Tom Watson - Minneapolis and St. Paul: Including the Twin Cities Greater Metro Area and Beyond

HIKES LIST

60 HIKES WITHIN 60 MILES: MINNEAPOLIS AND ST. PAUL

Copyright 2012 Tom Watson

All rights reserved

Printed in the United States of America

Published by Menasha Ridge Press

Distributed by Publishers Group West

Third edition, first printing

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Watson, Tom, 1947

60 hikes within 60 miles, Minneapolis and St. Paul: includes hikes in and around the Twin Cities / Tom Watson. 3rd ed.

p. cm. (60 hikes within 60 miles)

ISBN 978-0-89732-933-0 (pbk.) ISBN 0-89732-933-3 ()

1. HikingMinnesotaMinneapolis Metropolitan AreaGuidebooks.
2. HikingMinnesotaSaint Paul Metropolitan AreaGuidebooks.
3. Minneapolis Metropolitan Area (Minn.)Guidebooks.
4. Saint Paul Metropolitan Area (Minn.)Guidebooks. I. Title. II. Title: Sixty hikes within sixty miles, Minneapolis and St. Paul.

GV199.42.M62M569 2012

796.5109776579dc23

2012012946

Cover and text design by Steveco International

Cover photo of Lake Calhoun, Minneapolis, Minnesota YinYang

All interior photos by Tom Watson

Maps by Scott McGrew and Tom Watson

Menasha Ridge Press

P.O. Box 43673

Birmingham, AL 35243

menasharidge.com

DISCLAIMER

This book is meant only as a guide to select trails in the Twin Cities area and does not guarantee hiker safety in any wayyou hike at your own risk. Neither Menasha Ridge Press nor Tom Watson is liable for property loss or damage, personal injury, or death that result in any way from accessing or hiking the trails described in the following pages. Please be aware that hikers have been injured in the Twin Cities area. Be especially cautious when walking on or near boulders, steep inclines, and drop-offs, and do not attempt to explore terrain that may be beyond your abilities. To help ensure an uneventful hike, please read carefully the introduction to this book, and perhaps get further safety information and guidance from other sources. Familiarize yourself thoroughly with the areas you intend to visit before venturing out. Ask questions, and prepare for the unforeseen. Familiarize yourself with current weather reports, maps of the area you intend to visit, and any relevant park regulations.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

IN THIS AGE OF ALMOST INSTANTANEOUS INFORMATION RETRIEVAL, I found that all the agencies in the Twin Cities that manage trails within their respective boundaries are very well wired when it comes to providing up-to-date information. The websites and contact numbers listed in the offer hikers a plethora of information on the trails and amenities of nearly every park in the Twin Cities.

The Three Rivers Park District has an incredible resource base of maps and information about each park in its domain.

The Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge offers a daisy chain of park areas along the Minnesota Riverone of the best scenic and wildlife viewing areas in the Twin Cities. Its information base, like its parks, continually improves with more helpful maps and brochures each year.

More useful descriptions of hiking areas and amenities are provided by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. I dont believe there is one federal agency responsible for outdoor recreation that doesnt have useful information on hiking opportunities in its management areas.

On a more localized basis, each county and municipality has published maps and information charts highlighting which parks offer hiking trails. Armed with this information and a good map of the cities, one can literally hike from one end to the other, guided all the way with neighborhood information on trails and amenities.

The tourism departments of both Minnesota and Wisconsin feature hiking as a predominant recreation activity in their respective states. Each offers maps and general information as well as contact information for each recreational region of its state.

Minnesotas Department of Natural Resources (DNR), particularly the great people at the state park system, is yet another incredible source of information. A good number of the hikes in this book are found within state parks close to the Twin Cities, and information provided by the DNR enables a hiker to get a feel for the entire state just by sampling trails at these nearby areas.

Very special thanks to my sister, Lynn, whose invaluable research, ongoing hospitality, and support throughout this project will always be deeply appreciated.

FOREWORD

WELCOME TO MENASHA RIDGE PRESSS 60 Hikes within 60 Miles, a series designed to provide hikers with the information they need to find and hike the best trails surrounding cities usually underserved by guidebooks.

Our strategy was simple: First, find a hiker who knows the area and loves to hike. Second, ask that person to spend a year researching the most popular and best trails around. And third, have that person describe each trail in terms of difficulty, scenery, condition, elevation change, and other categories of information that are important to hikers. Pretend youve just completed a hike and met up with other hikers at the trailhead, we told each author. Imagine their questions, and be clear in your answers.

An experienced hiker and writer, author Tom Watson has selected 60 great hikes in and around the Twin Cities metropolitan area. From urban hikes that make use of parklands and streets to flora- and fauna-rich treks along the Mississippi to aerobic outings along the areas glaciated hills, Watson provides hikers (and walkers) with a wonderful variety of hikesall within roughly 60 miles of Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Youll get more out of this book if you take a moment to read the Introduction, which explains how to read the trail listings. The Topographic Maps section will help you understand how useful topos will be on a hike and will tell you where to get them. And though this is a where-to rather than a how-to guide, those of you who have not hiked extensively will find the Introduction of particular value. As much for the opportunity to free the mind as to free the body, let these hikes elevate you above the urban hurry.

All the best,

The Editors at Menasha Ridge Press

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

BORN IN CALIFORNIA, Tom Watson moved to the Twin Cities from Missouri at age 7. He remained in Minnesota until graduating from the College of Forestry of the University of Minnesota with a B.S. in Forest Resource Management/Recreation. Then, in the mid-1980s, Tom moved to Kodiak, Alaska, where he spent 15 years operating a sea-kayak touring business and began working as a freelance writer and photographer. Published in several national magazines and an active member of the Outdoor Writers Association of America and the Association of Great Lakes Outdoor Writers, Tom has won several awards for his articles. He is also the author of Best Tent Camping Minnesota. Besides hiking, his hobbies include photography, music, community theater, gardening, bird-watching, paddling, and camping.