Afton State Park hike
Mon, Jun 15, 2026, 9:30am
Address: Afton State Park, 6959 Peller Avenue South, Hastings, MN 55033
Please join Hiking Club co-chair Michael Luxenberg on June 15, 2026 for a hike at Afton State Park. The rugged rolling landscape has trails passing through prairies, ravines, woodlands, and ridgetops overlooking the St. Croix River.
This is a great park to see prairie and woodland wildflowers and waterfowl. Depending on the weather, bring rain gear if you think you need it, good hiking shoes or boots, sunscreen, a snack, and a bottle of water. There will be plenty of rolling hills, so bring hiking poles if you think you might need them. We will hike about 4 to 5 miles.
Let's meet at the visitor center at 9:20 a.m. and start hiking at 9:30. A state park sticker or a $7 day pass is required to enter the park. Bring a picnic lunch to eat in the park afterwards.
Upcoming Events
UMRA’s Living Well Workshop on May 12 will feature Megan Walsh from the University of Minnesota Law School for a presentation on efforts to prevent gun violence through lawsuits designed to address unlawful practices in selling, manufacturing, or advertising firearms.
Craig Moody’s Swedish ancestors were among the 60,000 Swedes who chose to emigrate to the U.S. between 1868 and 1871, because of the poor economic conditions in their homeland. He has spent the last nine years investigating their history.
Back problems as we age and how we can treat them will be the discussion topic for the UMRA Breakfast meeting on Thursday, May 14. Paul Schanfield, MD, will be our expert resource person. He is a retired neurologist, a member of UMRA, and has personal experience with back surgery.
UMRA’s Book Club I will discuss The Alchemy of Us: How Humans and Matter Transformed One Another by Ainissa Ramirez when it meets via Zoom at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 15.
Peter Moe, retired University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum Director and UMRA member, will lead this hike.
Executive Vice President and Provost Gretchen Ritter will discuss her role and offer reflections on her first year at the University of Minnesota as the featured speaker for the UMRA Luncheon Forum on May 19 at Midland Hills Country Club in Roseville. The forum will be preceded by UMRA’s 2026 Annual Meeting.
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Michael leads this hike at Afton State Park.
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Bev leads the Nokomis walk to Minnehaha Falls.