Outdoors - Hastings Journal

“Happy fair week,” was the greeting of the hour as the Dakota County Commissioners held their annual board meeting from the County Fairgrounds. The meeting, held in the fairground’s … more

By Graham P. Johnson | 8/13/25

Newly reconstructed parking lots and improved walkways now lead visitors to the upgraded fishing pier and boat launch at Lake Rebecca Park, offering easier access and a more natural shoreline.

Lake Rebecca Park reopens with major upgrades, more natural look

After months of construction, Lake Rebecca Park in Hastings has officially reopened with a slate of improvements aimed at both recreational access and ecological health. The $1 million project, … more

By Bruce Karnick | 8/6/25

The Cannon Old West Society had various reenactments that occasionally ended with gunshots.

Little Log House Pioneer Village celebrates 34th Antique Power Days

To walk through the streets of the Little Log House Pioneer village is to catch visions from the past. Hundred-year-old tractors putter past six-shooter-strapped cowboys as WWII soldiers saunter … more

Graham P. Johnson gjohnson@hastingsjournal.news | 7/29/25

The two eggs that appeared outside the Lebanon Hills are the first sculpture from Ifrah Mansour in the Weaving Abundance program that will play out across Dakota County Parks in August.

Dakota County Parks Welcomes First Artist in Residence

Visitors of Lebanon Hills Regional Park Visitor Center may have noticed two large eggs appear in the pollinator garden outside. What laid the feet-tall purple- and white-speckled eggs there is not a … more

Graham P. Johnson gjohnson@hastingsjournal.news | 7/29/25

The Rivertown Days Sunday car show brought crowds to downtown along with their antique cars.

Rivertown Days hosts 46th annual celebration

For 46 years Hastings residents have been going to the banks of the Mississippi to celebrate Rivertown Days. From carnivals to live music to car shows, the weekend has long been an excuse to get out … more

By Graham P. Johnson and Bruce Karnick | 7/23/25

United Heroes League President and Founder Shane Hudella spoke at the most recent Hastings Area Rotary Club meeting about Hastings hosting the upcoming Hockey Day Minnesota 2026 event. Hudella touched on the planning processes and those things becoming reality at the UHL campus on Ravenna Trail in Hastings.

Hastings gears up for a historic Hockey Day Minnesota 2026

Come January 2026, the puck will drop on something far bigger than just a game. Hockey Day Minnesota is heading to Hastings for its 20th anniversary, and the celebration is shaping up to be the … more

By Bruce Karnick | 7/16/25

Hastings downtown will soon be overrun with carnival rides, food trucks, and music-lovers of all stripes.

'It’s something you don’t want to miss;’ What's new for Rivertown Days 2026

While the preparation for Hastings Rivertown Days takes the majority of the year, the runup to the event is when the rubber hits the road for Hastings Chamber of Commerce President Kirsty Barse: The … more

By Graham P. Johnson | 7/14/25

Less lake ice has implications for recreation, the environment, and fish and wildlife

We might have had another sufficiently cold winter in Minnesota to support some ice fishing and pond hockey — certainly a colder winter than the one before — but climate experts point out … more

From Minnesota Pollution Control | 3/18/25

Dan Sturgeon’s old-time spearing shack on Lake Winnebago was new in 1950.

Outdoor Tales & Trails: The real sturgeon spearing experience

I can now officially check the box for spear fishing sturgeon on Lake Winnebago. I spent three days with Dan “Sturgeon,” who is an old-school, second-generation sturgeon … more

By Dave Beck | 3/5/25

Wyatt Jensen who was on KAMO's "Joe Hunt" and hunting with his father Noah Jensen made an excellent shot on this beautiful buck.

KAMO's "Joe Hunt" as good as it gets!

Hello friends, Back in December of 2006 I wrote in this very same column about my thought that here in Wisconsin, we should have a multi-chapter organization that helps to get kids into the … more

By Mark Walters | 12/31/24

DAKOTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY TO HOST WOODLAND WINTER WALK AT LEDUC ESTATE

South St. Paul – The Dakota County Historical Society will host a Woodland Winter Walk at the LeDuc Historic Estate on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, from 5–9 p.m. The event will celebrate the … more

12/12/24

That awesome memory is from many hunting seasons ago but around our family the story resurfaces this time of year and it’s all because we had to “go into town” to register my dad’s big buck.

Outdoor Tales & Trails: Dad's big buck

In just a couple of days in Wisconsin we are going to celebrate one of the best traditions in our state’s history. No, not Jump Around at the Badger game and no, not a victory dance at … more

By Dave Beck | 11/20/24

From our base camp to our camp at the top of the mountain was a five mile ATV journey that was quite challenging.

An Outdoorsman's Journal

Hello friends, This week and next I will write about my most anticipated, expensive and in some ways, challenging trip of my life. I would head west with my golden retrievers to southwest … more

By Mark Walters | 11/12/24

This camper trailer should be a positive addition to Mark Walters’ life.

An Outdoorsman's Journal

Hello friends, As you read this I am high up on a Montana mountain with my 23-year-old daughter Selina Walters hunting elk and mule deer. I have to meet two deadlines as this is a 12-day trip so … more

By Mark Walters | 11/5/24

Keith Westaby, who is blind and lives in Owen, harvested this 8-point buck with the help of his brother, Dennis Westaby, during WRPCO's Deer Hunt for Hunters with Disabilities.

WRPCO's Deer Hunt for Hunters with Disabilities was simply amazing

Hello friends, This is a guaranteed week where I simply cannot even put 25 percent of what I would like to in a column due to space. In simple terms, I had an amazing weekend. First, Chuck … more

By Mark Walters | 10/22/24