8/10 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊Mommy Approved Smiling Faces
The terrain in this location is very different. The paths spiral in large circles. You can be looking down one minute and the next, you will be in that lower area you just looked down upon and looking up to where you once stood. It is an interesting location due to the terrain. In researching the area the site says it has “kame and kettle topography” (What? I’ve never heard this term before?) It basically means that the terrain formed from a glacier making divots, depressions and mounds in the land. That must be why the area is so different than others we’ve hiked. It has various man-made stones named quarries throughout with signs about where they could have come from. There are also informative signs about the foliage, animals and Indian history in the area. The trails are pretty well marked. You can find bird house boxes in the more open areas and a couple of interesting benches toward the entrance of the hike.
The Skinny:
- Location : Champlin Glacier Park is 134 Acres of park having Kame and Kettle topography (see above) with a bit more than 2 miles of moderate trails. These trails are in close proximity to Misquamicut State Beach, so we did hiking in the morning and went to the beach right after. (Jewel’s review is of the beach and the hike) There is also Bay View Fun Park, Water Wizz, The Misquaumicut Drive-in Theater, Atlantic Beach Park offering arcade games and a carousel and Crandall Park Playground close by.
- Duration : We spent an hour or so not doing the entire trail, you could have easily spent more time here. We walked the blue trail to the red and looped back around on the blue back to the car.
- Weather : Has to be a decent day because it is completely outdoors and ideally not after a bout of rain because it will be very muddy on the lower levels of the hike. Probably best to go in the morning as opposed to at dusk due to less bugs.
- Parking : The are two FREE areas dedicated to this reserve. We parked in the area of the condos on Kettle Close. It holds 3 cars but there was only one other car there, a man with his young son. It appeared as though it could fit more.
- Hours : Sunrise to sunset
- Recommendations : Snacks, water, bug spray, good hiking shoes for this terrain. Binoculars would have helped us to find the noisy culprit! Although this trail was recommended as kid friendly when I initially checked, I would say doing the entire thing for us at 3 and 5 years of age would not have been ideal due to the slopes and inclines. It is a kid friendly hike but probably best for ages 8 and up if you want to complete the entire 2 mile trail.
Jewel Approved 👍🏼
Jamison Approved 👍🏼
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