croix River Valley. The leaves eventually drop before the new leaves open up in the spring. Weddings at Afton Alps Nestled in the rolling hills & wooded landscapes of the St. Croix River Valley, you will find the perfect backdrop for your special occasion. 8/15/2020 8:00:00 AM. Click here to learn more… Afton Village Holiday DECEMBER. Click here to learn more… Afton Art in the Park SEPTEMBER. UPDATE - SAME LOCATION - NEW LEADER GEORGE VANIA WILL LEAD HIKE (BRING YAK TRAKS AND POLES) OR SKI (IF "CORN SNOW") Meet at 10:00 a.m. in the Visitors Center, 6959 Peller Avenue South, Hastings, MN 55033. Afton State Park Visitor Center, Afton State Park Trail, Hastings, MN 55033, USA. The scientific term for retaining dead leaves that are normally dropped is “marcescence”. But other birds who go farther north for the summer have come south to Afton for the winter! Afton State Park is a state park of Minnesota, USA, on the St. Croix River in Washington County.Its hiking trails offer views of the river, rolling glacial moraine, and bluffland it preserves.It is a popular place for birdwatching, picnics, camping, and other typical outdoor recreational activities.To deter overuse of a state park only … The forests combine … Nov. 22, Sun {A} Hike Afton State Park. It is an independent news source produced by Greg Seitz, with past support from the St. Croix River Association. For the nature-lover, marcescence in oaks means that you can still learn to distinguish oak trees from one another in the winter. Trails traverse remnant and restored prairies, wind down deep ravines and rise up … Most people don’t think twice about deer growing new antlers each fall then losing them in the winter. Find descriptions, dates, times and locations for free events, theatre, music, dance, stand-up comedy, art exhibits, history tours, film, author events, lectures, workshops, kid-friendly events, special events and more. It contains a combination of oak openings and woodlands. Afton House Inn and St. Croix River Cruises is a premier riverboat and restaurant wedding venue in Afton, Minnesota. I don't fish or ski and motorized boats that go any … The rugged, rolling landscape of this park provides excellent hiking and skiing opportunities with scenic overlooks of the St. Croix River. Website. Many conifers produce large numbers of cones one year and very few the next, which leads to a two-year cycle in which the red-breasted nuthatches come south to Afton (and other places) in one year but not so much in the next. If cost is a barrier, please contact Jessica Rust at jessica@mnhum.org before registering. Afton'sTown Square Park may be reserved for events. Situated in the St. Croix River Valley, Afton State Park is an easy 40-minute drive from the Twin Cities metro area. But they thaw out in the spring and come back to life. Frogs, unlike toads, actually freeze but have high levels of glucose in their vital organs which acts as an antifreeze and prevents ice from puncturing their cells. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. The Prairie Walk interpretive trail, oak savannas and wooded river valley offer an interesting contrast of wildlife habitats. Trails traverse remnant and restored prairies, wind down deep ravines and rise up to the grassy ridgetops and bluffs overlooking the scenic St. Croix River. By Nina Manzi | December 4, 2020 | 4 minute read. At Afton State Park, you and your family can get a GPS device from the camp store and start your treasure hunt. 9 million gallons of manure: Factory farm proposed near St. Croix tributary would make a lot of waste, Hudson group promotes possibility of new park at mouth of Willow River, River of Refuge: New book of St. Croix River essays now available, There’s a sailboat frozen in the St. Croix for the second year in a row, Bowfishing risk to St. Croix River could be reduced with reasonable rules, Reward offered to catch bald eagle poachers in St. Croix Valley, Scientists find dazzling diversity of aquatic insects in the St. Croix River, single digit overnight with fog rising off open water. Presented by ArtReach St. Croix at Afton State Park, Presented by St. Croix River Association at Afton State Park, Presented by Afton State Park at Afton State Park, Presented by ArtReach St. Croix and Afton State Park at Afton State Park, 651.351.1717 | info@discoverstillwater.com, © 2020 discoverstillwater.com | info@discoverstillwater.com | Join Monthly Travel Tips E-newsletter, ArtReach Mobile Art Gallery exhibit: Mending, "Every Bend in the River" Pop-up Exhibition at Afton State Park. Powdery snow on this family-friendly snowshoe tour of Afton State Park for 5! But you can still learn to distinguish oak trees from one another in the visitor center with events and for! Deciduous trees that are normally dropped is “marcescence” blog can not share posts by email Minnesota 's State and! Buck deer photos we will also be limiting newly posted events to a maximum of attendees... Snow on this family-friendly snowshoe tour of Afton State Park of all skill,! 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