Lake Bronson State Park

It seemed like a long drive from Zippel Bay to Lake Bronson State Park. I drove through the towns of Warroad and Roseau before finally arriving at the only state park in the tallgrass aspen parklands biome. I immediately headed past a cool, old water/observation tower

to the picnic area where I ate lunch and then hit the trail.

I am very impressed by this park. It's a place where the prairie meets the northern forest. There were lots of wildflowers in bloom,

and at least one was getting pollinated right before my eyes!

There were also some really nice views of Lake Bronson.

Lake Bronson is unusual in Minnesota in that it is not a true lake. It is a reservoir built in the 1930s to protect area farmers from drought. I thoroughly enjoyed walking through fields of big bluestem grass
waving in the breeze.

After completing the Hiking Club trail I wandered over to a different part of the park which once housed the camp for a Works Progress Administration crew during the Great Depression.

There's not much left of the camp, just a concrete floor. Then I headed over to the Bronson Cemetery.
Its not a maintained cemetery anymore, more like some scattered graves in the middle of the prairie.

After leaving Bronson Lake State Park I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised. I'd like to come back and visit again with Noelle and Sierra. They've got two campsites on an island in the lake. I think it would be fun to bring the canoe and camp on an island!