- Estimated Cost: $5
What’s the second best way to start your day? According to the Sail Away Cafe in Afton, it’s having breakfast at their restaurant! Yes, it’s time for the Afton Breakfast Hike – Summer Edition (yes, a little late I know). We’ll load up with a hearty breakfast at the Sail Away Cafe, burn off the calories with a 7-mile hike at Afton State Park, then replenish the calories at Selma’s Ice Cream Parlour. You can join us for just the hike if you like.
09:00 – Meet at the Sail Away Cafe (http://www.sailawaycafe.com/) for breakfast.
10:30 – Drive (carpooling if possible) to the Afton State Park (http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/afton/index.html) visitor center. Meet up with any extra hikers who skipped breakfast. To reach the visitor center, drive 1-2 miles after the park entrance until you find parking areas on your right for the visitor center.
10:45 (our goal) – Start hiking.
14:00-14:30 (estimate) – Finish hiking, take a swim at the beach if you want, then meet in Afton for ice cream at Selma’s (http://selmasparlour.com/).
The 7-mile hike is easy/moderate. We’ll go south to the south edge of the park, take the flat, old railroad trail north along the St. Croix River to the north edge of the park, climb a few hills, then turn south to the start. A shorter loop of about 3.5 miles is possible.
This activity is open to non-members. Friendly dogs are allowed. What to bring: water, snack/lunch, good shoes/boots, swim gear if you want to swim at the beach at the end of the hike, breakfast/ice cream money, and sunscreen/hat. $5 state park vehicle fee or annual pass required.