Your favorite Minnesota state park might be closed this weekend. Here’s why.

Welcome to Out Here, a weekly feature that looks ahead to upcoming outdoor activities in Minnesota. With the recent warm weather, hiking remains one of the most popular activities at Minnesota state parks. Birders, in particular, are taking advantage of better visibility as the trees lose their leaves. But with Minnesota’s firearms deer hunting season opening Saturday, hikers should be aware that they may be sharing the state’s public lands with hunters. Afton State Park in Hastings will be closed on Saturday to accommodate the opener and there will be limited access for the non-hunting public to more than a dozen other state parks. They span from the most popular along the North Shore, such as Tettegouche and Gooseberry Falls state parks, to southeast Minnesota’s Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Advertisement The hunts help control the deer population in parks, said Lauren Peck, parks and trails communications specialist at the DNR. “It’s very safe. We just want people to be aware, especially when parks are closed for hunting,” she said. “If the deer population gets really big, it can negatively affect the other animals and plants, so [hunting] really helps us keep a healthy balance.” In addition to abiding by any hunting-related signage, Peck recommends those visiting state parks wear blaze orange or other brightly colored clothing and to check park statuses on the DNR’s website. Managed hunts continue into December on state park lands. For a complete list of Minnesota State Parks and their status during the deer hunting season, go to dnr.state.mn.us. Advertisement Advertisement Looking for a good hike? Take a look at our autumn hiking guide . - Alex Chhith Advertisement Expanded image view During their annual fall migration south tundra swans congregate on the Mississippi River near Brownsville, Minn. ( David Joles/The Minnesota Star Tribune ) Tundra swans over Minnesota The last of the migratory birds that fly through the state will be making their way here in the next few weeks. “Tundra swans peak in mid-November or the second-half of November,” said Stephen Winter, wildlife biologist at the Upper Mississippi River Wildlife and Fish Refuge in Winona. “This is really the last big push of the [bird] species.” Related Coverage Outdoors 5 big changes to Minnesota deer season every hunter needs to know The upper Mississippi River is an important migration staging area for tundra swans who winter in states along the east coast, he said. The population breeds in the arctic of Alaska and Canada and currently most of them are north and west of the state, he added. Winter will host an informational presentation about tundra swans at Whitewater State Park on Wednesday, Nov. 11. The DNR has two viewing areas for tundra swans in southeast Minnesota, Rieck’s Lake Park near Alma, Wisconsin, and along Highway 61 near the town of Weaver. Advertisement Most Read Strib Varsity Rewind: Six soccer state champions are crowned Editor's Pick What does Anthony Edwards’ knee surgery mean for his future? A surgeon weighs in. Strib Varsity Friday night rewind: Prior Lake upsets No. 1 Moorhead; Centennial, Shakopee and Lakeville South advance Strib Varsity Minnesota’s high school football state tournament brackets released Most Read Strib Varsity Rewind: Six soccer state champions are crowned Editor's Pick What does Anthony Edwards’ knee surgery mean for his future? A surgeon weighs in. Strib Varsity Friday night rewind: Prior Lake upsets No. 1 Moorhead; Centennial, Shakopee and Lakeville South advance Strib Varsity Minnesota’s high school football state tournament brackets released Advertisement At those areas, bird watchers will be able to see both adult and young tundra swans (called cygnets). “They all eat as much as they can so they can put on fat for their next flight,“ Winter said. ”The cygnets are eating to grow bones and muscles and feathers and all that.” For more information on Winter’s presentation go to dnr.state.mn.us . - Alex Chhith A bike tour of river bottoms In its sixth year, the Country Style 50 Mile bike tour will take to the Minnesota River bottoms Saturday. And it is a tour, not a race, organizer Jeff Frane emphasized. “It’s a big, glorified group ride. Free to everyone.” Advertisement Mountain, gravel or fat bikes are recommended. The route’s surfaces can range from gravel to single-track dirt to pavement, depending on the route. Frane has held off on posting a route until he can assess how the wet weather has affected conditions in the river bottoms, which are in a floodplain. Advertisement Advertisement “The river bottoms are a shifting thing. Every year they are different from the spring prior,” he added. Participants should meet at 10 a.m. for coffee and doughnuts at Angry Catfish bike shop, 2900 E. 42nd St., in Minneapolis. The ride starts at 10:30 a.m. Frane said there are multiple places to peel off and shorten the ride. “I encourage everyone to bring snacks, pack a lunch and bring enough to share,” he added. Check out bikejerks.com for Country Style updates and information on Frane’s other events, including the Midwest Mountain Bike Festival at Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area. – Bob Timmons Happenings ICYMI: Banning State Park will close for improvement projects, beginning Nov. 9. S earch for woodpeckers Saturday at Nerstrand Big Woods State Park. Try birding at Fort Snelling State Park where a naturalist will take participants on a guided bird watch at noon on Saturday. What outdoor event or activity would you like to see in Out Here? Share it with Alex or Bob . Advertisement Sign up for the Unbound newsletter and receive the latest outdoor recreation news and recommendations in your inbox every Wednesday. Advertisement