2013-07-28 Barn Bluff Hiking in Red Wing

Ray and LeAnn took a short trip down to Red Wing, MN to hike the Barn Bluff along the Mississippi River.  The weather was nice and cool for late July.

At the base of the Barn Bluff is an old kiln from the late 1800's that is built into the limestone.  Red Wing is very famous for its Red Wing Pottery.





At the beginning of the trail, there is a long concrete stairwell (one of 3 on the trail loop) that was built by the Kiwanis to make it easier to get to the top and see the great views.  Each step was purchased through donations and the name of the donor is engraved in the stone.






We took the north trail which went past an old kiln tunnel that was about 30 deep or so.  For a while, the limestone was quarried off the bluff.  The remnants of the quarry area are now used by rock climbers.  There were a couple of dozen groups of climbers going up the walls.









As we came up the set of stairs on the west end, the woods opened up and gave great views of the town of Red Wing and the Mississippi River.  A large flag pole is on top of the bluff, a memorial to our veterans.