Back in October, I went to Luverne, MN to see the bison at Blue Mounds State Park. But did you know, tucked down in Mankato, is Minneopa State Park and they have bison! I was so excited! I loved going to Blue Mounds and spending a weekend to see the bison and hike the trails. But there are bison closer to home that I can visit more often than I could imagine. I may even snowshoe there, when we get enough snow of course.
Minneopa State Park is a smaller park, but they have a bison drive that is open daily. When I went on November 28, they were all huddled near the front of the pen. I drove the whole length looking for them and they were right at the front of the pen. So I parked and hiked over to see them. It was a gorgeous 50 degree day and they were sunning out in the field.
I love animals of all sizes, I wish I could pet the bison, but there are plenty of signs saying bison are dangerous. So, no petting the bison. But they were really fun to look at and take pictures of. Nothing gives me more joy than seeing animals in their natural habitat. I could sit and stare at them all day.
Not only is there bison at Minneopa, but there is also an amazing waterfall on the other side. You do have to drive to waterfall side, but it’s not a far drive. It’s also not a long hike to the waterfall, but on a gorgeous day, it’s hard to find a parking spot. To get a good view of the waterfall head on, you have to cross a bridge, which will also bring you to a set of stairs that leads you to the foot of the waterfall. I did not hike down the stairs that day because I was still recovering from a concussion the week before, but I did get some good shots of the waterfall, from where I stood, and of course the bison. I definitely will be going back, to see the bison and hike down to the foot of the waterfall.
