Lake Maria Mindful Movement Hike

Lake Maria State Park offers some beautiful trails and is an amazing place to see birds and hear frogs.

We'll follow the Maria Lake Loop Trail which will take us through both forest and wetlands, giving us the opportunity to appreciate new foliage, frogs, and the tail end of migrating Warblers. If you're into birds, bring your binoculars and your Merlin app.

The hike will be a little over 3 miles with mild elevation changes. We'll stop at one of the lakesides for 10 minutes of mindfulness, but we'll also stop and appreciate anything cool we see along the way.

Be prepared for bugs and mud. Hiking poles and shoes you don't mind getting muddy can be helpful, but you do you.

Please note: you will need a State Park pass - either day pass or yearly pass, to enter the park. Feel free to arrange carpooling if you want to save money on both gas and entrance fees.

Lake Maria State Park is about an hour west of the Twin Cities. Please plan your departure to give yourself plenty of time to get there.

Additional things to note:

1. A donation is not required to participate in this event, but if you are attending and are able to make a $2 donation to support the cost of this Meetup Group, it is sincerely appreciated.
2. I do not cancel just because of rain, but I will if there is a risk of lightning. Getting wet in the forest can be rather spiritually cleansing, IMHO. As they say, "Some people walk in the rain, others just get wet." Be prepared for whatever the weather or trail may throw at us! If rain will dissuade you from participating, you are expected to cancel at least 18 hours before the start of the event to allow anyone on a waitlist to have enough advanced notice to still be able to participate.
3. I may also cancel events if air quality alerts are reaching toward the red levels.
4. Please leave your furbabies and your children under 18 at home.
5. By signing up for this hike, you agree to release the organizers and other members of the event from any liability. The trails may be muddy, uneven and have rocks and tree roots that sneak up out of the ground and could trip you :)

Hope to see you on the trail!