Fun Without FODMAPs

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Subscribe
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Subscribe
×
Home » Beyond FODMAPs

Nerstrand-Big Woods State Park

Published: Oct 12, 2018 · Updated: Apr 11, 2020 by Em Schwartz, MS, RDN

Nerstrand-Big Woods State Park in Minnesota

Even if you don't live in Minnesota (or near Nerstrand-Big Woods), consider visiting one of the parks in your state for an affordable day-trip or weekend adventure. In my experience, many state parks (even in other states) cost less than $10 a day and offer a variety of outdoor activities. Plus, I've found hiking to be one of my favorite ways to move my body, unplug, and relieve stress.

Trail in Nerstrand-Big Woods State Park

Fall is filled with so many of my favorite things (fall colors, pumpkins, Halloween, etc.). It also means my outdoor sports-loving husband is gone most weekends from mid-September through November. Luckily, my sister is always up for an adventure. So, last weekend we decided to get outdoors, move our bodies, relieve a little stress, and explore Nestrand-Big Woods State Park.

Nerstrand-Big Woods State Park

A little back story ... when we were little, our parents gifted us Minnesota state park passports (pictured above). These little books challenged us to collect stamps and keep track of all of the state parks we visited. We made good headway while we were still living at home, but it's been a few years (okay like 12) since I've visited a new Minnesota state park. As Mar (my sister) and I are already working on visiting all of the U.S. National Parks, we decided we might as well also set a more local goal and visit all of Minnesota's beautiful state parks to fill our "passports".

Last weekend, we settled on visiting Nerstrand-Big Woods State Park because it was a relatively central meeting point for us (we live three hours apart) and the Minnesota Fall Color Finder indicated it would be a prime location to "chase the colors".

Fall leaves at Nerstrand-Big Woods State Park

Arriving at Nerstrand-Big Woods State Park

Nerstrand-Big Woods State Park is located about an hour south of the Twin Cities, near Faribault, Minnesota. To access the park, you'll need a day pass ($7) or annual park permit ($35). We both live near state parks and visit multiple times a year, so we both currently have annual passes.

Although coming from different directions, we both drove through southern Minnesota's farmland to get there. After miles of corn and soybean fields, this pocket of "big woods" seemed to appear out of nowhere which was really cool and even from afar the fall colors did not disappoint!

We arrived around 1 pm, and for a brisk, fall day, we were surprised to find the park's parking lot overflowing. It was awesome to see so many people getting outside and taking advantage of all of the park's amenities!

Hiking in Nerstrand-Big Woods

From the get-go, I opted to leave my phone in the car. I had my DSLR camera (with an unknown at-the-time dying battery) to take photos and knew I wasn't going to need my phone for anything. This simple act allowed me to further unplug and be more fully present - something I am constantly working on. It also eliminated the temptation to pick up my phone and aimlessly scroll.

Hidden Falls Waterfall at Nerstrand-Big Woods State Park

After collecting our passport stamp and a map at the visitor's center, we set out towards one of Nerstrand-Big Woods most popular attractions, the Hidden Falls. Although a little crowded, the waterfall was definitely pretty and only a short (~0.5 mile) walk through the forest.

From the falls, we combined several other trails (Fawn, Beaver, and White Oak) to make a larger (3.5 mile) loop back to the parking lot. On these trails, we only encountered a couple of other people, so it was a great time to take in the forest colors without a lot of distractions and catch up with my sister.

After having a quick snack break in our car (I packed FODMAP-friendly macadamia nuts and jicama sticks), we set out to explore the southern part of the park. The loop we chose was White Oak to Big Woods to Ironwood to Fox trail. This relatively flat ~2-mile hike had no one else on it. It was a little mucky (we visited after a really rainy week), but this trail was probably my favorite because of the massive (for MN-standards), colorful trees and the info plaques that dotted the Big Woods trail.

Hiker on Big Woods Trail in Nerstrand-Big Woods State Park

All in all, we spent a good four hours at the park and had so much fun exploring Nerstrand-Big Woods for the day. It was a perfect short trip and a great reminder that you don't necessarily have to travel far to have an awesome adventure.

0

More recipes

  • A white and light pink graphic that reads 6 Tips for Yoga Beginners
    6 Tips for Yoga Beginners | Beyond FODMAPs
  • Persimmon sorbetto from Grom in Venice Italy
    Italy
  • Lembongan Sunset
    Lembongan, Bali
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Hi! I'm Emily, the dietitian behind Fun Without Fodmaps

Hey! I'm Emily - a FODMAP-trained Registered Dietitian living with IBS. I love creating easy low FODMAP recipes for you (and me)!

More about me →

Popular

  • A square image of a bread loaf pan filled with low FODMAP banana bread
    Low FODMAP Banana Bread
  • Low FODMAP Moroccan Chicken
  • A bowl of low FODMAP chili
    Low FODMAP Turkey Chili with Sweet Potato & Lentils
  • A bowl of beef stew topped with chopped fresh parsley.
    Low FODMAP Beef Stew (Slow Cooker or Instant Pot)

Footer

↑ back to top

  • Subscribe
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases

Copyright © 2024 Fun Without FODMAPs