Crosby Manitou State Park
can be reached via a gravel road from Finland. The park was donated to
the state by George Crosby in 1955 and it was decided to leave the park
in a more primitive state. Instead of the normal campgrounds you'll
find hike in campsites. These campsites must be reserved or paid for by
checking the reservation board at the parking lot to see which sites
aren't taken yet. If you're coming from the east you'll have to
continue hiking to the parking area to see what is available before
returning to one of the available campsites. The Manitou River passes
through the park and has some nice falls just upstream from where the
SHT reaches the river from the west. The trail crosses the river on one
of the bridges put in place by the state. The state has replaced a
couple bridges on the trail, even in places not in a state park. They
just replaced the Kadunce River bridge in 2010, flying the bridge parts
in via helicopter. The yellow tint in the river below is due to
the Tannin
in the water. Get off the SHT on one of the other trails in the park
and you'll quickly learn how primative the trails are. In places the
trail is nothing more than a bunch of big boulders.
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