Need an activity that will help the whole family let out all that pent-up energy they saved up this winter? A one-mile hike at Sugarloaf Cove Nature Center near Schroeder is a great way for kids to experience and explore the outdoors. Whether they’re winding through a towering forest or examining 1.1 billion-year-old rocks, Sugarloaf Cove offers a window into the past.
Using the Sugarloaf trail guide, kids can learn about an area that once served as a pulpwood rafting operation beginning in the early 1940s. At the first stop along the trail, they will get a glimpse of Minnesota’s state tree — the Norway pine. You’ll discover evidence of the rafting operation all along the trail, with stops highlighting everything from the remnants of a log chute to the area where logging rafts once stood.
As the trail winds closer to the beach, you can stroll along the rocky shoreline and listen to the sound of waves crashing. Many of the polished rocks you’ll find, according to Sugarloaf Cove Nature Center, are the result of glacial ice.
The Sugarloaf Cove Nature Center also offers educational programs on topics ranging from geology to wildlife, so take a look at their calendar of events as you plan your next North Shore adventure.
