Root River WMA (MN) Hike/Amble

This is a quintessentially perfect late winter/early spring hike when the freeze/thaw cycle is muddying up your usual hiking trails. I save it for the times I want to be immersed in nature but don't want to ruin trails because the ground is so wet. 

This MN Wildlife Management Unit is managed for hunting, trapping and wildlife observation. It can be overgrown in the summer and has hunting pressure in the fall. That's why winter and spring are my preferred times to hike.

Located next to the Root River, this wetland area boasts spectacular views of surrounding bluffs as well as floodplain forests. The main trail is flat and very accessible for anyone looking for a flatter, easier "Amble"*. It is an old abandoned road that has a grass and gravel surface so it remains fairly firm and walkable even in the freeze/thaw cycle. Additional trails lead around the edges and further into the WMA. 

Some of the mown trails are rough with regrowth but they take you into some lovely areas so are worth the effort, though less "Amble-worthy". As a wetland, you may also run into small streamlets that you can hop across or turn around for an out-and-back hike. During migration seasons, you can hear sandhill cranes and geese as well as other sonbigrds.

About a mile into the hike, you pass by the foundations of an old building on the right side and a restored prairie on your left. When I first started hiking the WMA, this area was an old farm field. Funding from Pheasants Forever to seed the field with prairie grasses and flowers has really transformed the feel of the hike there. 

The trail becomes more overgrown here (hello big bluestem, you're in my way!) as you approach the Root River dike across from Hokah. There are many bushwhacky deer paths up onto the dike where you can get a great look at the Root River rushing by. You can continue to the west on the trail to it's end and turn around, although it is is far more overgrown in February 2024 than in the past.

Winter is another great season to enjoy this WMA, especially on snowshoes.  While you can use the trail, the off-trailing is exceptional. There are many open areas to explore in both the wetlands and woods areas. It really expands the areas of the WMA you can access.

THE HIKE

A very level, old grass and gravel roadbed goes into the heart of this wetlands and floodplain forest just outside of Hokah. While managed for hunting and trapping, this under 2 mile out-and-back hike makes a great, accessible and easy hike that is especially great during the freeze/thaw season when other trails are too muddy to hike. Those who want to add extra miles can follow rougher mown trails that take you into the interior of the WMA.

Location - Hwy 16, just outside Hokah. 

If coming from La Crescent, it is 1/4 mile from Hokah. You take the first right after the 30 mph speed sign on to a short graveled road with a gate at the end. From Hokah, go 1/4 mile out of town and take the first left onto the short gravel road with the gate at the end. Park anywhere to the side of the road near the gate.

*an Amble is a short hike under 2.5 miles on flatter trails that help those who need or want a slower pace or are recovering from illness or injury.

All images - Marge Loch-Wouters