2021 Fall Rochester IBM Alumni Club Walk/Hiking Events

Indian Heights City Park  Root River County Park 

Join IBM Alumni members, spouses and guests for Walking/Hiking events this fall to get some exercise while enjoying nature and the outdoors. Eight walk/hikes will start in Sep-tember and continue through October and include trails in city parks and county parks. The trails are moderate with some inclines and will take about 1½ - 2 hours with the trail leader pointing out interesting geological features and history of the parks and wildlife and flora along the routes.

We are planning 8 fall walk-hiking activities at the following parks:
1. September 8, 9:00 am: Quarry Hill Park, 701 Silver Creek Road NE, Rochester which is accessible from County Road 22 (East Circle Drive). Meet at the parking lot by the Nature Center. The Park offers more than eight miles of trails. Paved, grassy and rugged terrain provides a variety of options of trails through meadows, woodland, oak savanna, quarry ruins and overlook of Rochester. Park Info and map.

2. September 15, 9:00 am: Indian Heights Park, 1800 Terracewood Drive NW, Roch-ester. Meet at the Parking area at the end of Terracewood Drive. Indian Heights Park is a little-known gem situated between Assisi Heights to the west and the Zumbro River. Trails wind through woods, oak savanna, around an old quarry and offers a hilltop over-look of the city of Rochester. The name “Indian Heights” was coined by pioneers who recognized this as an Indian burial ground in the 1800’s. The trail leader will talk about the Indian and Pioneer history of the area. Park info and map.

3. September 22, 9:00 am: Oxbow County Park, 5731 County Rd 105 NW, Byron. Meet at the main parking lot by the Nature Center & Zoo. Oxbow Park, consisting of 572 acres, offers a great variety of hiking trails that wind through a landscape of wooded hills and meadows. Park Info

4. September 29, 9:00 am: Essex Park, 5455 West River Road NW, Rochester. Meet at the main parking lot by the picnic pavilion. Essex Park, located on the north edge of Rochester, has many trails that loop through prairie, woods and meadows providing a Rochester great opportunity to enjoy nature and the outdoors. Some trails are paved, others are grass or dirt trails. Park map.

5. October 6, 9:00 am: Root River County Park, 4012 80th St SE, Rochester. The 125 acres of Root River Park offer many secluded areas to hike. A 2-mile looped hiking trail winds through the meadows and wooded hills along Root River providing visitors with a variety of options of beauty and natural history. Great scenery with towering lime-stone bluffs along the Root River. A section of the trail is on an 1800’s wagon trail used by early settlers. Park Info and map

6. October 13, 9:00 am: Chester Woods County Park, 8378 Highway 14 East, Eyota. Meet at the parking lot by the boat ramp. There are about 12 miles of primitive trails that wind through a variety of inviting natural habitats in the undeveloped areas of the park. The trail leader will select a route of about 3 to 5 miles depending on weather and de-sires of the hiking participants. Note: the entrance fee of $5/car has been waived for 2021. Park Info

7. October 20, 9:00 am: Oxbow County Park, 5731 County Rd 105 NW, Byron. Meet at the main parking lot by the Nature Center & Zoo. Oxbow Park, consisting of 572 acres, offers a great variety of hiking trails that wind through a landscape of wooded hills and meadows. Park Info

8. October 27, 9:00 am: Quarry Hill Park, 701 Silver Creek Road NE, Rochester which is accessible from County Road 22 (East Circle Drive), meet at the parking lot by the Nature Center. The Park offers more than eight miles of trails. Paved, grassy and rugged terrain provides a variety of options of trails through meadows, woodland, oak savanna, quarry ruins and overlook of Rochester. Park Info and map.

NOTE: All hikes will meet at the Park parking lot at 9:00am. A reminder email for those who have signed up will be sent a few days prior to the walk-hike date with direc-tions to the park. To sign up Click here

Any questions contact Dave Lind at davel616@chartermi.net or call (507)-288-8147.

Dave Lind - your walk/hiking activity leader