Take the scenic route when traveling through west central Minnesota this summer

The Glacial Ridge Trail, first designated a state trail in May 1969, may not be the fastest way to travel to Glenwood from Willmar — but it is a much more scenic alternative.

Signs direct you along the Minnesota Scenic Byway through the rolling slopes to Spicer, around Green Lake into the Lost Valley area and to scenic New London and Sibley State Park.

From the park, it takes you north to the Timber Lake Trail on through the hills, swamps and lakes of Norway Lake Township. North from Sunburg, you drive past the Ordway Prairie and can stop at the Lake Johanna Lookout to survey the rolling kames and native prairie countryside. There’s also the Terrace Mill and Glacial Lakes State Park along the way, as well as scenic views of Lake Minnewaska.

The Glacial Ridge Trail consists of more than 200 miles of designated highways that wind through towns, past historic sites and near at least one famous author’s home — Sinclair Lewis.

But what’s most apparent to people who travel this scenic route is its distinctive landscape.

Thousands of feet of glacial ice covered west central Minnesota 10,000 years ago. When the last Ice Age ended, the glacier receded, leaving behind lakes, waterways, sand beds and gravel ridges. Some of the best of those features can be seen on the roads of the trail, which are marked with signs bearing an arrowhead symbol.

Available maps make the roads easier to follow, and show the locations of several points of interest, such as prime bird-watching areas, which have been added.

Willmar, the southernmost point of the trail, marks the dividing line where the glacier ended. To the south is flat farmland; to the north, a mixture of prairie, lakes and rolling hills left behind when the glacier receded.

The so-called “Bonanza Valley” around Belgrade and Brooten is a broad sand plain that was deposited as glacial meltwater flowed north and east. The Crow and Chippewa rivers developed to carry the water away.

From Fort Lake Johanna, a former military outpost, there’s a view of a series of conical hills, known as kames, formed by glacial potholes filled with rock and gravel.

After passing through Glenwood and Starbuck and making a detour east to Sauk Centre, the trail ends at its northernmost point — Alexandria.

There are plenty of signs, so it’s tough to get lost. Still, it’s good to have a brochure with you, because the trail makes several loops.

Maps are available from the Kandiyohi County Tourist Information Center on East Highway 12 in Willmar and at the Glenwood Chamber of Commerce, 200 N. Franklin St.

Here are some highlights to look for on the Glacial Ridge Trail:

• Lost Valley, which is particularly scenic in the fall, at the trail’s easternmost end, winds up and down hills through a hardwood forest.
• Ordway Prairie between Sunburg and Glenwood.
• Terrace Mill is a restored grain mill in the town of Terrace, set in the valley of the Chippewa River. The mill hosts several festivals during the summer and fall.
• A collection of old threshing machines is on the “boot hills” above “Threshing Rig Alley,” a two-mile section of road north of Sunburg.
• Sauk Centre is the site of the Sinclair Lewis Home and Museum. Lewis’ novels include “Main Street” and “Babbitt.”
• Attractions in Glenwood include the Bickle House, Morning Glory Gardens and Mount Lookout.
• Four state parks lie along the trail: Sibley State Park, west of New London; Monson Lake State Park, south of Sunburg; Glacial Lake State Park, south of Starbuck; and Carlos State Park, north of Alexandria.

Good spots for bird watching are the area between New London and Sibley State Park; Eagle Lake, north of Willmar; Timber Lake Road, east of Sunburg; and the Ordway Prairie and Fort Lake Johanna area.