Zippel Bay State Park

I awoke early this morning and finished packing my car for a quick, 2 day roadtrip. With Noelle and Sierra out of town I figured this was a good opportunity to log some Minnesota State Parks Hiking Club miles in the northwestern part of the state. After a quick breakfast I hit the read headed west into dark, menacing-looking clouds. I drove through the small towns of Birchdale and Baudette (with its famous Willie Walleye statue),

before arriving to shores of Lake of the Woods at Zippel Bay State Park.

I immediately got out of the car and headed over to the beach. It was a chilly morning, yet I arrived to find a lone bathing suit clad girl on the sand.

After surveying the view, I headed over to the start of the Hiking Club trail.

It immediately headed back to the beach

and followed the shoreline of Lake of the Woods west for about a half mile. I was surprised by the number of shells washed up on the shore.

It almost felt like walking the ocean beach. Eventually the trail veered into the woods among the birch, aspen and goldenrods

before ending rather abruptly at a rock jetty that protects the navigation route into Zippel Bay.

I found the Hiking Club password there and then started to make my way back to the car in a light drizzle.

There were lots of shells and even a poor dead crayfish washed up on the beach.

I arrived at my car just before the rain started to come down a little bit harder for my drive further west.