9 Easy Hikes To Add To Your Outdoor Bucket List In Minneapolis-Saint Paul
The great outdoors are part of what make Minneapolis and Saint Paul so incredibly spectacular: the cities are filled to the brim with outdoor based activities for every season. While not every resident of the Twin Cities is an avid outdoors-person with expansive knowledge of nature, that doesn’t mean that they’re incapable of enjoying what Minneapolis and Saint Paul have to offer. If you want to spend time outside in the Twin Cities but don’t want to scale cliffs and do daredevil sorts of things, here are nine easy hikes to add to your outdoor bucket list in Minneapolis-Saint Paul.
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Hiking along the Mississippi Gorge Park is the way to experience nature in Minneapolis at its best. The park's trails extend along the east and west banks of the Mississippi River. Along the trails are expansive hardwood forests and various bluffs to look out upon the water. It's one of the best places to see fall foliage, but is stunning any season.
Every Minneapolitan loves Minnehaha Falls. The 53 foot tall waterfall is incredibly mesmerizing and the surrounding park has some of the most beautiful and accessible hiking trails in the entire city. Most hiking trails are along the Minnehaha Creek which eventually connects to the Mississippi River in Saint Paul.
If you follow trails along Minnehaha Falls long enough, you'll eventually make it to Fort Snelling, which was once a military fortress in Saint Paul. While many of the trails within Fort Snelling have stunning views of nature, there is something unique about also viewing many historic buildings along your walk.
Minneapolis is known as the Mill City and the economy was once heavily based in flour milling. In the late 1800s one of the flour mills exploded, leaving its ruins behind. From Mill Ruins Park, one can meander across the Stone Arch Bridge into the Marcy Holmes neighborhood, or follow a trail along the ruins and eventually hit the Mississippi Gorge Park.
The Winchell Trail is a hidden gem in Minneapolis. Hidden within the Longfellow neighborhood of the city, this four and a half mile-length trail extends along the Mississippi River from great heights along the river bluffs. You will feel as if you've left Minneapolis entirely and have entered a new, enchanting world.
Simon's Ravine Trailhead has only been open since 2007, but has quickly become the access point to many of Dakota County's trails. Located in South Saint Paul, the trail is named after the Ravine family who settled in and owned the area in 1878. Pathways through this trail are well paved, and beautiful.
The best hiking trails are always along the Mississippi River, and Lilydale Regional Park in Saint Paul is absolutely stunning. Once you're done with your hike, you can fish in the park's small lake to continue your outdoor adventure.
Minnehaha Falls isn't the only extraordinary waterfall in the Twin Cities. Hidden Falls in Saint Paul is a bit tucked away; you'll have to follow the path to eventually find the waterfall and it will be worth the hike.
Crosby Farm Regional Park in Saint Paul covers a whopping 736 acres and a variety of scenery. Many of the hiking trails are immersed within the woods, but others come with a view of Lake Crosby and the Mississippi River as well.
These are just a few of the easiest and most beautiful hikes within Minneapolis and Saint Paul that you should add to your outdoor bucket list. We know the Twin Cities offer a variety of other options for hiking, and we’d love to know about your favorites in the comments below!
