Hiking

Looking for places to hike in Minnesota?
Here is where I share information and observations about the trails I have explored.
-

Hikes: North Metro
Looking for a trail to explore near Minneapolis or St. Paul? I have found some great ones in the Northern Suburbs. Minnesota, USA is a great place for getting outside. This page is a work in progress. There are more posts here at paintandhike.com that fit in this category, and more
-

Charles A. Lindbergh State Park
This park is a great place to stop and stretch your legs anytime that your travels take you through Little Falls, Minnesota. I walked most of the trails here in a few hours. It is a beautiful place with interesting history but not a place for an all-day hike.
-

Flandrau State Park
New Ulm, Minnesota is south of Hutchinson, west of Fairbault, north of Fairmont, and east of Walnut Grove. If you are familiar with Little House on the Prairie, you might remember Pa Ingalls making trips to Mankato now and then. Most likely he crossed the Minnesota river at New Ulm.
-

St. Croix State Park
This park is HUGE compared to other Minnesota state parks. At 33,895 acres (13,717 ha) it is the largest Minnesota state park. I was driving there on a Friday afternoon. I knew it would be a challenge to get there before dark.
-

Moose Lake State Park
your legs. It is just off the freeway and has just over 5 miles (8 km) of really nice trails arranged in loops that let you choose your distance. The ranger station has a geological history center.
-

Quarry Park & Nature Preserve
For about 90 years starting in 1863 this land was an actual granite quarry. Much of the granite used in Minnesota’s significant architecture came from this area. Between the 1950’s and 1990’s the land gradually returned to a natural state. It became a Sterns County Park open to the public in 1998.