This Stunning Park In Minnesota Is Perfect For Every Type of Recreation You Enjoy

Miles of recreation land in the backyard of the Twin Cities is what you can expect from the Minnesota Valley State Recreation Area. It’s a stunning spot for all types of recreation, with 9.5 miles of paved trails, 47 miles of hiking paths, and 30 miles of horse and snowmobile trails.

From Horseshoe Lake where you can find fish and amazing birds...

All the way to the paved trails in Shakopee, you'll find no shortage of gorgeous land in this area.

Fish and explore on the wide, scenic Minnesota River.

You can also hike along the river to this sand dune for incredible views.

At the trail center, enjoy the stunning picnic area before you hike.

And stop by the S.B. Strait House, all that remains of the town St. Lawrence that was never able to attract settlers.

You can also stay at the scenic equestrian campground.

And be sure to try the Lawrence Unit horse trails.

And in the winter - enjoy some of the best skiing and snowshoeing in the Twin Cities.

Not to mention the epic snowmobiling trails!

Have you explored this area yet?

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Jo Magliocco

Minnesota staff writer for Only in Your State and owner of Minnesota blog NorthGuide.co, I'm a Minneapolis transplant who loves my cats, camera, and local coffee. On the weekends I'm usually exploring the North Shore or making my way through the list of Minnesota's State Parks. Want to talk about MN or ask me a question? Tweet me @sotafiedjo!