Northern Minnesota State Park Issues Important Warning For Hidden Danger

Enjoying the beauty of Minnesota's state parks can be a magical experience any time of year. While most people flock to these parks in the warmer months, winter can be an especially awesome treat at some of Minnesota's outdoor gems.

After a stretch of cold weather in January, our recent warmer temperatures have people looking to get outside, and state parks are a popular destination for winter outings.

One of the most-visited Minnesota State Parks is warning visitors about a hidden danger right now, and for some wild reason, people seem to be dangerously ignoring that warning.

Gooseberry Falls State Park on Minnesota's North Shore is an incredible place to visit at any time of the year. During the winter season, seeing the frozen waterfalls can make for a magical experience.

READ MORE: Minnesota State Parks Offering Special Candlelight Events This Winter

I made a trip of my own to Gooseberry Falls just recently to see the frozen falls and enjoy a hike. While I was there, I noticed signs near the main waterfall area, warning people to stay off the ice on the river.

The warning, as seen below, highlights that river ice is never safe. The sign explains that pools in the river can be deep, and asks visitors to stay on designated trails and off the ice on the river.

Not mentioned on the sign, but also crucial, is the fact that moving water (which is very much present on a river, especially near waterfalls and rapids) can erode ice, making it weak or thin, without any obvious signs from above that it may be dangerous. Unlike on a lake, where there often isn't any major current to eat away at ice, rivers are a whole different story.

Even after the subzero temperatures Northern Minnesota saw not too long ago, the river is still moving under the surface. I hiked upstream from the main waterfalls along the trail and saw moving water trickling right along on parts of the surface of the ice, showing signs of life on what appears to be a frozen river.

Despite that, I saw several people walking up to the main falls, and even walking down the river toward Lake Superior.

While portions of this area aren't very deep and could be frozen to the rocky bottom of the river, that isn't true universally on the river. Not being able to see what is under the ice and snow, it isn't a good idea to blindly assume your next step is a safe one on the river.

Hence, the warnings from the Minnesota DNR officials who manage the park.

The warmer weather that's encouraging visitors to get out of the house and explore the park is also deteriorating the ice on the river, adding an extra level of danger to venturing out on the ice.

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While it may be tempting to get a perspective you can't get during warmer weather months, it's probably best not to try it right now either.

That said, there are still plenty of great places to see the frozen falls from! My advice is to bring some ice cleats, though, as the trails and stairways are snow-packed and ice-covered, and traction devices are a very good idea to get around safely.