Caching In on Winona: MN Monthly’s Guide to Bluff Country Treasure Hunting

If you’re looking for a reason to finally visit Winona, Minnesota, a recent Minnesota Monthly feature by John Brandon makes a compelling case: strap on your hiking boots, pull up a GPS app, and go hunt for buried treasure.

The article follows Brandon and his wife on a geocaching road trip through Minnesota, and their first stop — Winona — steals the show. Here’s why this Bluff Country river town deserves a spot on your weekend itinerary. The drive down to Winona along Highway 61 is reason enough to go. The route winds past dramatic river bluffs, sun-drenched hillsides, and stretches where the Mississippi widens out near Lake Pepin until it looks less like a river and more like an endless lake. It’s the kind of drive that starts melting away stress before you’ve even arrived.

Sugar Loaf Bluff and a City Built for Climbing

Winona sits in the heart of Bluff Country, and the town seems to dare visitors to earn their views. The author’s first geocaching stop was Sugar Loaf Bluff, towering above the city, where several “virtual” geocaches let hunters track down GPS coordinates and solve clues without a physical container to find. It’s a great entry point for anyone new to the hobby — and the climb rewards you with sweeping views over town.

Fuel Up Like a Local

No Winona itinerary is complete without a stop at Blooming Grounds Coffee House downtown for scones and breakfast sandwiches, followed by a pilgrimage to Bloedow Bakery — a beloved institution since 1924, famous for a bacon-wrapped maple donut worth the inevitable line out the door. For lunch, Café Sapori di Sicilia offers artisan sandwiches at prices that won’t wreck your travel budget.

Garvin Heights and the Unpredictable Thrill of the Hunt

Not every geocache turns up easy. A search near Garvin Heights Park went unsolved after a couple of hours, a reminder that geocaching is part treasure hunt, part game of chance — caches can go missing, get moved, or simply not exist anymore. It’s worth setting that expectation with kids before you go, so a “dud” doesn’t spoil the fun. The real payoff came at Whitewater State Park, just outside town. The park runs an official, year-round geocaching course designed as an educational scavenger hunt — riddles and clues that can be tackled in any order, aimed at kids age 10 and up (younger ones can tag along with an adult). Park ranger Jeremy Darst oversees the program, which makes it one of the more reliable and well-maintained geocaching experiences in the state.

The standout find of the whole trip was the Coyote Point cache — a steep, sweat-inducing climb up to a river-valley overlook that the author called the best geocache he’s found anywhere in Minnesota. Nearby, a hike up to Inspiration Point delivers views of a gently flowing trout stream, with a cache tricky enough to require a few in-app hints.

Where to Eat and Sleep in Winona

• The Old Tiger — A new riverside restaurant (opened May 2026) inside a historic railroad freight house, serving burgers, savory rice dishes, and a standout Arnold Palmer. Owner Zoa Ryan points out that Winona is a walkable, architecturally rich town — and that the train ride in from the Twin Cities is a scenic option in itself.
• Hotel 44° North — A new riverfront hotel across from The Old Tiger, with 76 standard rooms and 24 extended-stay rooms starting at $179/night. Bonus fact from owner Dan Rivers: Winona is home to the second-tallest ice-climbing wall in North America, lit up at night — making it a year-round destination, not just a summer one.

Between the bluff-top hikes, the geocaching trails at Whitewater State Park, a donut worth standing in line for, and a riverfront hotel with a view, Winona packs an outsized amount of adventure into a two-hour drive from the Twin Cities. Whether you’re a geocaching newcomer or just looking for a scenic small-town escape with real elevation gain, Winona delivers — bring good shoes and an appetite.

Planning your own trip? The Whitewater State Park geocaching course is a great starting point for families, while Sugar Loaf Bluff and Garvin Heights offer solid options for solo hikers chasing a view.