George H. Crosby Manitou State Park

The Manitou River

The final park of our weekend was one of our favorites. George H. Crosby Manitou park is a little trickier to get to as it isn't right off the main highway. As we entered the park (or thought we had), we went straight after the park sign instead of taking a right turn. Once on the right road, the parking for the park is about another three miles. One of the best parts about our adventures are how the unexpected happens. Our plan was to take a few pictures and videos and then get back on the road heading home and as part of that enjoy the fall colors. That didn't go as planned. We picked the Humpback Loop trail, a 2.6 mile trek round trip. At that point, we figured we could navigate it in a couple of hours and be on the road by mid-afternoon. The Humpback Loop trail proved a little more challenging than we had anticipated. Although not well marked, it was beautiful. The trail weaved through dense woods but the bigger obstacle were the rocks that we had to traverse in order to ascend at points. If you choose the challenge of the Humpback, make sure you have a solid pair of hiking shoes or boots. As we weaved our way through the trail, Tanya talked about how parts were similar to more challenging hikes in Hawaii and South Dakota. The great parts of both those hikes were the tremendous payoff at the end. Which we had on our trip here as well.

Fall Colors are Happening

One of our favorite parts about Minnesota are the seasons. Fall is both of our favorites and for good reason. While not peak season, the colors were beginning to change and of all the parks we visited, George H. Crosby Manitou gave us the best views. It was foggy however so we didn't get those breathtaking views.

Humpback Trail

We made it to the Manitou Cascades which are fascinating. As you look at the calmness of the Manitou River to your left, it quickly gains steam and barrels down the falls.

Manitou Cascade

After taking some time to look at the power and beauty of the falls, we started our last .8 miles back to the car. All told, it took us about 2.5 hours to complete and we were so glad we navigated and took the time for this unexpected adventure.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lA3ZwPrBis4