One Of Minnesota’s Hidden Gems Is Now Over 7,000 Years Old

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A new survey lists the best hidden gems in Minnesota, and one of them has been around awhile-- because it's now over 7,000 years old.

Now while I'm a Wisconsin native who's been a fully-naturalized Minnesotan for nearly 12 years now, I realize there are still many places in the Land of 10,000 Lakes that I've never been to. I've tried earnestly to learn my Minnesota geography, but I've gotta say, I hadn't ever run across this unique place.

It's included on this Bright Nomad list of the 11 Hidden Gems in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.  And while I'd heard of the other entries on the list, I confess that I'd not heard of the Jeffers Petroglyphs, a hidden gem located about an hour west of Mankato, or a little over two-and-a-half hours southwest of the Twin Cities in beautiful Comfrey, Minnesota.

The Minnesota Historical Society describes the Jeffers Petroglyphs as a spiritual and historic site that contains "more than 5,000 images of people, animals, and tools carved into the rock, some of which date back 7,000 years," it says.

In addition to the actual petroglyphs, the site features various trails "through native prairie, with over 250 species of grasses and wildflowers," the site says and also contains several interactive exhibits about Native culture and prairie ecology.

READ MORE: America's Least-Favorite Grocery Store Has 68 Locations in MN

Now, I've gotta say, it sounds pretty cool. I've just never heard of it in Minnesota conversation before. Minnehaha Falls in Minneapolis? Sure. Paul Bunyan and Babe in Bemidji? You betcha. I've even heard of and visited both Splitrock Lighthouse and the Gunflint Trail along the North Shore.

But I'd never heard of the Jeffers Petroglyphs until I read this story. I might have to put it on our list of Minnesota Things To Do, though. Have you heard of it-- or been there?

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