Hiking

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

Oakdale Nature Preserve
This is 200 acres of forest, lake, and marsh that has many paths, both paved and earth-surfaced. A beautiful “Discovery Center” has modern restrooms, an art gallery, outdoor classroom spaces, covered picnic area, free parking, and a historical restoration of a 19th century schoolhouse. Other Oakdale parks are nearby. I am sure it would be…
-

Tamarack Nature Center
Now that the snow is almost gone it is time to return to this 320 acre park. (1.3 sq.km) In the winter they are cross-country ski only. I did a 4.5 mile (7.25 km) walk here on March 20, 2019 and did not come close to hiking all the trails. The central loop is paved…
-

Beaver Island Trail, St. Cloud
From the campus trailhead to the fire station trailhead is about 3 miles (5 km). If you like, you can enter this trail very close to the exit off Interstate 94 and walk all the way to the edge of downtown and then cross the river and wander through Munsinger Gardens. That might be closer…
-

Vadnais-Sucker Lake Regional Park, part 2
Last time I wrote a post about just this park it was 2018. A lot has changed since then. Something that has not changed is that I still believe this is one of the best places to walk in northern Ramsey County. I included this place in my “Hike in Place” series and I think…
-

Snail Lake Regional Park
It is New Year’s Day. My plan is to create one map that will have ALL the trails in one red line. I am curious. What will the distance be? Small loop first. 0.6 miles. That is exactly one kilometer. So a person could just do loops here if they wanted to do a specific…
-

Tony Schmidt Park, Arden Hills, Minnesota
Once again, snow is in the forecast and I am trying to get all my errands done while the roads are still clear. My three errands are all in Roseville, MN. I chose locations as close together as possible to use less gas. Two errands are done. The third errand is to pick up a…