[Guest Post] Naturally Active – Walking Through Time at Bend in the River Regional Park

This is a guest post by Ellen Heneghan.  Ellen is a Master Naturalist who loves to hike, bird, camp and canoe. Every morning but Sunday, you will find her walking for an hour in her neighborhood with a group of her friends.

 

Have you ever wondered what early settlers saw when they first came to Minnesota? I captured this feeling recently while exploring the restored prairie and oak savanna in Bend in the River Regional Park. Walking the trail through the prairie and down the bluff to the Mississippi River, I imagined that the views I saw were similar to those experienced 100 years ago.  Wandering through the historic farmstead reminded me of times gone by and landscapes and activities that were part of everyday life for earlier generations.

Spending time in natural parks like this gives me a chance to be physically active while also discovering the wonders of nature.  I love being active outdoors looking at plants, flowers, trees and birds and anything else I may find. And one of the things I like best about being outside is that you never know for sure what you may see. One day it may be a tree frog, another time a beautiful prairie flower. I never get tired of discovering what may be around the next bend in the trail.

Would you like to explore natural parks in the St Cloud area, but you don’t know where they are or what to do there?  In future months, members of the Natural Parks and Trails Coalition will write about natural parks in our area.  We’ll talk about where they are and the activities you might enjoy in each – whether you go alone or with family or friends.

We’ll focus on what’s happening in the season we are in – what plants are out, what birds and animals you might see, what trails you can hike and anything else that we find interesting in the natural world around us. We hope that our enthusiasm and love for natural areas will get you excited about exploring these special places and you’ll find time to get out and actively enjoy the natural wonders of Central Minnesota!

Enjoy the outdoors!
Ellen Heneghan

For more information about Bend in the River  Regional Park and to see more photos, go to the Benton County Parks Department website.  Photo’s courtesy of the author.