If you’re working from home, not working much or not working (we’re sorry, us too), need to walk the dog or just looking for something other than the search for face masks and toilet paper to get you out of the house during #StayatHomeMN, try a handful of these hikes that are close to home for all you twin cities folk out there.
We’ve purposely excluded walks around the lakes from this list as we find it hard to practice effective social distancing at what have become very crowded public spaces.
This can be done as an entire loop or in bits and pieces as time permits. It can be done on foot or on bike.
Start out at the Falls themselves – you can see them from above and below if you don’t mind climbing a few stairs. Please don’t jump the fence and try to walk behind the falls – it’s just not safe. The falls can be a roaring torrent of water or just barely a trickle, depending on how much rain there’s been. In the winter the falls freeze up and become a beautiful ice sculpture. No climbing please. From there you can either hike to the Mississippi River and back along the creek or continue on the large loop. Before you go, check out the somewhat hidden cast bronze sculpture of Hiawatha and Minnehaha inspired by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem “The Song of Hiawatha”. The sculpture is located on a small islet just upstream of the Falls. Across the road is the Minnehaha train Depot and a 2/3 scaled replica of the original Longfellow House in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Check out also the Falls' protector.
During the summer months, on weekends, you can visit the John L. Stevens house. Steven’s was the first settler in Minneapolis. His house was constructed in 1850 near St Anthony Falls and moved to its current location. It’s a small house but played a large role in the early days of Minneapolis history.
Continue southward to the Minnehaha Off-Leash Dog Park (permit required). If you drive there, don’t leave valuables in your car. If you want to explore the dog park with your dog, have at it. The trails here meander along the shoreline, through the woods and some open prairie. See if you can locate Novelty Falls.
You can skip the dog park and continue southward on the Minnehaha Trail about 1.5 miles to Coldwater Spring. Troops from Fort Snelling camped here during the construction of the fort. The spring is a sacred place for the Dakota people. Be respectful when you visit. You can stick to the paved trail (shared with bicycles) or slip off into the wooded area between the paved path and the river. There are many small intertwining small footpaths (they all eventually lead back to the paved path). You will likely cross a few trickles in the wood. A staircase at the end of the longest path brings you back to the paved shared path.
Continue along the path until you pass under the Hwy 5 overpass. Fort Snelling will be on your right-hand side as you descend the hill to Fort Snelling State Park – here, you can go to the Visitor Center, hike Pike Island, or climb the hill to the Fort itself. The fort is worth a visit in the Summer months. For now, continue past the fort and take the stairs leading down to the pedestrian path along Hwy 5 where you will cross the river. On the other side, climb the stairs up to Mississippi River Boulevard and head northward along the paved path.
Alternately, you could descend the roadway, passing under the Hwy 5 bridge to access the path leading to Crosby Farm Regional Park (to the east) and the southern end of Hidden Falls Park to the west. If you opt to take the path toward Hidden Falls, there is a paved path and several places to access the river. Portions of this trail are underwater in the Spring when the river is high. If needed there is a discernable footpath through the woods on the right-hand side of the roadway. Both the footpath or the paved path will take you to Hidden Falls park area. If you prefer to stay up top, continue along Mississippi River Boulevard (there is a north entrance to Hidden Falls about 1.5 miles along the path) all the way to Ford Parkway. Cross the river at the Ford Bridge and return to Minnehaha Falls.
For other smallish hikes like this, check out our posts in the #hikeinplace category of our blog. You'll find something you like.
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