St. Stephen NORDIC WALKING CLUB 2026

You’re invited to the St. Stephen Nordic Walking Club!

The club is for all ages, all speeds and fitness levels, all members and their friends. The club gets together every Tuesday to walk 2 ½ to 2 ¾ miles from 7 to 8pm at various locations.

Our walking season is from April 28 to August 25.

We call our club Nordic Walking because we advocate the use of walking poles like those used by Nordic skiers, particularly when going up or down unpaved trails. They are a convenient

option, not a requirement. We walk for exercise and shared fellowship. Conversation never stops as we walk.

What Is Needed?

• Low-cut walking shoes are fine, so are hiking boots.

• Sunscreen and bug repellant from time to time.

• A water bottle, especially on warm, sticky evenings, and preferably one that doesn’t have to be carried in your hands.

• Dress for the temperature, but don’t overdo it unless you plan on sweating.

• A waterproof jacket if rain is possible, however we won’t start a walk unless the chance of rain is low. We cancel if it’s raining before we start, or if there is lightning, or if heat/humidity is excessive.

• Poles. If you wish to bring poles, they should have comfortable grips. Most are height-adjustable so that the best pole length can be found, which is about 6 inches shorter than armpit height. Occasionally we walk on hard surfaces, but many of our walks are on dirt or turf where metal points are best. Some poles are equipped with removable rubber caps over their points for hard-surface walking.

Group Compaction. What Is It?

We accommodate all walking speeds but use an approach called group compaction to keep us all together. This means we vary our speeds to prevent us from spreading out too far. Some of

our walking routes are “out and back” which allows walkers to choose a shorter walking distance for themselves.

Other Things To Know

• Bathrooms? Yes. All locations have portable facilities either at the starting point of mid-walk.

• Ticks? Except for Lake Avenue, ticks are possible, sometimes likely, particularly in May or early June. We try to stay out of tall grass.

Where Will We Walk?

We have eight favorite places to walk, which are listed below. We will rotate locations week-to-week with each selected more than once. Locations will be announced weekly, including directions to the locations.

1. Lake Avenue, from Kowalski’s to West Park. This is an out-and-back walk entirely on the paved path adjacent to White Bear Lake. with options for distance. The turn-around is 1.5 miles from the start.

2. Katherine Abbot Park in Mahtomedi. This is a city park where the paths are mostly unpaved with several hills, a few steep. The walk is mostly in the forest. Poles are valuable here.

3. Tamarack Nature Center On Otter Lake Road. Except for a short entry/exit path, the trails at Tamarack are all turf or dirt in forests or pasture. There are a few small hills. Chances of seeing wildlife and flowers on our walk make Tamarack special. Poles are useful.

4. Oakdale Nature Center On Hadley Avenue. This city park has a maze of short-distance, interconnected trails that are a mix of paved and unpaved surfaces. Our route will be chosen to avoid paths that might be wet due to recent rain. Poles are useful.

5. Sunfish Lake Park On Hwy 5 in Lake Elmo. This is a city park similar to Katherine Abbot where the trails are all unpaved in a beautiful forest. With several hills, poles are advised.

6. Vadnais Lake Trail (Vadnais/Snail Lakes Regional Park). This trail is one of three we will walk in the Regional Park. Accessed form County Road F, the Vadnais Lake Trail is out-and-back between East and West Vadnais Lakes, entirely flat and paved and shared with bicycles.

7. Sucker Lake Trail (Vadnais/Snail Lakes Regional Park) . Second of our Regional Park walks, this trail, also accessed from County Road F, is a circular loop around Sucker Lake with half of the distance on a flat pavement shared with bicycles and the other half on dirt with some hills. Poles are useful.

8. Snail Lake Trail (Vadnais/Snail Lakes Regional Park). Third of our Regional Park walks, the Snail Lake Trail is out-and-back entirely on hard pavement shared with bicycles. Our walk begins at the Regional Park and picnic grounds on Snail Lake Boulevard.