This time of year, Minnesotans love to get outside and enjoy what Minnesota has to offer.  When we have so many months of Winter, it's nice to be able to do more things outside without it being freezing cold.

This week, with the lower humidity and temperatures (compared to last week) it's the perfect time to hike some of the great State Parks that we have.  One of them is Crow Wing State Park.  This one has a ton of hiking opportunities, and one of which takes you by an abandoned town.  It's super creepy.

Get our free mobile app

Crow Wing state park is less than an hour from St. Cloud. According to Only in Your State, it used to be Old Crow Wing, which was originally an Ojibwe village.  European settlers move there in the early 1800s.  It didn't take long for the town to become one of Minnesota's most populous towns.  There were a lot trading opportunities and many settlers decided that this was the place to be for any sort of financial advancement  Most of the help with trading and financial flourishment came with the railroad.  Not too long later, the railroad lost most of it's importance and people moved on.

Most people moved on, including the Ojibwe, who were forced to resettle on the White Earth Indian Reservation. By 1880, Old Crow Wing was abandoned.

So, when you are hiking along the trail in the Crow Wing State Park, you will come across some of the abandoned buildings that are still there.  Even though it can feel super creepy, it's also filled with a ton of history, and is totally worth the "check out".

https://youtu.be/pdYcE4l1aGQ

St. Stephen, Minnnesota in Pictures

 

More From 96.7 The River