Camping at Whitewater State Park

We went camping at Whitewater for our first time. Mary Emma had been there before, so she picked out the campsite.

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/whitewater/index.html

                                                       This walking bridge was just a stones throw from our site and connects the Upper Ceder Campground and Gooseberry Glen campground. There was also access to the water below the bridge, so the girls spent quite a bit of time down there.

The interpretive center has a lot of hands on activities for kids and also a wildlife/bird watching area. I loved reading about the history of the area.

Monarchs

We also watched a movie about the 2007 flood and it's effect on the area.

Walking along the Whitewater River. The river gets it's name from the Mdewakanton who named it Minneiska, which means, white water.

This area is known for it's dolomite and shaly limestone.

We brought the scooters. The roads were paved, but a little bumpy....

Elba fire tower as seen from the highway. We climbed 777 stairs to get to the top of this bluff. This tower was built in 1933.

Reading a bit of the history of the tower.

Going up! I only had to stop about 20 times!!!

Beautiful view from the top.

We did not climb the tower, however...only made it up two levels...that was enough for me. It felt like it was swaying, and the stairs are more like a ladder.

Going down

Beautiful waxing moon

Walking to the beach. The park is 2700 acres....the beach is about .5 mile from our campsite.

swimming beach. We had the place to ourselves every day. Spent a couple hours here every day. So beautiful! The water is spring fed, and very cold, but the brave ladies still swam each day.

Bridge to the beach....one of many that sustained heavy damage during the 2007 flood.

Pie iron taco....corn tortillas, taco meat, and cheese.

Warming up before bed...42 degrees the first night!

snuggled in

sandcastles

beach

breakfast

Margaret found a giant walking stick

We had such a great time letting him climb all over us before letting him go.

The Naturalist told us of this site about 10 miles from the park. Dolomite and shaly limestone loaded with fossils. We found brachiopods, crinoids, receptaculites, gastropods, and Mary E found her first cephalopod.

Margaret found a snake and went to grab it.

First snake bite

more beach

lots of critters.

the last night

forgot the skewers for the kabobs, but the pokers worked great!

moon over Whitewater

Some of Mary E's agates, coral fossil, and cephalopod

Making breakfast...we pitched the stove...13 years old, falling apart...time for a new one.

Pitched the tent as well....every pole was broken....