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Getting There
The parking area is almost a mile from the site. The following detailed directions to the site are from The Nature Conservancy. The GPS coordinates and directions in red are from MinnesotaSeasons.com.
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Travel west on Pope County Highway 8 for three miles, then south for a half mile after the road bends.
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At this point County 8 turns west again. Rather than follow County 8, continue south on Pope County 37 for 4.0 miles.
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At this point County 37 turns east. At the corner, follow a gravel township road to the south for 0.25 mile, then west for about a half mile after it bends.
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At this point N45 25.617, W95 12.244 a degraded dirt road turns to the south, marked by a small State Wildlife Management Area sign. Park here, on the side of the township road, unless you have a high-suspension vehicle. The degraded road is deeply rutted. An SUV will need to avoid the deepest ruts. The degraded road dead-ends into a grassy parking lot for the Little Jo WMA. N45 25.411, W95 12.224
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A rough track leads east out of the parking lot through tall grass and sumac and into a patch of forest where the trail is clearer. The track emerges from the forest N45 25.118, W95 11.732 into another field, and then through an aspen grove. Head toward the eastern side of Crook Lake.
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The trail enters the forest about 50 feet uphill from the lake N45 24.988, W95 11.814. After crossing an old barbed-wire fence, head east (left) on a trail toward Round Lake, which is visible through the trees.
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Follow an overgrown trail to the south N45 24.962, W95 11.794 that climbs onto the high ground between the two lakes and continue.
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Pass an open swamp on the right and take a trail that leaves to the north (left) toward Round Lake. (Continuing on the first trail leads onto private property.) Continuing on the first trail also leads 230 yards to Moe Woods just south of the northwest corner.
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Follow the new trail as it curves along the ridge above the lake. The trail ends quickly N45 24.809, W95 11.715, but continuing along the ridge leads into the northwest corner of Moe Woods Preserve and provides beautiful views of Round Lake.
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