Hennepin Bluffs Park in Minneapolis is on the east bank of the Mississippi River, and is the north…read moreentry point to the Stone Arch bridge, letting one walk across to downtown. It is named after Father Louis Hennepin, who was the first to document the nearby Falls in 1680, and named it St Anthony (after his patron saint). I visited it on a snow covered day in March, entering it once I crossed the bridge from downtown. One can supposedly walk down to the river from here, probably a lot more accessible during non-snow season. Will give it a try the next time I visit.

Father Hennepin Bluffs Park and Lower Trail is so beautiful! With gorgeous views of the…read moreMississippi River, Minneapolis skyline, Stone Arch Bridge and the Historic Pillsbury Factory area. We saw a few photographers doing senior photo shoots here - a great area for that. We loved the Lower Trails with the gorgeous footbridges. There are many stairs, uneven pavement and some rocky terrain so it is not suitable for people with mobility problems.

Great park with really nice scenic walking routes. Great little bridge to over the water. Very…read moreclean and lots of parking. Definitely a beautiful spot to visit.

A fantastic little 1.1mi loop around a lake in Eagan. This park also features an impressively sized…read moregazebo with picnic tables, fire pit, restrooms (seasonal), grills, trash/recycling, and even concrete cornhole. There is a children's playground as well with a wide variety of features like swings, climbing walls/ropes, diggers, slides, spinners, and more-- you and/or your kiddos are gonna have lots of fun here. The playground is on gravel. There's also a volleyball court with sand, and lots of open grassy space to kick or throw about a ball. Seriously excellent amenities. The trail has inconsistent surfaces-- some of it is paved, other parts are dirt and gravel. Just something to be aware of (it wouldn't work well for skateboarding or rollerblading, for example). There are a couple docks you can fish off of or just sight-see from. A wooden bridge across the lake makes for excellent photographs. There is also a boat ramp (walk to, not drive to). The parking lot is pretty large with many spaces.

Small, quiet park. Nice area with benches, sculptures, and pretty landscaping. Free parking all…read morearound. Nice views of Saint Paul.

In the 1880's this site used to be a hotel. It burned to the ground, but before it did, can you…read moreimagine the views? Not too hard to imagine, because you can walk to the ledge over Grand Hill and look down at the river, the bluffs, the bridges and trees and wonder if they look back. The park has been all kinds of tore up for some time as they installed a GIANT statue of an eagle killing a snake, some grand gesture of Americaness or some such that was salvaged from some razed building in St. Paul then moved to a parking garage and then moved to the park for us to enjoy. There will be seating wall, a "plaza" and a drinking fountain, and hopefully coming this spring....GRASS.

We had a great time walking thru the historic mill district and over the Mississippi River. It's a…read morenice place to get exercise as well. The views of the city especially at night will last a lifetime

Flour Power…read more Located alongside the Mississippi River across the riverbank from Downtown Minneapolis is a 1.4 acre park that celebrates water power and the historic flour mills. It is the Water Power Park. Situated on Father Hennepin Island, this is a gift from Xcel Energy, the primary energy company in the Twin Cities. As part of a deal to renew Xcel Energy as the primary source they were mandated to create a park overlooking Upper St. Anthony Falls. The upshot is that the tallest flora are powerlines that tower above the park and a transistor station at the Gateway to the park at Main Street. Although I relished spending time in the home of the current largest mall in America (Mall of America), I was truly at home alongside the Mississippi River. This is my latest review sharing the parks and trails alongside the Mississippi River in Minneapolis. With that said, when I explored Water Power Park, it was one of a series of parks and trails alongside the Mississippi from the Plymouth Avenue Bridge at the north to the Old Stone Bridge at the south. Just like a member in a legendary band, Water Power Park would be part of a whole that would make the Mississippi River Band awesome. It was our last day in Minneapolis that my brother and I explored Water Power Park. We had just walked through Boom Island to the north and were bound for the Old Stone Bridge. Ideally this park goes great with the far more natural Hennipen Bluffs Park at the south. The reason why I did not explore this park earlier in the vacation when I did Hennipen Bluffs Park was that it gave a poor first impression. From Main Street the transformer station dominates the entrance. This is the main sight walking north. Walking south is a different story. From northbound Main Street, we turned onto a trail that reminds me of a dock. The beginning is a slight downhill elevation with ramps. On our left was the Xcel Energy transformer station that brought to life the power lines marching alongside and over the Mississippi River. It was at the end of the primary trail that overlooks the source of the power. If I was interested in the vast information explaining Upper St. Anthony Falls role in providing power there were several kiosks alongside the trail. In all honesty I'd leave the teaching to Google later on. I was interested in taking pictures. Making my way through a flat topography where interspersed trees shared the land with powerlines poles, I walked what was now an smooth unpaved trail to the edge of the Mississippi River. It was at the Mississippi River where I took in spectacular view of the Upper St. Anthony Falls under the Third Avenue Bridge. This is the closest spot to the Upper St. Anthony Falls which is the only water falls on the Mississippi River. There were two prime spots to capture the falls. They were here at the conclusion of the main trail and where the intersection of the main and spur trail. The intersection view provides a close up perpendicular view of one of the falls. It was a neat sight watching a close up water fall at a perpendicular angle. Especially when it is a view of the Mississippi River with the historic flour and lumber mills with the Minneapolis skyline. Heading back towards Main Street I enjoyed a nice vista of grass reaching towards the Historic Pillsbury "A" Mill rising above the transformer station. Instead of seeing the Pillsbury Doughboy, we'd take a short trip on the short dead-end spur trail. This leads to a view of Hennipen Bluffs Park and the Stone Arch Bridge. The later serves as a very popular St. Anthony Falls overlook. There you have it. This review is a representation of first hand experience in a park showcasing water power and flour mills. Hopefully this review has provided knowledge on the Water Power Park. Because when it comes to power, "Knowledge is power."

It's a bit confusing where to park... I know Apple maps randomly took me to the boat ramp parking…read moreafter passing by two other perfectly good small parking lots that connected to the trail. Which, since I wanted to just hike around in the autumn sunshine, I turned my car around and went back to. There was a port-a-john in the lot I parked in, which I appreciated. A little ways walk I also located a large gazebo-like structure with picnic tables. Didn't seem to have restrooms and the water fountain had already been turned off for the cold season. The trail is paved all the way around, which I suppose is nice for bicyclists, but not what I'd prefer as a hiker as it is hard on the feet and doesn't feel very nature-y. I also thought that in late October, this spot would be gorgeous, but for whatever reason all the trees had either already shed their leaves or were just kind of a sickly yellow color. Oh well. It was neat hiking along the river on either side; plus I got to watch a train go over the tresses on the north end. Not a super long walk, maybe an hour's worth if you go all the way around. Oh, there's also a small fenced-off section serving as a "dog park" but it didn't look very appealing or well-maintained... Also, people who drive their cars through here seem to want to speed above the limit... which is like weird because why not cruise and enjoy the scenery? Plus, the trail crosses the road in numerous places, so if you're speeding, you're more liable to hit someone. =/ It just doesn't feel well designed.

When my boys were little they attended a fossil camp that visited Lilydale for fossil hunting. The…read moreboys are teenagers and they still fossil hunt. Nice paved parking lot, wide walking path. We follow the path and walk up the big hill. Near the top of the hill to the left is the premiere location for fossils. Usually the boys hunt while the rest of us continue up the path taking in the nature. Great little get away during Covid.

Minneapolis has the best parks! This nice park is along the Webber Bike Parkway, off the Grand…read moreRounds Trail, i.e. good biking! We biked here so we could swim at the Webber Natural Swimming Pool, only to find it closed last week on Labor Day. We were disappointed at the closing but we still enjoyed the bike ride to & from the park! Stopped at the Camden Sculpture Garden (just a short bike jaunt), another fun find!

Webber Parkway built in 1910 has about 19.88 acres of land, with a great pond that is connected to…read moreShingle Creek on one end and the Mighty Mississippi River on the other. It offers a variety of recreational sports, full Basketball & Tennis courts, Soccer and Softball fields and a Hockey rink. Shallow pool and a small majestic library (Webber Library) that was built in 1927. If none of this excites you, It's a beautiful park to picnic, hike or just throw a blanket down under a tree during summer breezes and read a book. The Legislature last July approved a $4 million project to renovate the park. A new pool is scheduled to open this summer, where no chlorine or any other chemicals will be used. Sort of a pool-lake like, creating that lake experience. The first of it's kind in the state. It is not the Canadian Rockies or the majestic plains of the Serengeti - It is a park in North Mpls, a historical park and it is breathtaking during the summer.

Great park. Nice and spacious fields and play area along with a stage and pavilion. Excellent…read morewalking trails that continue through shingle creek.

An unexpected beautiful hidden gem in Brooklyn Center! It's just off 694 and Shingle Creek…read moreParkway, hidden behind the Brooklyn Center Library and Community Center. There is an Amphitheater, multiple play structures, ball fields, walk/bike path, and scenic water features. Lots of community activities hosted here. In the summer time I've attended a concert at the Ampitheater, featuring an amazing band, The Power of Ten. The gym nearby, LA Fitness, sometimes hosts outdoor zumba classes here, too. It's clean and well taken care of. Plenty of walking paths that include outdoor gyms along the way. Great playground for the little ones. What I like most is that it's never to busy and it's so pretty. This is a great park to read a book at and to have picnics. There are picnic tables, barbecues, trash bins and porta-potties to host a nice picnic or a barbecue party.

This park is located in the heart of downtown St. Paul and is pretty basic. It spans 4.2 acres and…read morewas developed in 1922. There is metered street parking, with a 2-hour limit, in front of the park and there is other metered parking and commercial garages with in a reasonable walking distance. This park is very scenic and has a lot of potential. It sits up high and overlooks the Mississippi River. The park has some decent green space pockets that could be used for picnic and possibly frisbee or playing a light game of catch. It has a bunch of trees that provide a decent amount of shade. There is also a nice paved walkway around the parks perimeter that can be used to walk/jog. You will find some benches along that walkway that had a bunch of homeless people sleeping on them and a few people from nearby offices eating their lunch. The park could be maintained a bit better but, it is not horrible. The park an arcing pergola and two operational fountains. They are the best part of the park and make for some very nice pictures. The park is riddled with a bunch of homeless, as I mentioned, they were on the benches and one was in the fountain. The park has hosted events such as Saint Paul Winter Carnival, Country Flannel Night, Food Truck Friday: Voices of the Community, Francis Ford Coppola Winery Happy Hour, Hops & Hounds, and UCare Sunday Music in the Park. Either way, this is a nice park to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the big city, whether to sit and hang out, eat lunch, walk along the river overlook or just chill by the fountains.

This is an ideal park for panoramas. You won't get a better view of Raspberry Island and the bustle…read moreof St. Paul can be momentarily forgotten while walking here.