Favorite road bike trail! Long, straight and tree covered,…read moreyou won't get sunburned or blown away. This feels like a rural trail as you pass ponds, farm fields, cows and horse stables. Love that there are only two major street crossings. Two bridges and two tunnels keep you moving. From the parking lot at 694/36 it is 9 miles to the end if you go straight. (There is a horse trail that is next to the paved trail so keep your eye out. I rode my mountain bike on it for something different once. It was a killer 18 total miles though...Whew!) I love that they added an extension at mile 6 where you can go to the right at the split and bike all the way into Stillwater! There is plenty of bike parking so bring your lock and walk along the river or have lunch before heading back. The 5 mile ride from the split into Stillwater is a fast decline. That being said, you are going to have to work a little harder to get back to your car... It is so worth it! You follow a wooded creek and there are bench stops/ photo op's along the way. (This is 22 miles round trip, just so you know. I need a nap after. lol)

We enjoyed early spring on the trail with the frogs singing in the surrounding wetlands. We were…read moremostly shaded by trees which helped keep us cool.

Our annual Fourth of July spot! They normally do fireworks July 3rd so it's nice to come here…read morebefore everyone is busy on the fourth. The area is very nice. We get a nice spot by the lake to set up chairs. Bring bug spray because it can get wild with the mosquitos! There's tons of food trucks and booths but the lines were looooong. There's a waterfall that's nice to take pictures at. Parking can be tricky and traffic can be crazy. Stop by for a walk around the lake if you find yourself in the area.

Had some extra time to spare before an event nearby and it was reasonably nice outside (aka,…read moreforties in March lol), so I decided to take a hike around the lake. You won't manage to escape road noise really because it's surrounded on three sides by fairly busy roadways, but still better than nothing! It's not a long walk around, just about forty-five minutes worth at a leisurely pace. The park actually features two paved trails that run parallel to one another, with the outer ring for bicyclists and other wheeled conveyance usage, and on-foot folk on the inner ring. Dogs do need to be on leash. Occasional benches around the lake, and a cute man-made waterfall. There are a couple of gazebos near the parking lot for if you'd like to have a picnic. The bandshell structure was particularly impressive and neat. There are bathrooms built into the back of it, which were even open during off season, so that was highly appreciated. Water fountain was currently turned off though, unsurprisingly. Parking lot seemed a bit small, but perhaps most folks who visit are from the surrounding office buildings on their lunch break.

Nice little park with walking trails and a bike path. The trails loop around ponds so there's…read moreplenty of wildlife to see. There is a parking lot with restrooms and water fountains. Nice place for a stroll.

I used to live in Hopkins and hiked this park on a regular basis and loved it…read more At the time I gave it a high rating. I moved away three years ago and this week returned to see what had changed. I was extremely disappointed at the amount of cutting and clearing that has gone on and is still going on. It used to be a nice secluded spot where you could not see any houses for most of the loop. Now houses are visible everywhere along with increased noise from the roads. I know there was a sign up talking about clearing invasive species, but I think something has gotten out of control. It saddens me that I will no longer enjoy walking this park.

So many reasons why you have to love the LRT…read more 1) It's just an awesome paved trail. It's a little MSP luxury most other cities don't have. 2) It's beautiful. Great scenary along the way. 3) It has a volunteer that rides along and helps people out, like a buddy who gets you home if you're too drunk. 4) It's long. You can get a serious ride in or a small portion. After I bought my bike, this was the first place I went. God bless the LRT.

LOVE this trail! I've been biking on it a few times; you can also walk it if you choose. Motor…read morevehicles aren't allowed, so there's no need to worry about getting run over. How great is that! The gravel on the trail is always nicely evened out, and the paths are wide enough to support people going both directions comfortably. It makes a fun day trip to ride in from Edina or Hopkins and go to a restaurant on the Minnetonka lakeside. Excelsior is a little further along the trail, so if you want to go shopping then that's an option too! The trail can get a little crowded on nice days, and there are kind of a lot of stop signs at a few points. But overall a fun way to spend an afternoon!

The refuge is a great place to explore nature. There are many trails to hike both short and long…read more The Visitor's Center has a wonderful display and activities. There is also a viewing area where there are bird feeders. A favorite is the turkeys that stop by! The staff here are helful and friendly. They also plan community events that are always fun and educational.

Hooray, I finally came here when the visitor center was open! I've been a couple of times in the…read morepast just to do some hiking on the trails, but I'd never gotten to see the inside as the hours are somewhat narrow being just Wednesday through Sunday. It looked really grandiose from the outside, so I'm unsurprised the inside was quite modern and comfortable. It's comprised of many available seating areas where you can sit and relax (I especially recommend the seating facing the bird feeders, though there's also a cozy fireplace), or simply wander and explore the exhibits they have up with information on them about the history of the refuge, the work its done and is doing, and the animals that inhabit it. This is important work! I'm so glad they're doing it. Unsurprisingly there is a gift shop with expected trinkets such as stickers, pins, patches, plushies, postcards, jewelry, hankerchiefs, and lots of books. So if you'd like to support the refuge and get a little something for yourself, that's a great way to do it. There is additionally an art gallery with revolving local Minnesota artists that take inspiration from nature, an auditorium playing a looped track, and plenty of space for kids to play (including corn hole and giant puzzles). There is a conference room (downstairs) and a community room (upstairs), and considerable office space (not open to the public, obviously). Two water bottle refill stations. Clean bathrooms (separated by gender, but there's also a bonus unisex, accessible one). These folks do LOTS of events throughout the year, most of them completely free to attend (some require RSVP, others don't), so I recommend keeping an eye out for something that interests you. Plenty of free parking is available on site. There are picnic tables around the visitor center, as well as an outlook with binoculars. If you go down along the left side the visitor center, it will take you to the trails if you're here to do some hiking. :)

Last time I started on the other end of the trail, I don't recommend it. If you are going in winter…read moretime, bring cleats for your boots, last year I wiped out on the ice, fool me once... This lovely hike runs along the Mississippi River. As you can see from the pictures, there are waterfalls to see. The wild life wasn't as active due to the cold, but we still heard some birds. You've never experienced listening to a woodpecker until you've done so next to a frozen river. It echoed around like crazy. Even though this is an intermediate level trail, you are often close to the parkway so if something goes wrong it's not a long way to get help. In the winter do bring a hiking partner, cleats, warm clothes, snacks, water, and a whistle. I'm so grateful to have so a beautiful hike so close to the city.

This trail in Minneapolis is very easy to get to, there's tons of parking on the street and parking…read morelots, and it's a very easy trail to walk. Today, it was towards the end of peak fall colors season and there were tons of leaves all over and while it was past peak, it was still a very pretty walk. It wasn't super busy, but it was busy enough for you didn't feel unsafe. I believe this trail is about 5 miles round-trip, but you can go halfway or as long as you want to. as I said, it's a very easy trail to walk with slight elevation gains but overall it's the elevation stays about the same and it's very safe and it's pretty well marked.

Beautiful park with hiking trails. There's also a dog area so that's always a plus. The trails…read moreconnect to other regional trails so make sure you read the maps or bring your own so you don't get lost.

A great walking path if you don't mind a bug or two…read more Hike (or bike) along rice creek in several areas with plenty of newly remodeled benches to rest on. Many connections to other regional trails for the more adventurous. A small area park lies just over a foot bridge for the younger set.

As Good as it Gets…read more Although The Grand Rounds Scenic Byway (abbreviated GRSB from here forward) is physically a couple of blocks from the hustle and bustle of the city, it is mentally a world away. GRSB is a 50-plus mile green beltway of parkways and trails that encircle Minneapolis. Along its miles of picture postcard trails; the GRSB leads to eight lakes, water falls, the Mississippi River riverfront, forests, cultural sights, forests, Meadows, bridges, Uptown, downtown, and other points of interest. If you are searching for a waterside trail in Minneapolis, chances are you will meet up with the GRSB. I am a lover of the outdoors and nature. When I visited Minneapolis for a week it wasn't if I was going to see the river; it was "how often?" Understandedly it is impossible to hike the totality of a 50-plus mile trail on a vacation. I ended up exploring two segments of it on three different hikes. On two hikes I explored the Mississippi Riverfront segment east of downtown from The Plymouth Avenue Bridge at the north to the Stone Arch Bridge at the south. On a third hike I explored the east Bde Maka Ska (also Lake Calhoun) shore southwest) of Uptown from 36th Street to Lake Street. Being a bike trail enthusiast, I was super impressed. Besides the nature in the city scenery I appreciate that the dual rights of way that separate the bicyclists from the hikers. Throughout the trail there is sufficient trail markers, signs, benches, and landscaping; yet very little if any graffiti. If my Minneapolis vacation was a movie when I first got on GRSB was the climax. A few minutes after egressing the Hennepin River Bridge I was engulfed in a forested Mississippi River landscape. This segment was the ultimate connector to the same Mississippi River that bridges the northernmost state to the Gulf of Mexico. The scenery and connection to the mother River were so positively overwhelming that for a few minutes I contemplated throwing my bills, job, and stresses down the river and becoming a permanent river nomad. Although that did not happen, the hike momentarily released my stress. That is what a fantastic trail does. Along the GRSB I'd enjoy a vacation from stress along forested trails overlooking the Mississippi. The stress-free walk east of the city led me to vistas of Mississippi River bridges, mills ruins, water-falls, a light house, and other sights that would exceed the Yelp character limit. Southwest of Uptown, it led me to a nearly continuous picturesque view of Bde Maka Ska (also Lake Calhoun) at the lake and a linear forest to the right. The sundown above the lake was a saratorium rise in my brain. The GRSB is as good as it gets. Too bad my free time and money isn't. If I had unlimited time and money I'd be back in Minneapolis spending indefinite hours on the GRSB.

This is one of the nicest bike loops of any city. There's so much green space and you can tour the…read morewhole city. You can stop off at a million parks along the way and the river views on the east side of the city are great!