Mille Lacs Kathio

Two weeks ago my boyfriend and I went camping in Minnesota's Mille Lacs Kathio State Park with our dog, Izzy. Located two hours north of the Twin Cities and about thirty minutes outside of  Brainerd, Kathio is conveniently located for a weekend excursion. We were there for a Thursday and Friday night in early May, when it can still be cold and rainy, so there weren't as many people as there might normally be in the full summer camping season, but the park has sizable campgrounds with numerous group and individual sites and has a large network of trails, so it can absorb a lot of people for its comparatively small size. However, if you, like us, want a more secluded experience, you definitely need to make reservations. There are only four hike-in "primitive" sites (pit toilet, fire grate, picnic table, and sand tent pad provided, so not the most primitive by the standards of other MN parks) and reservations are necessary to get the one you want. We wanted the Black Bass Lake site, which can be reached by trail or canoe, but it was not available both nights so we opted for the Glacial Ridge site, very pretty and on its own side loop trail unconnected to any other, so there was little chance of people wandering by.

The entire park stretches from the shore of Mille Lacs Lake, along a chain of smaller lakes, toward Onamie Lake, and is largely made up of marsh, bog, and other wetlands. it has upland trails, as well as paved trails for biking. Horses are also allowed in some areas and there is a designated lot for horse trailers. In the winter there is skiing and snowshoeing. We learned the hard way that trails marked for skiers but not labeled on the "summer" trail map are impassable when not covered with snow. We did see some beautiful wetland plants but were unable to get through to our destination and had to turn around. Fortunately the entire trail system in the park consists of interconnected loops and rings so it isn't hard to find a new path. Numbered intersection markers make it easy to navigate for those with less experience handling a map.

There are also a handful of historical and natural interpretive sites in the park. The historical ones trace human occupation from the first recorded inhabitants all the way through squatters in the 1920s. It is common to see Native American artifacts and sites (the area was an important source of wild rice) treated as important archeological data, including trash piles. It takes some mental adjustment to view evidence of more recent occupation such as foundations (some with concrete), evidence of gardens (lilacs), and modern trash (discarded steel and car parts), with the same amount of historical importance. As a former history major I a bit embarrassed to admit this, but I still found it odd at first. I completely understand, after all, we want to understand an area's entire history and all people's relationship with it (a relationship that is constant and ongoing and continues to be shaped even by the visitors and parks department that manages the sites), but even for someone trained in historical thought it takes a bit of prodding to recall that we are all still participants in, as well as observers of, both the historical and natural record. So, while it is odd being asked not to disturb old mufflers and cans you may encounter (please do disturb and dispose of modern ones), it serves as a reminder of our place and continuing role in the construction, meaning, and value of these places.

The park also has an observation tower that can be climbed in good weather. This is definitely worthwhile, but is not for those who have a fear of heights. It is about a hundred feet high and leads to an enclosed (with windows) observation platform big enough for a handful of people at a time. It allows for a survey of the entire park landscape, enabling the viewer to see the drainage of Mille Lacs Lake through the Rum River and the chain of lakes. In fall or early spring I imagine it is particularly stunning. Unfortunately it is possible to see the nearby casino, but that is only in one direction.

While there aren't any stunning vistas in the park, there is lots of natural beauty as well as a large number of wild flowers and wetland species.

Jack-in-the-Pulpit

Marsh Marigold

Yellow Trillium

Horsetail

A beaver lodge (didn't see the beaver)

Lake Maria

This post is very late but I'm finally getting around to it. Back in mid-October I went camping with my boyfriend and his dog up in Lake Maria State Park. It's only about an hour on I-94 from the Twin Cities and has a surprisingly large number of trails and campsites for a park its size (though most of the trails do pass by at least a few campsites so if it's busy expect to hear/see lots of people). It also has a number of interpretive programs and trails including geocaching (a GPS based program present in many MN parks). We went up at the height of fall colors but because of the high winds almost all the leaves had been stripped off the trees. Still, it is a very pretty park and a stop on one of the migratory flyways so it is a good location to see migratory birds in spring and fall. The campsites were well maintained and spacious (available by reservation or first-come basis). It also has cabins and group sites. While it has year-round programs, if you aren't a fan of winter camping it might not be the park for you because it is a decent drive out of the Cities for just a few hours, though definitely worth it.
A view of the wetlands.

There is a swan in the center of the frame

 Not one of the rare turtles that live there, but it was sitting right in the middle of the trail (and was very fast in getting away).

 

Izzy the Dog at our campsite.

Park Budgets

Today is the Summer Solstice and the official beginning of summer. Yes the "summer season" began for many a month ago with the observance of Memorial Day, but now there is no denying it. The arrival of summer means many things: barbecues, long days, gardens and fresh produce. It is also a time when many people leave the cities for the "natural" world, visiting state and national parks in great numbers. Yet this year, many people will find these trips either more difficult or impossible. Here in Minnesota we are only ten days away from a potential shutdown of the state government due to inability to pass a budget. This would force all parks to close as there would be no money for rangers, maintenance workers, or any of the other state funded workers necessary to make them work. While many parks do charge fees for admission, campsites, firewood, and other amenities, these are generally not enough to be self-sustaining (especially since the greater the attendance, the higher the costs of maintaining and patrolling the park).

Even states where there is no looming shutdown are cutting park services, raising fees, or even eliminating parks from their systems. While it is understandable in some respects, state budgets are tight and politicians are loath to do responsible things like raise taxes or cut wasteful spending (e.g. prisons, death penalty, foreign wars, agribusiness subsidies), it is still tragic that parks (and the environment generally) are among the first "luxury" items sacrificed in the name of austerity. It is incredibly shortsighted to shortchange protection given the massive value from environmental and ecosystem services. It is also a good way to permanently undermine support for parks and other environmental protection.

We did not always have public parks in this country. Indeed, many parks, going back to the European tradition, were private estates for landed gentry, royalty, and other wealthy and powerful elites. Places they could escape to, especially in the summer, to avoid the crowds, smells, and diseases of summer cities (remember, this was before modern plumbing). It wasn't until the late Nineteenth Century and conservationists like John Muir that the idea of parks for the sake of protecting something special and wild arose. Yet it would be a huge mistake to romanticize this view. Many people know that Muir was deeply involved in the protection granted to Yosemite Valley and that Yellowstone was the first national park in the history of the world. What many don't realize is that they were not established out of some noble or enlightened concern for nature and conservation. Yes, there were conservationists then (both in the modern sense and in the "Wise Use" vein), but there were also monopolists, railroads, and promoters that all saw parks as their next meal ticket. In fact, many parks were established largely to satisfy different railroad interests. The Great Northern had Glacier. The Southern Pacific had the Grand Canyon. Prior to the official formation of the National Park Service, many parks were de facto private entities, monopolized and run by a handful of concessionaires and railroads. Many were concerned that they would be turned into something as tacky and commodified as Niagara Falls.*

This changed with the establishment of the NPS, but ever since that day it has struggled with a dual mandate: to provide access for the public but also to preserve the natural, biological, and historical features that make parks special. In recent years the NPS has erred (rightly) more on the side of preservation for future generations, which increases the recreational burden on state park systems, many of which do not carry such mandates.This increase in traffic has often been met not with increased funding but with slashed budgets. It is not only the NPS that has a massive project backlog.

There is also a new trend toward treating park visitors and the public as "customers" and "consumers" of nature rather than as owners and stewards with a vested interest. This shift is easily seen in the New York Times article linked above on budget cuts. The state of Washington is about to shift to a subscription/membership based funding mechanism that completely eliminates all independent state revenue. While it remains to be seen if this is a viable strategy economically, it is quite dangerous from a policy and perception stand point. I don't want to get into the intricacies of wilderness theory and nature as inherently valuable or only as socially constructed but it is important to understand and emphasize that support for the idea of parks and nature is strongly correlated with the idea that there are a personal interest in and benefit from them. If parks are only supported by those who choose to support them, or are only accessible to those willing and able to pay ever rising admission fees, they will no longer belong to the people but will be more akin to the Gilded Age public in name only parks. As a planner for the Idaho Parks Department was quoted, after all of these shifts in funding, admission fees, and aggressive marketing to middle and upper class park "consumers," "In what way are they state parks anymore?" While I wish the article did more to develop the idea, it's a very good question, and an important one to think about, especially with the summer park season starting up. Are these for everyone or just a select few? Do we all own them and benefit from them or are they the exclusive escape of the privileged? No matter how you choose to use parks (camping, hunting, fishing, hiking, biking, canoeing, skiing, day tripping), you have an interest in the answer to these questions and it's worth thinking about the next time you hear about taxes, budgets, or new fees.

*This isn't filled with hyperlink citations at present, I might be able to set that up at some point, but many are to articles you can only access through an academic subscription. However, if you really care I can provide interested parties with a copy of a seminar paper I wrote a few years ago on the subject that is richly sourced.

Winter Camping

So, it's been a while, but I'm finally getting around to posting about some actual parks. Minnesota has a fantastic state park system and this past winter I visited three of them.

In November I went camping at Tettegouche state park on the North Shore of Lake Superior. Since it was hunting season, all parts of the park inland of Highway 61 were closed. The campsites, however, were open. We took a group site that was easily accessible from a parking lot. There were even carts available to load and transport gear in on well maintained and wide paths. In short, it was only a step more "rustic" than car camping. The site itself was gorgeous. Situated on a 20 foot cliff right on the lake there was a great view of the shoreline, which would have been better had it not been the weekend of the first winter storm of the year (being right on the lake we only got rain). It was nice being able to hear the waves breaking on the cliffs in the night, though as the storm grew in strength the wind became more of a problem, at one point almost taking down one of the tents. At times the waves were large enough to break and send spray up the cliff and well into the site. Still, quite a nice site. Proximity to the highway and other campsites might make for noise problems, especially in summer months when both are more heavily used, but we were the only people there that weekend. It would have been nice if the people in my group had been a bit more serious/less ridiculous/more prepared, but it was still an enjoyable time.

Due to the restrictions from hunting all of the hiking we did was actually in Gooseberry Falls which is located several miles south of Tettegouche. Again, large portions of it were off limits due to hunting, but a much larger area is on the lake side of the highway, providing more opportunity for activity. The day we were there it was raining sporadically, though not enough to keep us inside. The trails are fairly easy but still provide some nice views even in inclement weather. They also have a number of shelters and cabins that make it a good park for the elderly and parents with children to use. We tried to do the free geocaching exercise the visitor center had but it didn't seem to be working properly. Either the people I was with couldn't use the GPS properly or the coordinates were incorrect (or just entered improperly which would go back to improper use). Still, another activity that is good for families. Not even the weather and the waves could keep me from flying my kite though.

In February I went true winter camping with my boyfriend, Andrew, at Afton state park. The sites at Afton are about a mile in from the parking lot and reasonably well spaced from each other. In summer when all are occupied there is probably some crowding, but in winter it is easy to select one that is isolated from other groups (if any) that are present. We entered on snowshoes, not necessary on the walking trails but definitely required to get to and around the camping area. There are also many cross-country ski trails of varied difficulty levels that are heavily used. It is not the quietest park, and certainly not that dark either. It sits on the edge of the Twin Cities metro area and is right next to Afton Alps ski area. Lights from night skiing there as well as the sounds of lift operations cover most of the park, especially areas near the visitors center. At night (at least on winter weekends) there is a candlelight snowshoe/walking trail (most of the path is both, they do divide at one point) as well as free cider and hot chocolate at the center and a fire with marshmallows at the far point of the loop, donations are accepted but not required (and support for the parks is certainly a worthwhile cause).

Our site was nice, we picked one of the farthest ones that was shielded from the sights and sounds of the ski area. Unfortunately my stove pump was broken so we had to cook our dinner over a fire (starting it with dried grass and leaves) but there is firewood available. For a small fee you can have a wood permit and then cut your own at the central area of the campground. Andrew's tent was a little large for winter camping with only two people, but it got the job done. His new snow stakes also worked quite well though the snow might have been a bit too light for optimal performance. Afton is located about 40 minutes from the Twin Cities so it is easily accessible for day/evening trips as well as overnight excursions.