March is that time of the year when the sun is higher in the sky, the snow is melting, and plants are getting ready to come back from dormancy. These are indications that tree saps are starting to flow, which means it’s maple syrup season. Five Minnesota state parks are offering programs to introduce people to the history of maple syrup and sugar making, as well as the equipment and procedures used.
Participants will learn how to identify and tap the right kind of tree as well as how to boil the sap until it is sweet enough to serve on pancakes, waffles or ice cream.
Programs will be offered at the following state parks:
- Fort Snelling State Park, March 2, 9, 16, 29 and 30
- Lake Bemidji State Park, March 22
- Nerstrand Big Woods State Park, March 15, 16, 22, 23 and 29
- Whitewater State Park, March 1, 8, 15 and 22
- Wild River State Park, March 22, 29, April 5 and 12
The program at Wild River State Park on April 5 will feature a Sugarbush Sound Garden put on by the park’s artist-in-residence James Everest. The program will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Due to space limitations, some programs require advance registration. For the complete schedule with program details such as start times, plus more information about how to tap trees and make maple syrup, visit the DNR website.
The maple syrup programs at Minnesota state parks are free, but vehicle permits are required to enter the parks ($7 for a one-day permit or $35 for a year-round permit). Permits can be purchased online in advance (mndnr.gov/permit), or at the park’s ranger station during open hours.
Minnesota is home to five native species of maple trees, and all produce sap that can be made into maple syrup. Sugar maples are the preferred tree for maple syrup as the sap from sugar maple trees has the highest concentration of sugar. Typically, the best time to collect tree sap has been between mid-March and mid-April, when temperatures are in the high 30s to mid-40s during the day and below freezing at night. It usually takes 30 to 40 gallons of tree sap to produce one gallon of pure maple syrup.