On Thanksgiving Day, we headed out for a pre-feast hike to Crosby Farm Regional Park. So did a lot of other folks. The parking lot was full, along with a fire roaring at the park shelter as a family was preparing for their outdoor picnic Thanksgiving meal. As colder weather is approaching and the pandemic still in full swing, Minnesotans will need to continue to embrace the outdoors, cold and all.
Crosby Farm is a popular St. Paul regional park that has year-round appeal. Very soon, it will be a great place for snowshoeing. With easy access from the city, this park connects with Hidden Falls Regional Park. The main entrance is off Shephard Road at Gannon Road. Another smaller trailhead parking lot is located near Shephard Road near I-35E.
Located along the Mississippi River, opposite Pike Island (Fort Snelling State Park at Bdote) this park is a part of the National Park Service’s National River and Recreation Area.
This park often floods during the spring, with much of the woodland being a flood plain, a lot like Pike Island and Hidden Falls. The riverfront is beach-like and walkable with a number of fallen trees that provide a natural playground for kids. This park is important to protect the shoreline and biodiversity of the riverfront area.
The park has about 7 miles of paved trails, with the main paved paths used by bicyclists, as well as pedestrians. The loop through the wetlands and around Little Crosby Lake has a boardwalk and fishing pier. Look up to the steep hillside and you will notice a series of walkways to the north of the fishing pier.
History of Crosby Farm
As you can guess by the name, this park was originally 160 acres of land farmed by English immigrants Thomas and Emma Crosby starting in 1858. The farm had cattle, dairy cows, horses, pigs, and chickens, along with crops including potatoes and apples. The farm continued to be operated by various families until the 1960’s when it was obtained by the St. Paul Port Authority and leased to St. Paul Parks.
Tips: Don’t leave valuables in your car at either parking lot. There are plenty of break-ins at this park, so don’t take a chance.
There is a hidden “slot canyon” that we’ve never visited----but in researching for this post, it’s a popular place for ice climbing. It’s closer to Shephard Road—but doesn’t show up on any maps. I’ll need to check this place out on our next trip to the park.
There is a master plan for Hidden Falls and Crosby Farm parks that includes a River Learning Center at Watergate Marina (adjacent to Crosby Farm), which will be a headquarters for the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area. This project will provide more access to the river with canoe and kayak rentals, as well as the National Park Service office, which is currently located in the Science Museum of Minnesota.
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