Afton State Park

Geobox|Protected area
name = Afton State Park
category = Minnesota State Parks
category_iucn = IV

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image_caption = A trail along the St. Croix River in Afton State Park.
country = United States
country_

state = Minnesota
state_

state_type = State
region_type = County
region = Washington
city_type = Cities
city = Afton
city1 = Denmark Township
lat_d=44 |lat_m=51 |lat_s=45 |lat_NS= N
long_d=92 |long_m=47 |long_s=1 |long_EW=W
area_unit = acre
area_imperial = 1702
area_round = 1
established = 1969
map_locator = Minnesota


management_body = Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

Afton State Park is a convert|1702|acre|km2|sing=on Minnesota state park on the St. Croix River in Washington County. Its hiking trails offer breathtaking views of the rolling glacial moraine and bluffland it preserves. It is a popular place for birdwatching, picnics, camping, and other typical outdoor recreational activities. To deter overuse of a state park only convert|20|mi|km from downtown St. Paul, there is no vehicle access to the camping area or swimming beach.

The park is located approximately five miles south of the town of Afton, Minnesota. The park surrounds the unaffiliated Afton Alps ski area on three sides. The name "Afton" was given to this area by its settlers as a reference to the Robert Burns poem "Afton Water," which is about a stream in Scotland.

Natural history

The park lies on a glacial moraine, scribed with deep ravines running down to the St. Croix River. Sandstone outcrops have been exposed in some of the ravines. The vertical drop from the blufftop to the water is convert|300|ft|m.

A few patches of remnant prairie survived the decades of farming that took place on the blufftop. Today the former fields are being restored to prairie and oak savanna. The ravines leading down to the riverbank are thickly wooded with oak, aspen, birch, and cherry.

Cultural history

With William O'Brien State Park growing increasingly crowded in the 1960s, Minnesota was on the lookout for more recreational land near Minneapolis-St. Paul. Very little state park-caliber land remained, especially along the scenic and well-settled St. Croix River. Therefore it was a surprise when an undeveloped property directly on the river, containing the last beach on the Minnesota side, went on the market in 1967. Although some of the blufftop had been farmed, the steep ravines had deterred most other development. State park officials and advocacy groups acted quickly and purchased the property the next summer. Many local residents opposed the new state park, fearing the onslaught of visitors it would attract. Resistance continued after the park was authorized by legislation in 1969, and acquisition of property to fill out the park dragged on for thirteen years. Residents did achieve a few key compromises. The park entrance was moved from the north to the west side, snowmobiles were banned, and the road was shortened from its original plan. Thus the camping area and beach are only accessible by hiking. Afton State Park finally opened to the public in 1982, with the visitor center only being completed the following year.

Recreation

*Camping: Most of the camping in the park is in 24 backpacking sites, accessible only by foot and located about one mile (1.6 km) from the parking lot. There are also group campsites and one site for canoeists.
*Cross-country skiing: There are convert|18|mi|km of groomed ski trails in the park. Many of them are quite challenging as they climb and descend steep hills.
*Hiking: There are more than convert|20|mi|km of hiking trails in the park. Some of the trails cover the tops of the bluffs, the bluffs themselves, and the floodplain of the St. Croix River. Other trails criss-cross the prairie areas of the park.

External links

* [http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/afton/index.html Afton State Park website]

References

*Arthur, Anne. "Minnesota's State Parks". Adventure Publications, Inc.: Cambridge, MN, 1998.
*Bewer, Tim. "Moon Handbooks: Minnesota". Avalon Travel Publishing: Emeryville, CA, 2004.
*Meyer, Roy W. "Everyone's Country Estate: A History of Minnesota's State Parks". Minnesota Historical Society Press: St. Paul, 1991.
*Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. 2006. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Web Site (online).