Fort Snelling State Park

Fort Snelling State Park is a historical site that I'll wage your most residence of Minneapolis have driven by a dozen times without really seeing. Parking is easy as you pull into the park, it's very accessible. The tour guides are very knowledgeable about the location and no many pieces of interesting history. The fort is still pretty much intact from when it was originally built, although there are many places that are rebuilt to look like it did back in the day. All of the history doesn't shine a great light on some of the things that occurred at the fort, but hopefully we study history to make ourselves better, and that will come out of some of the things that were exposed. hope you enjoy your tour of a historical site.

we are so fortunate in Minnesota to have such a strong state park system and to have several outstanding parks so close to the metro. This park border Saint Paul and Minneapolis, nestled between the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers. It is relatively flat but there are many hiking/snowshoeing trails to explore in the winter along with groomed cross country ski trails. As you can see from my photos, there's plenty of wildlife and the animals are less afraid of people as they might be elsewhere. In summer there's also tons of hiking and biking opportunities as well as boating and swimming beaches AsIt is beautiful but because it is urban you never really escape the car noise. Nonetheless it is still worth visiting.

I recently revisited Fort Snelling State Park for the first time since high school. Thanks to our new membership with the MN Historical Society, we decided to venture out on Archeologist Day. The event was a hit with the younger members of our family - the hands-on activities were engaging and educational. Learning directly from the archaeologists and historians was genuinely captivating. Beyond the historical experiences, the trails offered a serene walk with glimpses of beautiful fall colors. A gentle reminder to visitors: while enjoying the park, it's essential to approach it with respect and understanding, given its deep-rooted Native American history. I highly recommend it for a blend of education and nature.

The big cities in America that have a state park within its vicinities are usually solid. It's funny that MSP airport, Target Field, and the IDS Building are in the same city as this lush, meandering, very green space. Unless the weather is bad, I can't imagine why anyone would want to drive here when it's VERY bike-able.

MN has 75 State Parks & Recreation areas, but this is the only one that is actually in the Minneapolis/St Paul metro area. Part of it is even within St. Paul's city limits! So although you'll come here for outdoorsy nature experiences, you won't forget that you're right next to the second busiest airport in the Midwest. If you're anywhere near the Snelling Lake area you'll be able to gaze at the underbellies of landing airliners and probably smell their jet fuel. If you're used to state parks and national parks that are more sovereign and unspoiled, it might surprise you that this land is very visibly a thoroughfare for power lines and sits in the shadow of I-494 and the Mendota Bridge.But as someone who lives in St Paul and wants convenient access to a big park for nature hikes and picnics, this is awesome for me! It's even kind of neat to be down there knowing that I'm just a stone's throw from someplace where I often sit in traffic. The view of the Mendota Bridge is really cool, even. There's actually a trail behind the Visitor's Center that leads right up to its walkway. For that matter, you can just walk over to Historic Fort Snelling from that part of the park.I really like the riverside walks, and there are generous amounts of those here. There are two big picnic areas; you might head directly for the one that's literally called "Picnic Island", but the one by "the beach" is much more picturesque. There's plenty of parking by both of those, as well as by the Visitor's Center. This being a Minnesota State Park, it's very well maintained and it's open year-round. On a recent Saturday hike I walked past a tree that had partially fallen onto the road. When I walked by it again less than an hour later, a crew was very diligently cutting it all away. Just saying, they appear to be on top of things here. There are fees in the form of vehicle permits; a one-day permit is $7, but a $35 annual permit gives you a year's worth of access to all Minnesota State Parks & Recreation Areas. There is also camping for additonal fees (you'll need to reserve your campsite in advance). I really like this park, and if you live in the Twin Cities it's hard to beat. But don't expect to feel particularly distant from the modern world.

It's huge. There's a lot of trails and you can easily get lost. We came in the Thanksgiving and the leaves were goneAt this time it feels like a scene in GOT when bad things are about to happen in the dead forest. The entry fee is minimal and if you have a State park pass you can skip the long line of cars applying to get in. Parking could be a problem, but hey there's a Covid spike out there and this is outdoors with all the room that you need. If you don't like GOT pretend to be in the Witcher instead. Happy Thanksgiving.

My favorite park in the Twin Cities, Fort Snelling has it all! This was my first visit with a ton of snow, which made my hike even more challenging (just the way I like it).

Who doesn't love a state park? This is located close to the city, has Fort Snelling and the museum as well as lots of outdoor space to explore. There is a pretty big parking lot which does require payment.Staff is friendly. Definitely will re-visit.

Our bestie loves this park so we decided to meet up for a birthday hike. After having some difficulty finding it, we finally found the parking lot and went for a nice, but cold hike. The scenery is nice, but I imagine even nicer in the spring or fall. We were there in January so it was a bit chilly, but nice to get outside in the crisp air with the family and the pup who thankfully we brought the carrier for. The snow was pretty deep for her little legs.The views of the water are nice and I imagine the paths would be nice to hike when it's warmer out. I just hope I don't run into the monsterous snake somebody posted a pic of at this park. Saw a ton of deer.Port a johns were nasty and I passed as I couldn't force myself in to handle the smell, but that is to be expected. However having to go at the beginning of a hike in the cold was not the most fun.

In breathing distance of the airport in the middle of a major metropolitan area is this state park. Oddly we can view nature, hear the sounds of nature at the same time as traffic from the nearby highways and planes roaring.The Pike Island hike is the most scenic with views of the Mississippi. Some attention was drawn to a loud rhythmic warbling sound as two bald eagles warned others of human danger and then performed a stunning display of flying skills and swooping before resting side by side on the ancient trees. The park floods easily and was closed for most of the 2019 season due to continue heavy rains. Hikers may have to create a detour when finding annoying ponds along the path. Check out the Coldwater Spring area and remaining structure of what once was a water pumping station for the fort. There are other remnants of days long past if you look around the prairie area. There is ample parking, a large Trail Center with gift shop and mostly easy trails which seems to attract family members of all ages. There are paved bike lanes with high speeding serious bikers, "on your left". A cry I heard many times.