Minnesota · best-of list
The 9 Best Outdoor Spots in Minnesota
All 9 outdoor spots our route editors picked in Minnesota, across 4 destinations, gathered in one list. Each one is a stop on a route you can open and copy into a trip.
Our curated picks
9 outdoor spots in Minnesota, grouped by destination. Destinations with the most picks come first; this is not a ranking.
Minnehaha Falls 4 picks
Fort Snelling State Park
Minnehaha Falls · On our Minneapolis New Year's Eve route
Park at the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers, with trails on Pike Island and through river-bottom woods.
Tip: Minnesota state parks typically host guided First Day Hikes on Jan 1; a vehicle permit is needed.
Lake Nokomis
Minnehaha Falls · On our Minneapolis New Year's Eve route
Lake on the Grand Rounds with a 2.7-mile loop path, popular for winter walks and ice fishing.
Tip: The path is plowed; walk the loop in the afternoon sun.
Photo: Joe Passe · CC BY-SA 2.0
Minnehaha Falls
Minnehaha Falls · On our Minneapolis New Year's Eve route
53-foot waterfall in Minnehaha Regional Park that freezes into columns of blue ice most winters.
Tip: Take the stairs to the base and look from behind the ice curtain; stay off the frozen creek.
Photo: Lorie Shaull · CC BY-SA 4.0Mississippi Gorge Regional Park
Minnehaha Falls · On our Minneapolis New Year's Eve route
Wooded bluffs along West River Parkway north of Minnehaha, the only true gorge on the Mississippi.
Tip: Walk north from the falls along the parkway trail for river views through bare trees.
Grand Marais 3 picks
Artist's Point
Grand Marais · On our Minnesota North Shore route
Rocky basalt spit behind the Coast Guard station leading to the harbor lighthouse breakwall.
Photo: Steve Manicor · Google
Cascade River State Park
Grand Marais · On our Minnesota North Shore route
Short loop past stepped waterfalls in a narrow gorge just off Hwy 61.
Photo: Cascade River State Park · Google
Judge C.R. Magney State Park
Grand Marais · On our Minnesota North Shore route
Trail to the Devil's Kettle, where half the Brule River seems to vanish into a pothole.
Tip: About 2 miles round trip with a long staircase.
Photo: August Schwerdfeger · CC BY 4.0
Duluth 1 pick
Duluth Lakewalk
Duluth · On our Minnesota North Shore route
Paved shoreline path from Canal Park toward Brighton Beach along Lake Superior.
Photo: Jane Schmidt · Google
Minneapolis 1 pick
Bde Maka Ska
Minneapolis · On our Minnesota North Shore route
Largest of the Chain of Lakes, with a 3-mile loop path, beaches and paddleboard rentals.
Photo: Thomson200 · CC0
How we picked these
Every entry is a stop on at least one of TripsCircle's hand-curated routes, chosen by our route editors, who wrote the reason to go shown with each place. These are our curated picks, not a scored ranking: we haven't rated or reviewed them against each other. The list is grouped by destination, and within each destination places that appear on more routes come first.
Prices ($ to $$$$) and visit lengths are rough guides from our route notes, not quotes. Check opening hours before you go.
About this list
How did you choose the outdoor spots in Minnesota?
Each one is a stop on a TripsCircle route that our editors built by hand, and each comes with a written reason to go. This page shows all 9 of them. They are curated picks, not a ranked score.
Which part of Minnesota has the most outdoor spots on this list?
Minnehaha Falls has the most (4 of 9), followed by Grand Marais (3) and Duluth (1).
Are any of these free?
6 picks on this list are marked free in our route notes: Lake Nokomis, Minnehaha Falls, Mississippi Gorge Regional Park, Artist's Point, Duluth Lakewalk, and more. Check ahead, since parking or special exhibits can cost extra.
More lists for Minnesota
Best outdoor spots nearby
Destinations on this list
- Minnehaha Falls 4 on this list
- Grand Marais 3 on this list
- Duluth 1 on this list
- Minneapolis 1 on this list
Turn this list into a plan
Open a curated route in TripsCircle, add the spots your crew wants, vote with polls and keep everyone on one shared itinerary.