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Nearby Parks:
Kinnickinnic State Park
Willow River State Park
Kinnickinnic River State Fishery Area
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| State Park Contact Information: |
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Afton State Park
6959 Peller Ave.
South Hastings, Minnesota 55033
Phone: 651-436-5391
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| Adopt-A-Park Contacts: |
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Photography: add your photos
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| State Park Overview: |
| Grand oaks and delicate prairie flowers grace the rugged, rolling landscape of this park. Trails traverse remnant and restored prairies, wind down deep ravines and rise up to the grassy ridgetops and bluffs overlooking the scenic St. Croix River. The trails are perfect for hikers, horseback riders and cross-country skiers. The park offers visitors a swimming beach, backpack campsites and a visitor center with interpretive displays. |
| Nature of the Area: |
| The park is set in a rolling glacial moraine and bluffland. It contains a combination of oak openings and woodlands. The forests combine upland hardwoods with some pine plantations. Remnant prairies are being expanded and oak savannas are being restored through an aggressive resource management program that makes extensive use of volunteers. Park wildflowers include prairie pasque flowers and woodland ephemerals in the spring; butterfly weed and puccoons on the summer prairie; and sunflowers and blazing star in the fall.
Birdwatchers can observe hawks and waterfowl on the St. Croix flyway, bluebirds and meadowlarks in the grasslands, and waves of migratory birds in the floodplain. Deer, fox, and badgers live here along with the thirteen-lined ground squirrel, turkeys, gray and fox squirrels.
The park is cut by deep ravines which drop 300 feet to the river. The ravines display spectacular outcrops of sandstone and the rugged terrain affords spectacular views of the St. Croix River Valley. |
| Reviews By Park Visitors: |
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Beautiful
Go to this park with some friends, use the free and copious firewood to build a bonfire, wait until the sun goes down and wander the trails. The fog that rolls in on some nights is unbelievable with the 50 foot, long needle, groves and the river. This place is extremely beautiful and only about 20 minutes out of the city.
(name not given)
9-May-2009
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| History of the Area: |
| The park was established in 1969 to preserve unique natural features and to provide opportunities for nature-oriented recreation. |
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...vacation cabin, weekend getaway, log cabin rental, romantic cottage, vacation home, resort, hotel, motel, bed and breakfast, country inn, campground, RV park, horseback riding stable, canoe livery, river rafting, outfitting, sporting goods store, guide service, RV rental, etc read more.... |
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| Related Links: |
| Directions: |
| From St. Paul, go 9 miles east on I-94, then 7 miles south on Highway 95 and 3 miles east on County Road 20. |
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