State parks will host autumn festivals, dig deep on geology
Weekend programs at state and regional parks
Itasca State Park
6-8:30 p.m. Saturday
• Lantern-lit 30-minute hikes along a trail that includes characters who tell tall tales of Paul Bunyan, loons, mosquitoes and more. Register at 6 p.m. (1-218-699-7251; mndnr.gov/itasca)
Minneopa State Park
4:30-7:30 p.m. Saturday
• Bonfire, children's activities, apple press demonstrations, and enough marshmallows for all. There will be a candlelit trail to the Minneopa Creek gorge. (1-507-384-8890; mndnr.gov/minneopa)
Geology at the core
Jay Cooke State Park
12:30-2:30 p.m. Saturday
• Meet at the swinging bridge to learn facts about the park's rocky terrain. (1-218-673-7000; mndnr.gov/jaycooke)
Archaeology day
Mille Lacs Kathio State Park
10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday
• Demonstrations on flint-knapping, the process used for making tools; ancient pottery; bows; spears; and excavation. (1-320-532-3269; mndnr.gov/millelacs)
Fall color walk
Brown's Creek State Trail
9-10:30 a.m. Saturday
• Take a walk led by a state park naturalist. It starts at the intersection of Main Street and Laurel Avenue in Stillwater. (651-231-6968; mndnr.gov/brownscreek)
about the writer
None of the boat’s occupants, two adults and two juveniles, were wearing life jackets, officials said.