Outdoor fun close to home
Tue, 01/15/2019 - 9:15am
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By:
Kari Sundberg, Eagle Editor
Hayes Lake State Park sure delivered some fun last Saturday night. The weather was perfect and the snow-covered trails were even better. The park joined others around the state by hosting a candlelight ski and snowshoe event, that was complete with hot cocoa and cookies around a crackling fire afterwards.
From 5:30-9pm, visitors could head into the woods and make their way down candlelight trails, going whatever distance they felt most comfortable with. At Hayes, 2.25 miles of trails were lit with luminaries and over 25 people took advantage of the outdoor opportunity, including almost a dozen Grygla folks.
Many parks offer daily snowshoe rentals, including Hayes Lake, however, on the night of the candlelight events, there is no cost and numerous pairs are available for those who don’t have any of their own. (Unfortunately, Hayes doesn’t offer cross-country ski rentals at the moment.)
You can check out the full schedule on the Minnesota DNR website to see which parks are holding their candlelight events and when. Hayes is holding another one on Saturday, February 9th, and I highly recommend you check it out. There is something really refreshing about heading into the woods with the soft glow of the candles lighting up the trail around the lake – it was such an enjoyable night. It helped that the weather was so mild, too! About half way down the trail, Park Manager, Jack Pellinen, had a cabin heated and lit for those who wanted to stop and take a break. I had never been down the trails at Hayes before, but it was honestly like something out of a movie. The little log cabin was tucked back into the woods; you would have missed it had it not been for the candles leading you back to it. Our kids thought it was pretty neat, too.
If you plan on attending the February 9th event, or hitting up the trails any time before or after, you just need a park pass or any vehicle coming into the park. You can get a daily pass for $7. The office should be open when you arrive, but if it’s closed for some unforeseen reason, there are self-registration envelopes outside the front door that you could use to purchase a permit. For these particular events, you meet at the picnic shelter by the beach and head into the woods from there. Upon return, they have a fire going in this same area.
Directions to Hayes Lake State Park: 15 miles south of Roseau on State Hwy 89, then 9 miles east on Roseau Co. Rd. 4. You can call the park at 218-425-7504 for more information.