![Minnesota's state parks saw an overall decline in visitors this year, thanks to chilly, rainy weather that kept many people away at the start of the season. John Tamminen of Minneapolis guided his paddleboard up the channel at Pike Island during an afternoon of standup paddling on the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers after putting in at one of the boat launches at Fort Snelling State Park Tuesday afternoon, September 3, 2013. ] JEFF WHEELER • jeff.wheeler@startribune.com ORG X](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/FLVOPZR5MEBVYACDTZ5KAXGBEE.jpg?&w=1080)
"Late summer/early fall is a great time to go canoeing and kayaking because there are fewer bugs — or no bugs! The water is still warm. There's beautiful lighting for photos. There are lots of free campsites on the water trails and fewer people because we see a decline in paddling post-Labor Day. It's a great way to see fall colors and migrating birds. We had a very wet start to the paddling season this year, and many of the rivers were running pretty high. Right now, water levels are better than normal for this time of year. It's time to get out paddling!"
Erik Wrede, DNR water trails coordinator
For more information on fall paddling: www.mndnr.gov/watertrails.
