Crow Wing State Park, Minnesota

Like a few other Minnesota nature preserves, Crow Wing State Park was once an 1850s boom-town before the railroad decided not to put a depot there and the economy crumbled. Their loss, our huge gain! Because this park is downright gorgeous.

Full of history and remnants of the old village, you can hike along a trail that used to carry ox-cart traffic between the Twin Cities and the Red River settlements. Oak & pine forests are interspersed with confier bogs and wetlands, and even the most newbie canoers can take a stab at floating these calm waters where the Mississippi and Crow Wing Rivers meet. Hike to the picturesque Chippewa lookout for killer views up-river—lore has it that the Ojibwe tribe scouted from this very spot when they were at odds with the Dakotas for the Crow Wing territory.