STATE PARKS
Bear Head Lake | Banning | Cascade River | Cuyuna Lakes | Father Hennepin | George H. Crosby Manitou | Gooseberry Falls | Grand Portage | Franz Jevne | Jay Cooke | Judge CR Magney | Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine | McCarthy Beach | Mille Lacs Kathio | Moose Lake | Savanna Portage | Scenic | Schoolcraft | Split Rock Lighthouse | St. Croix | Temperance River | Tettegouche
STATE TRAILS
Cuyuna Lakes | Gitchi Gami | Willard Munger
This photo was captured from the northern bank of the river, just west of the iconic Swing Bridge at Jay Cooke State Park.
Jay Cooke is easily one of my favorite state parks in Minnesota. Each fall, a fellow photographer and I plan a trip to chase the season’s colors—usually heading up the North Shore. On our return from one of these autumn journeys, we made a spontaneous sunset stop at Jay Cooke, and it completely delivered. The light, the textures, the calm—it was one of those moments you hope to catch when traveling with a camera.
The photo was taken in early October 2022, on a mild day—just brisk enough for a light jacket. I still remember the rush of the rapids near the Swing Bridge and the hum of fellow parkgoers sharing the space. That natural soundtrack really anchored the moment.
We’d hit some classic North Shore traffic on our way back, so time was tight by the time we arrived. The shot came together quickly, but I’d actually been envisioning this composition from a previous visit. I’ve always been drawn to the park’s jagged slate rock formations—they have a raw beauty and create a perfect leading line right to the bridge. It felt instinctual.
The day drew its final breath in a blaze of color as the St. Louis River whispered beneath the bridge. Here at the edge of dusk, stone and sky met in quiet conversation—slate scarred by time, clouds softened by light. The swing bridge stood steady between wild banks, carrying memories of every footstep and every pause to admire this view. On this evening, everything stood still just long enough to feel eternal.
Get outside. Let the wild places slow you down. There’s so much beauty waiting just beyond the next bend in the trail.
STATE PARKS
Afton | Beaver Creek Valley | Carley | Forestville/Mystery Cave | Fort Snelling | Frontenac | Great River Bluffs | Interstate | John A Latsch | Lake Louise | Lake Maria | Minnesota Valley | Myre Big Island | Nerstrand Big Woods | Rice Lake | Sakatha Lake | Whitewater | Wild River | William O’Brien
STATE TRAILS
Blazing Star | Brown’s Creek | Gateway | Goodhue Pioneer | Great River Ridge | Douglas | Mill Towns | Harmony-Preston Valley | Root River | Shooting Star
STATE PARKS
Big Stone Lake | Blue Mounds | Camden | Flandrau | Fort Ridgley | Glacial Lakes | Greenleaf Lake | Kilen Woods | Lac qui Parle | Lake Shetek | Minneopa | Monson Lake | Sibley | Split Rock Creek
STATE TRAILS
Casey Jones | Glacial Lakes | Sakatah Singing Hills
I’m so lucky to live only 25 miles from Blue Mound State Park. I enjoy hiking and biking the trails and also just driving past the lower cliffline during different seasons. We had a mild, snowless winter and I took this photo on January 17, 2025, at around 7:30 am on the road leading up to Eagle Rock Vista.
I had always wanted to get some dramatic sunrise photos from this spot so I headed out early because there were cool clouds that I thought would lead to a cool sunrise.
I love the quartzite cliffs rising up from the prairie, the big open sky, and of course the clouds! What I always feel when visiting this park is the quiet beauty and the permanence of the place – and the generations of people who have explored this area.
STATE PARKS
Big Bog | Buffalo River | Charles A. Lindbergh | Crow Wing | Garden Island | Glendalough | Hayes Lake | Itasca | Lake Bemidji | Lake Bronson | Lake Carlos | La Salle Lake | Maplewood | Old Mill | Red River | Scenic | Schoolcraft | Zippel Bay
STATE TRAILS
Central Lakes | Heartland | Paul Bunyan
This photo was taken on the shore of Annie Battle Lake inside Glendalough State Park. The lake is a “heritage fishery” and does not allow gas-motored vehicles. It is small with undeveloped shoreline except for the original Glendalough Lodge and some outbuildings.
I grew up in Battle Lake, and Glendalough is my local park. Before becoming a state park, Glendalough was a private retreat and game farm. Each summer, my parents would take us and any visiting relatives on a “adventure” through the park during the evening to “count deer” and see the peacocks that roamed near the game farm. I’m grateful that the owners of Glendalough allowed people to visit. Those drives are favorite memories for me, my siblings, and cousins to this day.
On a late July morning, I was at Glendalough State Park to take photos of Canadian Geese and Common Mergansers that I had spotted the night before. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t produce any decent photos of the geese, and the mergansers were nowhere to be seen. It’s hard to walk away with “nothing.” Glancing over my shoulder, I saw a butterfly sitting on a flower, and I thought, “I might as well take some shots.” What I saw through the viewfinder with a telephoto lens was better than what I had seen at a distance with the naked eye. And photography is like that.. it allows people to experience more clarity and depth in a moment of time. Sometimes, it’s not the shot you were trying for, but it’s the shot you need to take. Clearly, a lesson about serendipity and embracing the unexpected.
Surrounded by nature, people have the opportunity to slow the pace of life, look around, and experience beauty in the details. I think this photo captures the vivid colors and quiet calm of summer in Minnesota. Thank you to Minnesota State Parks for preserving the best of our state for all to enjoy.
