Hiking Club Trail - Mille Lacs Kathio State Park

The Hiking Club Trail (see the end of this article for information about the Hiking Club) at Mille Lacs Kathio State Park is a 3.2-mile-long loop through a hilly hardwood forest. Parking for this hike can be found at the Landmark Trail parking area. There is a fee to enter the park; a day use or annual permit can be purchased at the park office.

To take this hike in a clockwise direction head southwest on the Landmark Trail. Look at the blue Hiking Club signs as well as the numbered signs at trail intersections while taking this hike. The Landmark Trail takes hikers by two Native American archeological sites and near Lake Ogechoie. Shortly after passing the Wilford archeological site, take a left at intersection 17. The trail moves away from Lake Ogechoie here and the remainder of the hike is through hilly terrain in a deciduous forest. The trail passes by ponds and wetlands along the way. A half mile past intersection 17, take a left at intersection 16. After about another half mile, continue going straight at intersection 15. It is a short distance to the next intersection (14), go right here. Continue straight at intersection 24, then take the right at intersection 25. Next, take a left at intersection 19. After about a third of a mile the trail will meet a road. Take a right and walk the road back to the parking area.

The Minnesota State Park’s Hiking Club program encourages hikers to hike a designated Hiking Club Trail at most state parks. A Hiking Club password is found on all of these hikes. You can earn patches, free camping, and even a plaque (if you hike all of the Hiking Club trails) for participating in the club. A Hiking Club kit can be purchased at most state parks for $14.95 (as of 2022). More information about the program can be found here.

A map of the park and its hiking trails can be found here.