Minnesota Valley Wildlife Refuge Hike

Is it possible to visit the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge in Bloomington without a car? Yes, I was there last week without the benefit of a car.  From downtown Minneapolis get on the light rail in the direction of the Mall of America and get off at the American Blvd Station just one stop past the Humphrey Airport.  The entrance to the refuge is just a block south of the station.

If you're flying into the Twin Cities you might have noticed the vast wetland along the Minnesota River as you approach the airport.

At the visitor's center turkeys were there to greet us.  They were competing with the squirrels for the bird feeder droppings.  The squirrels were winning.

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Some of the trails were a little muddy.  We planned to hike 4 miles in and hopefully get out of the refuge by way of the Old Cedar Avenue Bridge just past the Highway 77 Bridge.  The volunteers in the Visitor's Center were not sure if the Cedar Bridge was open.  Well, if not then it's 4 miles in and 4 miles out or figure out some other creative way to get home.

There were several varieties of violets growing in the shady areas. 

Last year's leftovers are cool to look at too.

The refuge is 14,000 acres of land stretching 70 miles along the Minnesota River.

Eventually, the trail brought us along side the Minnesota River and the Highway 77 Bridge in the distance. When the river floods it brings trash into the refuge.  I picked up a few things and left it along the dirt track for workers to haul out.

When we got under the Highway 77 Bridge there was graffiti.  Doesn't matter how remote the area, there will always be graffiti under bridges. There was a lot of it and here is a sampling of it.

There is, of course, plenty of wildlife in the refuge.  We saw deer, river otters, nesting geese with their young and plenty of turtles.  It was nice to see wood ducks.  Usually, it's just mallards.  If you're a bird watcher bring your binoculars.  I can only identify the obvious cardinals, woodpeckers, grackles, and robins. 

  

That's the Old Cedar Bridge and our way out of the refuge.  After I got home I read that the bridge will be closed in July for repairs.

This is the view looking back to Bloomington and the office buildings where we got off the light rail.  From here it's a couple miles to the Mall of America. Time for a little shoe shopping and relaxing at one of the many restaurants before getting back on the light rail.

https://www.fws.gov/refuge/Minnesota_Valley/about.html