Lebanon Hills

25 August 2025

I haven’t done any hiking yet this year.

I mean, part of the reason I started hiking last year was to train for my Isle Royale trip, but I do like exploring, there just aren’t many stellar loop trails near where we live.  So when Matt asked if I minded driving him up to the Cities for an early morning flight, I figured it’d be a good chance for me to get out and finally get some hiking in.

The part I never remember about early flights- they come with an even earlier wake-up call.  We left the house shortly before 3am, I dropped Matt at the airport by 430am, then picked up some coffee and a donut at KwikTrip to kill some time since my trailhead technically doesn’t open until 5am.

Then I took a nap in the parking lot.

Don’t judge.

It’s dark and I didn’t bring a flashlight, but I did grab my sleeping pad 🙂  There are many things I like about my Outback, but today, I especially appreciate the trunk space and tonneau cover.  I put up half the seats, made myself a little cave under the cover and slept, mostly hidden, until 6am when a car full of chatty RunnerDudes parked next to me and woke me up.

I was the only car in the lot (or, I was when I got there and didn’t hear any other car doors until they arrived); why did they have to park right next to me!?

But I guess that means they thought my car was empty?

I wasn’t really ready to be awake, so after they left (and it was nice and quiet again), I rolled back over for almost another hour until my rumbling stomach woke me back up.

So I ate my donut, drank my coffee, walked up to the bathroom and hit the trail!

I’m starting on the left side of the map, at Jensen Lake Trailhead- my plan is to follow the trail along the south shore of the lake, then follow the green trail east until I get hungry or tired of walking, then turn around.

The trail is a combination of dirt paths and boardwalks:

(and none of the boardwalks were straight- they were all curvy!)

There was steam rising off the lake when I first started my hike- it dipped into the 40s overnight, but I got distracted by all the birds and it had dissipated by the time I thought to photograph it. Instead, enjoy these birds!

Ducks, with a little heron in the back:

Ducks!

Little green heron:

Wood duck:

Great blue heron:

A pair of geese:

There was also a pair of velociraptors, but they refused to turn my direction 🙁

Wood duck:

It’s a bit hard to see, but there’s a plane off in the distance:

Wildflowers:

Crooked bridge:

I spotted this bridge on the map when planning my hike and wanted to check it out. Wonky. I approve.

I also saw “Little Bridge” on the map and had to check it out as well:

Absolutely as underwhelming as advertised! I love it!

But, I think it’s time to start heading back.

Oh deer!

I actually spotted several deer, but most were off in the woods, like this guy:

Fancy boat launch:

There are portage trails interspersed with the hiking trails- most are just a muddy path, but this on had actual steps!

This was just labeled as “A-Frame Ceremony Venue”:

It comes with a little s’more stove (I mean, you can cook other things in it, but I’m feeling s’mores right now) and a(n unpictured) port-a-potty.

Sunflowers:

Canoe portage:

I liked the portages with the little canoe-carrying man logo:

The sun was filtering through the trees and hitting just the red leaves on this branch:

Dragonfly:

Monarch:

I promise there is a boardwalk under there somewhere…

So many flowers!

(it’s warming up, we’re in the mid 50s now, but since I started the day wearing my winter hat and have some serious hat-hair going on, headband it is!)

There were also a ton of birds in that field:

Indigo bunting:

Goldfinch:

Some sort of fledgling- he’s looking kinda rough…

Observation deck back near the trailhead:

Farewell, Lebanon Hills!