Coming from Oregon and Colorado we knew that we wouldn’t have access to the same level of hiking in Minnesota, but we did our best to find some places that satisfied our need to get outdoors. While we didn’t do nearly as many hikes the last few months, we were able to get our shoes muddy a handful of times.
Theodore Wirth Park
Theodore Wirth Park is located right in downtown Minneapolis. The park has an extensive mountain biking network that can also be utilized for hiking and trail running. During the week the bike traffic is lighter, which made it a great option for getting in some weekly trail runs. We typically ran the back loop, which is a great 5 mile option, but adding in loops from the front portion can easily get the mileage up in double digits.
6.2 mile (10 km) Theodore Wirth Park Trail Running loop Garmin tracks
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/embed/1417491098
St. Croix State Park
St. Croix State Park is located about 95 miles north of Minneapolis on the St. Croix River. The drive was much longer than we anticipated, but we enjoyed our day trip north. The park has miles of trails throughout for all fitness levels. We set out to hike the Two Rivers Trail, which goes along the St. Croix and Kettle Rivers. It was overcast and a little rainy that day, so the trail was all but deserted beyond the Kettle River Overlook. The trail was single track and mostly flat so we opted to run it instead. It ended up being an easy 8 miles and afforded great views along the river.
8 mile trail running loop in the St. Croix State Park Garmin Tracks
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/embed/1417491141
Ice Age Trail
The Ice Age Trail is located entirely in Wisconsin and runs for more than 1,000 miles along the edge of Wisconsin’s last glacier. The trail runs through more than 30 counties and is primarily used for hiking and backpacking, though some sections are also open for snowmobiling, bicycling, and cross country skiing. The two times we visited Thorp, we took some time to hike a section of this trail. The first time we did a 3 mile out and back hike with Casey and the second time we ran the same 3 mile portion. The trail is heavily wooded and passes many lakes in the few miles we traversed.
3 mile trail running out and back on the Ice Age Trail near Perkinstown, WI
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/embed/1417491045
mattandbethtravels 