Ferry Rock Trail
Photo: Sank63, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- 0.5 mi
- round trip
- 343 ft
- climb
- 1,017 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Apr, Jun–Oct
- best months
Ferry Rock Trail is a short, easy out-and-back hike of about 1.1 miles in R J D Memorial Hardwood State Forest in southeastern Minnesota, on land managed by the State Department of Natural Resources. The trail starts at an elevation of about 914 feet and reaches a high point of about 1,017 feet, with a total round-trip climb of about 343 feet. The route is rolling, and the steepest stretch comes early on, at about 0.1 mile in. For comfortable weather, late spring through early fall works well. Typical averages from a nearby weather station run from highs around 71°F in May to about 84°F in July, with September cooling to around 74°F. That station sits roughly 400 feet lower than the trail's high point, so temperatures on the trail run a little cooler. The trip takes about half an hour. For paddlers, the Reno Bottoms Canoe Trail lies about 5 miles away, and the Goose Island Canoe Trail across the state line in Wisconsin is about 8 miles off.
Best time to go · Apr, Jun–Oct
Best time to visit Ferry Rock Trail
Best months: April and June–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
27° / 11°
9 wet
Feb
32° / 14°
8 wet
Mar
45° / 26°
9 wet
Apr
59° / 38°
11 wet
May
71° / 50°
13 wet
Jun
80° / 60°
12 wet
Jul
84° / 64°
10 wet
Aug
81° / 62°
9 wet
Sep
74° / 54°
9 wet
Oct
61° / 42°
9 wet
Nov
45° / 30°
9 wet
Dec
32° / 18°
9 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Genoa Dam 8, WI, 4.1 mi away at 639 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
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Route details
- Distance
- 0.5 mi round trip
- Climbing
- About 343 ft
- Summit
- 1,037 ft
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time
- About 0.5 hours
Questions about this route
How long is the Ferry Rock Trail on Fairy Rock?
About 0.5 mi round trip.
How much elevation gain is on the Ferry Rock Trail?
About 343 ft of climbing round trip.
How hard is the Ferry Rock Trail?
It is rated easy.
How long does the Ferry Rock Trail take?
About 0.5 hours round trip.
Conditions and forecast on Fairy Rock
Daily highs and lows, wind and the chance of precipitation at the summit and route start for the next 7 days, from the Open-Meteo model.
Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors
