This article was written by Jeannette Lutter-Gardella
The Kroening Nature Center would like to invite you to come explore North Mississippi Regional Park on snowshoes! Did you know that people have been traveling and now recreating on snowshoes for about 6,000 years? Today there are over three million people exploring nature in winter on snowshoes. Come to Kroening Nature Center to join them and find out what this wintertime fun is all about.
The “shoeski” was first invented in central Asia in 4000 BC. The first snowskis were a solid piece of wood lashed to the bottom of each foot with hide straps. The exaggerated size of the shoe distributes the wearer’s weight and allows them to walk on top of snow without sinking. This is similar to the strategy used by native animals, including snowshoe hares and Canada lynx. It is believed the first people that migrated over the Bering Land Bridge into North America traveled using snowskis. The indigenous people of the Great Lakes area perfected the laced-frame snowshoe, which later developed into various styles we know today. Starting in the 1950s manufacturers modernized the shoe by developing new materials and designs made of lightweight metal and other synthetic materials.
As a Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Adventure hub, North Mississippi Regional Park has snowshoes, trekking poles and more exploration rentals availablefree to the public anytime during our hours of operation. If you are interested in trying them for the first time, we at Kroening Nature Center are here to get you outfitted and trekking atop of the snow along the Mississippi River!
In addition, we have several snowshoeing activities led by our Naturalists happening in February. Sign up on our website at minneapolisparks.org/activities__events/.
We hope to see you soon. Happy snowshoeing!
Bird Watching: Snowshoe Birding, Sat. 2/12, Free. Ages 8+, 10-11:30 a.m. Come birding on snowshoes with a naturalist for a bird-watching walk along our prairie, woodland, and river trails.
Full Moon Snowshoe Hike, Thur. 2/17, $3. Ages 8+, 7-8 p.m. Join a naturalist on a snowshoe hike under the full moon along the Mississippi River, through the woods and across the prairie, then warm up next to a campfire.
Noticing Nature on Snowshoes, Sat. 2/26. Free. Ages 8+, 3-4:30 p.m. Strap on a pair of snowshoes and take a peaceful hike through the park with a naturalist guide to hone your nature observation abilities.
We would love to hear from you. Please take a moment and take our feedback survey so we can better serve the community.