Beaver Creek Valley State Park



Our family at Beaver Creek Valley State Park



Beaver Creek Valley State Park



Brielle asserting her tire
swing skills



Triple the sliding, triple the fun
at Beaver Valley Creek State Park!



Bralynne having fun at the playground



Beaver Creek Valley State Park is one of the hidden gems of the State Parks and Trails system.  It boasts a diverse array of wildlife, from deer, raccoon, muskrat, mink, badger, red and gray fox, to the occasional beaver, and wild turkey or even the timber rattlesnake!  These kind of diversity is possible because the park is situated in one of the most interesting geologic areas of Minnesota, the "driftless area." The "driftless area" is a 10,000 square mile patch of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Illinois, which was untouched by the most recent glaciers. But, when the glaciers left, torrents of their water poured into the rivers, carving deep harsh valleys. The rocky walls of Beaver Creek Valley are made up of a layer of sandstone sandwiched between two layers of dolomite, which were deposited by inland seas between 450 and 500 million years ago.  What's all that geological talk mean?  Basically, all the stuff that used to be here millions of years ago is still here, plus a lot of stuff from other areas of the midwest got dropped off here by the glaciers.  Presto!  Instant geological melting!  When we visited this park we spent a fair amount of time playing football in the picnic area while my youngest sisters played in the playground.  Then we hiked one of the trails and had a blast with the suspension bridge, which shimmied and shook with every step.  If you haven't found this gem of a park yet, its time to go....now! 



Watching trout off the suspension bridge





A cup cake treat in the picnic area







The suspension bridge holds our whole family-  can it hold yours?



Brenna playing "Swing!"