Spring Activities

Spring is an unsettled time of year with widely fluctuating temperatures. But it is also a time when wildflowers are blooming, wild turkeys strutting, and the air is alive with migrating birds flying north. It's also time to find hiking boots and GPS units, fishing poles and tackle boxes, and binoculars and field guides.

Below are a few suggested springtime activities. Also check our schedule of events for upcoming park and partner programs. Contact the Mississippi River Visitor Center at [phone] for more ideas. Remember that we also can help you plan your summer vacation to locations throughout the National Park System.

Featured Activities

---

Watch Nesting Herons
In April and May, watch great blue herons build their nests, incubate eggs, and care for their young at the rookery in North Mississippi Regional Park. Park at the lot and walk south on the trails system about a quarter mile to a point across from the mid-stream island where the rookery is located. Bring binoculars, spotting scopes, and your camera.

Take a Hike or Go for a Ride
The Mississippi National River and Recreation Area contains many miles of foot and bike paths along its 72-mile length. Browse our biking and walks and hiking webpages to find some of our favorite places for these activities in the park.

Discover the Junior Ranger Program
The Mississippi National River and Recreation Area has a thriving Junior Ranger program with many activities throughout the year for our younger visitors.

Find Wildflowers
Woodland flowers bloom from very early spring until just after the trees leaf out. By later spring, the prairies are beginning to flourish as spring transitions into summer. Our favorite wildflower hikes are in Crosby Farm Regional Park (woodland), Grey Cloud Dunes Scientific and Natural Area (prairie), Coon Rapids Regional Park (woodland and prairie), and Hastings River Flats Park (prairie).

Find a Geocache
Geocaching is an outdoor game where participants use GPS receivers to find hidden caches. A typical cache is a small container with a logbook and possible trinket. Within the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area there are many geocaches to be found and many interesting places to explore. Find out more on our geocaching webpage.

Catch a Fish
This is a great time to break out the fishing tackle, clean equipment, organize the tackle box and head to the water. Need advice or equipment? Check out our free rental equipment program at the Mississippi River Visitor Center and get advice from either our rangers or from our website. Find fishing regulations on the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources website.