Flandrau State Park – New Ulm, MN 07/12/2020

COVID-19 Perspective:  We saw a few people on the trail but were able to distance ourselves without much trouble. 

Kid Perspective:

• Running Wild – Definitely let them run wild and free.  No safety concerns and the lack of people left us confident with them tearing on ahead.
• The Trail – We did the Hiking Club Loop, adding in a quick spur to an overlook.  The trail was a nice mixture of packed dirt and grassy fields.  We did cross the road a few times and walked along the sandy manmade beach (beach does not have any water due to COVID-19).
• Trail Conditions – One area had a TON of mud but beyond that nothing to note.
• Bugs and Pests – The mosquitoes were pretty thick but with bug spray they bothered us far less.  We’ve definitely encountered worse.
• Plants – Nothing of concern.
• Bathrooms – There was one bathroom located off of the main parking area which provides access to the beach.
• Cell Service – No issues

Trail Information:

• Length – 3.07 miles
• Moving Time – 01:40:13
• Elevation Gain – 111 ft.
• Difficulty – Easy

Highlights:

• Combo – The mud!!
• Biff – Talking to the people on the trail!
• Blaze – Using the water fountain to cool the kids off!
• Ripper – We got the password finally!

We visited Flandrau this past winter but the Hiking Club trail was closed to hikers so we decided to make another quick trip to check that one off our list.  We are starting to run out of passwords and most of the parks are getting to be quite the distance from our home, so we thought this would be as good of time as any to grab it.  We parked in the parking lot next to the RV Sanitation Station, to avoid people at the main parking area.

Almost immediately we encountered a spur trail to an overlook and decided to seize the day and add that to our journey.  While deciding whether or not to give it a go, we also paused to apply bug spray because the little biters were getting us good.  The spur trail to the overlook had several steps leading us up but they were not too bad.  We encountered one group and decided to walk the spur loop in the opposite direction to avoid coming in direct contact with them.  We also saw a house near the trail and the kids actually asked if we could go in!  Sorry buddies, someone actually lives there.  If you have the time, I would recommend the short spur because you are treated some pretty cool views.

Back onto the woodland trail we chatted about all the snacks that we wanted to bring with us to Montana, yep somehow conversations always come back to food and Montana.  I guess you know what is on our minds!  Just before we crossed the road we came upon a patch of super slippery mud.  Combo said she felt like she was skating across it and I would have to agree.  After crossing the road, we were surrounded by flowers and boy oh boy did Biff want to pick some.  Here we also encountered a couple hiking and Biff stopped to warn them about the mud and they said “Thanks little buddy”.  He was pretty proud of this.

Eventually the Woodland Trail meets up with the River Trail which we had hiked this past winter and remembered pretty scenery, so we seized the day again and went for it.  There is a short detour here, which we followed, and then climbed the stairs up to the overlook.  At this time of year, there is not much to see from the overlook due to the vegetation growth but it was worth a shot.  Onward and outward!

Next you will follow the river on the Cottonwood Trail, alongside the parking lot and picnic area.  There are several picnic tables set up along the river which would make for a nice place to stop for lunch, but the parking lot kind of took away from picnic vibe.

I’ve been told that the beach here is pretty awesome and we should bring our kids but alas it was closed.  We strolled around the beach and found a water fountain which was more like a sprinkler.  The kids enjoyed running through the cold water on the hot day.

Once around the lake we rejoined the Cottonwood Trail and walked to a river overlook.  This was quite pretty and a nice place to stop to take in the scenery.  Unfortunately, this is also when the bugs started to pick up again, so more bug-spray it was.  We were going to be stinky (did I mention it was HOT) and sticky little hikers by the end.

The Cottonwood Trail gave way to the Oxbow Trail and we saw the hikers that Biff had previously warned of the mud.  Of course, he had to stop to find out if they had found the mud and he was met with a resounding “yes” and another “thanks little buddy”.  Beaming with pride, he continued on with an extra bounce to his step.  This is the hiking community that I love.  People looking out for one another and adults taking the time to make sure that kids feel important and appreciated.  Whoever you, thank you, your kind words meant the world to our son.

As can be expected, with staying home all the time and stuck around one another constantly, while I work from home, the kids have taken to fighting like cats and dogs and this weekend was no different.  If I am going to be honest with myself, it was torture for me, ugh the incessant arguing, name calling, pushing, etc.  But somehow, the trail worked it’s magic yet again and they were actually getting along and if I am brave, I might just say that they were enjoying their time together.  Combo was taking care of Biff and he was relishing in the moment.

Soon the trees broke and we were in a valley of sorts with trees towering around us on all sides.  It was super-hot here and the sun beat down on us relentlessly so we did not stop for long but if the weather had been a bit cooler, I could see this as a nice place to stop for lunch or a snack.  We also found the password here (hint hint) and decided that the kids would need to start carrying their own water to prepare for the longer treks in Montana.  They were not too thrilled about this idea until we told them that they would be able to stash some goodies in their packs.

We took the Ridge Trail back to our car and this was my favorite portion of the hike.  The trail was narrow and wound up and down and in and out of the trees to the ridge.  Now this is not a ridge where you can see around you forever, it was covered with trees but it was really fun.

That’s it for this one folks, short and sweet.  I would definitely recommend this hike for people with really little kids or those just getting started.  As always, please wear your mask, stay safe, and HAPPY HIKING!