paved trail through the woods

Minnesota Valley State Trail Friends Group

Parks & Trails Council is proud to partner with this independent friends group.

Parks & Trails Council cannot accept donations on behalf of this friends group.

Minnesota Valley State Trail Friends Group

Mission

The Minnesota Valley State Trail Friends Group is currently the planning stages. They plan to focus on improving the quality of the trails, starting with an enhancement of the Shakopee Riverfront Cultural Trail. For more information about how to get involved, contact Keith Ottoson at mnvalleyfriends@scottcountyhistory.org.

Friends Since

2022

paved trail through the woods
Woods in the Minnesota River Valley. Andrew Oftedal
White bird in wetland
Egret Feeding. By Stephanie Moss
Land along the planned trail
columbine
Columbine on the Minnesota Valley State Trail, by David Riewe
A least weasel with his freshly captured garter snake lunch near the MN River
A least weasel with his freshly captured garter snake lunch near the MN River by Chip Miller

Minnesota Valley State Trail Friends Group

Events

ZooDazzle

Snowshoe Class

HOP: Adventures in Bird Banding

Saturday Buckthorn events

Saturday Buckthorn events

Saturday Buckthorn events

Saturday Buckthorn events

Saturday Buckthorn events

Wizards Groundwater Program

HOP Program: Urban Wildlife

Eagle and Raptor Program

Fall Colors on the Tree Trek

Fall Family Nature Exploration and Photo Hike

HOP: Seed Dispersal

Artist Reception for Katherine Boyce

red sunrise

Fall Fest Candlelight Hike

Whitewater State Park HOP Program

Stargazing Date Night

Conservation at Home

September Buckthorn Event

Bioblitz at Minnehaha Regional Park

Monarch Butterfly Walk

Coffee and Conversation

Tettegouche Summer Concert

Tettegouche Summer Concert featuring R&B

Artist Reception for Marissa Saurer

monarch on milkweed flower

Monarchs and Milkweeds

Pancake Breakfast

Pollinators and Water

Lake Maria’s Mushrooms

Ranger Walk and Talk

Animal Skull Identification

Itasca State Park Fall Fun Walks and Bike

Learn How to Fish

Music and Laughs

Watercolor World

Music in the Park

HOP: Bats of Whitewater

Artist Reception for Emily Donovan

Wednesday Buckthorn Removal

Saturday Buckthorn Removal

[UPDATED] Minnehaha Nature Walk

A panoramic shot of the night sky in Minnesota

Universe in the Park

Artist Reception at Tettegouche

What are Mussels?

HOP: Superior Hiking Trail

Nature Walk at Minnehaha

Glossy buckthorn with berries

Volunteer Buckthorn Removal

nature center with garden and bench

Guided Hike and Book Signing

Chasing Dragons

Lake Louise Open House

Microscopy in the Park

Artist Reception for Laura Ahola-Young

Free Park Day Scavenger Hunt

Free Summer Concert

HOP: Moths

yellowish butterfly on yellow flower

Art in the Park

Jackson Tri-For Health

Landscape with cornfield and valley

Blazing New Trails at Frontenac

NSTT Spring Fun Walks

HOP: Wanhi Yukan

Wolves: Myths and Misconceptions

Earth Day Cleanup

yellowish butterfly on yellow flower

Wild Flower Ambassadors

nature center with garden and bench

John Neitge Earth Day Earth Day Celebration

The Tao of Walking Sticks

Early Spring Wildflowers at Minnehaha

HOP: Dakota Medicinal Plants

Maple Syrup Day

Fungi Walk

Snake Rattle and Roll

24th Annual GGTA North Shore Bike Ride

Families walk through the forest on a paved trail

Walk for Glendalough 2024

Guided Hike to Lake Pepin

Saturday Morning Hike with a Naturalist

Bird Walk

Bird Walk

River Clean Up at Sand Point

Shoot from a plant growing amidst burnt land

Post-fire Ecology: Ranger Walk + Talk

Annual Meeting and Trail Community Gathering

Robin Wall Kimmerer Viewing Party

Closeup of black-eyed susan flower in a field

EarthFest

HOP: Timber Rattlesnakes

Glossy buckthorn with berries

Buckthorn Ecology

Early Signs of Spring at Minnehaha

one bright candle with a full moon in the background

Candlelight Walk

HOP: The Fur Trade

Candlelight Hike

Winter Fest

Artist Reception for Melinda Wolff

Candlelight Ski

NSTT Snowshoe/Walk Event

[CANCELED] Free Snowshoe Class

Candlelight Hike

HOP: Prescribed Burns

First Day Hike

Whitewater State Park HOP Program

A Blandings Turtle on a lakeshore

The Mysterious Blandings Turtle

Whitewater State Park HOP Program

Bertram BooTacular

bat in flight

Fall Candlelight Hike

Heat Pump Information Session

Whitewater State Park HOP Program

deer

Friends of Rice Lake Rummage Sale

Birdwalk at Frontenac State Park Sand Point

Art in the Park

Whitewater State Park HOP Program

Mushroom Messenger

Tettegouche Annual Meeting

NSTT Fall Fun Walks

Autumn Color Watercolor

Birdwalk at Sand Point

What’s Hiding At Our Park?

Three painted turtles on a log

Adult Education – Reptiles

Milkweed in bloom

Bioblitz Frontenac State Park

Intro to Avenza map app and walk

Concert in the Park featuring Northeast Timberland Band

Artist Reception for Lonnie Broden

yellowish butterfly on yellow flower

Butterfly Walk

monarch on purple aster flowers

Butterfly Talk

Birdwalk at Prairie Trail

Birdwalk at Pine Loop

Scandia Electric Vehicle Information Session

Artist Reception for E.J. Klepinger

A panoramic shot of the night sky in Minnesota

Universe in the Park

Music in the Park

A rain garden full of native flowers in Minnesota

Raingardens with Angie Hong

Universe in the Park

A view of pond water under a microscope

Microscopy in the Park

Birdwalk on Prairie Trail

group gathered in picnic shelter

Lake Louise State Park Open House

Birdwalk at Pine Loop

Whitewater State Park HOP Program

Watercolor in the Park

Starry Skies North

Birdwalk on Prairie Trail

closeup of understory flower

Art in the Park

Artist Reception for Dodie Logue

Beekeeping Basics

Hug a Tree and Survive

Seegwan – A Celebration of Spring!

[CANCELLED] Sand Point/Mississippi River Clean Up

Fall horse back riding

Whitewater State Park HOP Program

Entrance Sign to the park

Signs of Spring Scavenger Hunt

100th Anniversary Celebration

Two rows of oak saplings lined up against a backdrop of brown vinyl siding

John Neitge Memorial Earth Day Event

A group of young people mill around in an open green space. Some carry tools; other tools have been laid on the ground or stuck into the sod. They are creating wooden planter boxes for prairie plant specimens.

John Neitge Memorial Earth Day Event

Friends of Nerstrand Annual Meeting

Ephemeral Wildflowers

Bird Walk to Sand Point

Bird Walk on the Pine Loop

Bird Walk to Sand Point

Garter snake in leaves

Snake, Rattle and Roll

Artist Reception for Terri Huro

Two people walking on snowy trail lit by candles

Candlelight Trail Event

Black and white photo of pine forest

Northland Fatbike Rally

people snowshoeing while it snows

North Star Trail Travellers Snowshoe/Walk

candle within an ice holder

Candlelight Ski

Candlelight Event

skier next to the candlelight with a brilliant sunset in the background

Winter Candle Lite Event

Luminaries light the ski trail

Candlelight Walk

Artist Reception for Gordon Dietzman

Winter Fest

Wolf Lake at Savanna Portage

Nature Explorations with a Master Naturalist

People walking outside in the wintertime, wearing winter gear

Snowshoe Hike along the Baptism River

woman on ice

First Day Hike

one bright candle with a full moon in the background

Annual candlelight ski and walk

Feed the Otters

Adult Education Series: Preserving Ice in the Environment

Free Park Friday: Lake Maria

Interpretive Drop In Event: Agates

Adult Education Series: Loggers’ Tales

Artist Reception for Delora Fiers

Candlelight Walk

Bicyclists riding at underpass

Ribbon Cutting Celebration

North Star Trail Travelers Fall Guided Fun Walk

Full Moon Hike

Friends of Rice Lake Rummage Sale

Concert in the Park featuring Geno LaFond & Amy Grillo

Whitewater State Park HOP Program: Here Comes The Sun

Lake Louise State Park Candlelight Walk poster

Candlelight Walk

A lake at Savanna Portage State Park

NSTT Fall Fun Walk at Savanna Portage State Park

A bridge at Jay Cooke State Park

NSTT Fall Fun Walk at Jay Cooke State Park

Artist Reception for Reid Thorpe

Whitewater State Park HOP Program

Lift Bridge Brewing company brewing selections

Happy Hour / Trail Fundraiser / Volunteer Appreciation

field of bison

Bison Archaeology

Artist Reception for Thomas Dimock

NSTT Summer Fun Walk at La Salle Lake State Recreation Area

Lake Bemidji State Park NSTT Summer Fun Walk

Leave No Trace Informational Booth

Art Time in the Park

Concert in the Park featuring Robin Sunquiet

Whitewater State Park HOP Program

paved trail through the woods

Friends of the Minnesota Valley State Trail Kick Off Meeting

monarch on milkweed flower

Monarchs and Milkweed

Monarch Butterfly Walk

girl looking over landscape

NSTT Summer Fun Walk at Glacial Lakes State Park

NSTT Summer Fun Walk at Glendalough State Park

deer

Rice Lake Cleanup Day

Art in the Park

Free Park Day Scavenger Hunt

Art in the Park

two kids looking at bee hive observation set-up indoors

Family Nature Day

Rail Trails 100

standing group outdoors listening to guide

Native Grass Planting

Dramatic view from atop a cliff overlooking a vast forest with sun shining through the clouds

NSTT Spring Fun Walk at Temperance River State Park

nature center with garden and bench

Oak Planting

Person walking on trail

Ribbon Cutting

Webinar: The Miracle of Maples

Looking at GeoPDF Map on mobile device

Wayfinding, GeoPDFs, and Geocaching

Brews for the zoo banner

Brews for the Zoo

Families walk through the forest on a paved trail

Walk for Glendalough

Banner showing outline of earth surrounded by trees

Parks & Trails Earth Day

hikers in ponchos on a hiking trail

NSTT Spring Walk at Crosby-Manitou

landscape with sandy plains and moon

HOP into the Park: What are SNAs?

skier next to the candlelight with a brilliant sunset in the background

Frontenac Candlelight Event

buckthorn leaves

HOP: Citizen Science

two skiers head down the trail

Candlelight Ski & Snowshoe

three skiers

Candlelight Walk

people snowshoeing while it snows

Nerstrand Big Woods Snowshoe/Walk

a lonely bench at an overlook

First Day Hike at Frontenac

Kite Flying

Winter Wonders Scavenger Hunt

DNR conservation officers and their K-9 partners

HOP Into the Park: MnDNR K-9 Program

trail bridge

Pollinator Seeding Event

Geocaching at Tettegouche

Six people standing around a structure made of branches

FOCW Annual Meeting & Volunteer Day

Two hikers leave the trailhead with their dogs

NSTT Annual Meeting & Walk

runners on a paved trail

Otter Trotter 5k

candle luminaries are placed along a walking trail in the forest

Candlelight Walk

Friends of Tettegouche Annual Meeting

Group walking through prairie and looking at plants

A Walk in the Big Woods

woman trail running

Leaf Mountain Foot Race

monarch on milkweed flower

Butterfly Walk

butterfly

Monarch Tagging

Group walking on rocky area

NSTT Club Walks

blooming flowers and walking paths in front of building

Fall Fest – Million Dollar Kickoff

Split Rock Lighthouse State Park by Marcella Chester

Universe in the Park

Runners at the starting line of a 5k/10k

Blazin’ Through Bertram Memorial Run

Man in biking outfit stands in tall grass

Volunteer Appreciation Event

Rolling river

Webinar: Whitewater River Watershed

mushroom and lichen on tree

Camden on Canvas

Two band members with string instruments

“The Lost Forty” Concert

kids in tree yoga pose on beach

Yoga on the Beach

sunrise over lake superior

Here Comes the Sun

bicyclists on Gitchi Gami with Lake Superior in back

21st Annual North Shore Bike Ride

Scavenger Hunt Banner

2021 Scavenger Hunts

Group of volunteers by St. Croix River and garbage they cleaned up

St. Croix River Cleanup

purple flowers by river

Campfire Concert

two people walk on a wide hiking trail in the forest

NSTT Sibley Summer Fun Walk

A hoard of bikers comes around the curve

Rail Trails 100

Red Tailed Hawk

Birds of Prey Raptor Program

fisher in a tree

Webinar: Fishers in Minnesota

Mountain bike resting on tree

Bertram Blast Off-Road Triathlon

Purple wildflowers on trail with sunset

22nd Annual Shooting Star Trail Bike Ride

Man on a bike-share bike in front of the market

Bike Month Celebration

Nature Book Club: “Flight Behavior”

Baby raccoon

Webinar: Keeping Wild Families Together

Oak in grasslands with boulder

Pound the Mound Trail Race

Two hikers leave the trailhead with their dogs

NSTT St. Croix State Park Spring Fun Walk

Walk for Glendalough (Self-guided)

a rainbow in chalk on a sidewalk

Pictures, Poems, and Play!

Livestream: Antlers and the Animals that Wear Them

field of bison

Webinar: Bison Conservation at Oxbow Park

Webinar: Bluebirding 101

snowy island

Book Club: Arctic Dreams by Barry Lopez

Webinar: The Golden Eagle Project

Webinar: Historical Perspective (Conversations of the Valley)

snowy creek with animal tracks on bank

Webinar: A Dream Job at Oxbow Park

Chester Woods Park sign

Annual Meeting – Friends of Chester Woods

Owl looking over back to camera

Webinar: An Owl Soap Opera

Parks & Trails Council Annual Dinner

2020 photo contest banner

P&TC Photo Contest

Man on a bike-share bike in front of the market

Bike to Work Day

atop a cliff looking over valley

5th Annual Photo Contest

overlook of forest and lake

NSTT Frontenac State Park Fall Fun Walk

snowy creek with animal tracks on bank

Calendar Cover Art Contest

yellow flower with bee

Webinar: Citizen Science

Friends of Tettegouche Annual Member Meeting

horse and hikers on a trail

NSTT Forestville State Park Summer Fun Walk

lake with trees with no leaves along shoreline

NSTT Lake Louise State Park Summer Fun Walk

MN Scavenger Hunts

Trail Photo Contest

Father and daughter look over lake Superior with bikes

GGTA Annual Meeting of Members

woman trail running

[CANCELLED] Pound the Mound – Trail Race

kids running into the woods to find easter eggs

[CANCELED] 11th Annual – Spring Activities & Egg Hunt

Historic stone stairway by the beach house

[CANCELED] Spring Egg Hunt

Families walk through the forest on a paved trail

[CANCELED] Walk for Glendalough

kid practicing drilling into tree to tap for maple syrup

[CANCELED] Maple Syrup Demonstration Day

buckthorn leaves

[CANCELED] Invasive Species

[CANCELED] Minnesota Orchids

Bicyclists riding at underpass

[ON HOLD] Spring Expo & Annual General Meeting

three volunteers building a bench

Trail Bench Building

Winter Fest

Candlelight Event

fat bikers on frozen Lake Bemidji

6th Annual Northland Fat Bike Rally

flowing water

“Art in the Park” Artist Reception – Rita Corrigan

Native yellow sunflowers in a field

[Cancelled] Pancake Breakfast & Annual Meeting

family snowshoes on a trail

NSTT Wild River State Park Snowshoe/Walk

Snowy Itasca State Park by Jelieta Walinski Ph.D

Lantern Lit Snowshoe and Ski Event

“Lake that Speaks” Luminary Hike

candle within an ice holder

Candlelight Hike

candle within an ice holder

Candlelight Hike

“Art in the Park” Artist Reception – Jane Johnson

candle within an ice holder

Candlelight Hike

three skiers

GBCTA’s Annual Ski/Snowshoe/Walk and Luncheon

Candlelight Walk

The log cabin looks warm amidst the snow in the winter

Winter Fun Day

luminaries lighting the hike and snowshoe trail

Winter Fest

Candlelight Ski and Snowshoe

a strong fire outside

Candlelight Ski and Snowshoe

Candlelight Ski and Snowshoe

Woman skiing at Frontenac

Candlelight Ski/Snowshoe/Walk

Candles along path in snow

Candlelight Ski/Snowshoe/Walk

Woman skiing at Frontenac

Candlelight Ski/Snowshoe/Walk

Snowman and lighted arch for winter event

Zoodazzle 2019

Amphitheater Dedication

image of Annual Dinner invitation cover

Annual Dinner

Water Color Painting

Kids take off by bike on the newly opened paved trail

19th Annual North Shore Bike Ride

people looking at a marsh marigold patch

Open House

Trees looking up. Lindsey Kramer/P&TC Photo Contest

Trees and Shrubs

Minnesota Valley State Trail Friends Group

Minnesota Valley State Trail Friends Group

Our Partner Grant Project

Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota offers grants to support friends groups' projects.

Minnesota Valley State Trail Friends Group

Our Related Advocacy Work

Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota is a strong voice at the state capital working to ensure Minnesota’s parks and trails are protected and cared for. We work with friends groups to identify critical projects that need government support.

2018

Lake Bemidji State Park opens first-of-its kind group camp

Lake Bemidji State Park opens first-of-its kind group camp

Looking for a place for your next family reunion? There’s a new option that opened this summer at Lake Bemidji State Park. The Lavinia Group Camp can accommodate up to 50 people.   The site, which rents for $200/night is designed for both tent camping …

2017

Lake Bemidji State Park opens first-of-its kind group camp

Lake Bemidji State Park opens first-of-its kind group camp

Looking for a place for your next family reunion? There’s a new option that opened this summer at Lake Bemidji State Park. The Lavinia Group Camp can accommodate up to 50 people.   The site, which rents for $200/night is designed for both tent camping …

Meet Another Friends Group