Carley State Park
River Crossing Trail

There is an awful lot packed into this short trail - strolling through stands of tall white pine, scrambling across rivers, far views above, and peaceful views walking along the edge of a quiet river.

---

In the spring and summer this is a wonderland of wildflowers and in the fall the oak and maple are brilliant in the low afternoon sun. Come November and suddenly the views open up and you can see the winding river below as you walk high above.

Approach

From the junction of MN Hwy 247 and Cty Rd 4 in Plainview, Minnesota, head south on Cty Rd. 4 (also known as MN Hwy 42) for 0.5 miles till Cty Rd. 4 breaks away from Hwy 42.

---

Follow Cty Rd 4 3.3 miles south to the entrance to Carley State Park on your right.

---

Enter Carley State Park, following the dirt road 0.2 miles to where the road splits. Pay the parking fee at the fee station here.

---

Proceed a very short distance to where the road splits a second time, and take a right into the parking lot. There will be a flagpole and a plaque about the park at the parking lot.

---

Coordinates for the hike: 44.1115880,-92.1739410

---

Parking / Trailhead amenities

The parking lot is dirt, level, and has room only for a small number of cars. There are no facilities near the parking lot. There is a pit toilet about 2 miles along the trail in the picnic area.

---

Trail observations

The trailhead exits the parking lot between the bench and the trailmap. The trail quickly branches right, and from there makes a big winding loop that ends up back at the branch.

---

The dirt trail is usually very narrow - it can get slippery, though the trail is never near any cliffs so there is no danger of anything more than a simple fall.

---

The trail also crosses the river twice - this can be a challenge because the river level varies a lot, and the cement blocks used to cross the river are often under water or shifted out of alignment.

---

It's fairly likely that in the spring the river will be uncrossable due to high water.

---

Trail statistics

The trail is 3.09 miles long. The sum of all the uphill climbs is 188 feet.

---

Trail waypoints

0.05 mi	Parking	Parking lot
0.06 mi	Stay right	Branch - stay right
0.07 mi	Trailhead	Trailhead
0.21 mi	Go right	Branch - stay right
0.26 mi	Side trail	Side trail - go left then return and continue straight
0.32 mi	Overlook	Overlook
0.59 mi	Bench	Bench
0.62 mi	Crossing	River crossing
0.64 mi	Stay left	Branch - stay left
0.78 mi	Stay left (bench)	Branch - stay left (Bench)
0.85 mi	Go right	Branch - stay right
1.27 mi	Tee - left	Tee - go left (trail map)
1.38 mi	Wood bridge	Wood bridge
1.94 mi	Cement blocks	River crossing
1.96 mi	Tee left	Tee - go left
2.06 mi	Tee left again	Tee - go left
2.29 mi	Bench	Bench
2.45 mi	Bench	Bench
2.48 mi	Picnic area	Picnic area - stay left along the river
2.57 mi	Along the river	Stay left along the river
2.63 mi	Go straight	Intersection - go straight. Don't cross the river!
2.75 mi	Stairs	Stairs
2.75 mi	Bench	Bench
2.84 mi	Go straight	Intersection - stay left to go straight
2.89 mi	Stay right	Intersection - stay right to go straight
3.04 mi	Right to the lot	Branch - stay right to head to the parking lot
3.08 mi	End of trail	Trail end