frontenac state park association

February: A month made for reflection

Jan 31, 2024

How many of you out there consider February your favorite month? Anyone? Hello? Anyone? Bueller? Crickets… we thought so. But we’re here to argue that February is underrated. It carries us one step away from the heart of winter and one step closer to spring, and can be a time of quiet appreciation...

Avid birders to offer tips at library’s Big Year kickoff event

Jan 24, 2024

Master naturalists and avid birders Steve Dietz and Janet Malotky from the Frontenac State Park Association will help the Lake City Public Library kick off its Big Year of birding on Tuesday, Jan. 30. “Learn the many ways to discover the birds in and around Lake City as well as helpful tips and...

November at Frontenac State Park, Deeper quiet Broader Vistas

Nov 8, 2023

For many among us, November is a bear, a time to brace oneself against sudden darkness and cold, against the looming long months of winter. The sky is gray, the fields shorn, the leaves fallen, the colors muted, the songbirds flown, and November is Minnesota’s month with the least sunshine. The...

Buckthorn removal lesson is Nov. 4

Nov 1, 2023

The Friends of Frontenac State Park Association is holding a hands-on lesson on removing buckthorn at the park on Saturday, Nov. 4, at 10 a.m. “Invasive Species Management: Buckthorn Removal is a free, family friendly event on how to deep-six that darned buckthorn from the wild, and from your yard...

October is state park’s peak people month

Oct 4, 2023

October is “by far” the most popular month to visit Frontenac State Park, head ranger Jake Gaster tells us. It’s easy to see why. Fall colors are at their peak, with sumac, maples and other deciduous trees ablaze with beauty. Now that the oppressive summer heat has eased and there’s been a bit of...

September: The light shifts, and so do we

Aug 30, 2023

How swiftly it happens, this late summer turning of the year. The State Fair ends, our squirrely kids go back to school (ah … the peace, the quiet!), our garden zucchini and tomatoes wind down, our cornfields turn from green to golden, the heat and humidity ease, and gradually, mornings and...

The heart of the summer at Frontenac State Park

Jul 5, 2023

And just like that, July has arrived. We’re in the green heart of summer, though it remains to be seen how green it will remain if our drought lingers. Still, July in Minnesota is ever a treasure, rain or no. And what better place to enjoy that deep-summer loveliness than in Frontenac State Park (...

Preussner receives ‘Gold Leaf’ for service to Frontenac State Park

Dec 7, 2022

Deb Preussner received her “Gold Leaf” award for her over 30 years of service to the Frontenac State Park in November. Wally Siewert introduced her to the Frontenac State Park Association in recognition of her dedication, according to a news release. The Gold Leaf will be added to the Wall of Honor...

Frontenac State Park visits in 2021 down from peak, still way above pre-COVID levels

Mar 23, 2022

Editor’s note: A version of this report first appeared in the Florence Township annual newsletter. Our 2021 deer hunt saw 46 hunters in the park on November 20-21, who harvested a total of 25 deer. The slightly-lower-than-average take was likely due to poor weather, with it being warm enough on...

Candlelight hike in Frontenac State Park

Feb 16, 2022

People had the opportunity to walk, snowshoe, or ski over a mile of trail lit by luminarias Saturday, Feb. 12 at Frontenac State Park. Bonfires and a heated shack with treats awaited trailgoers who needed a warm up. At right, a trio of hikers pass by a luminaria as they head out along the course....