Explore the Outdoors at These Kid-friendly Minnesota Spots
Looking for something fun for the whole family? These are the top 10 BEST places for kids to explore in and around the Twin Cities.
Time outdoors is good for kids—and their parents. Nature helps reduce stress, stimulates physical activity and challenges our minds with new sights, sounds and smells.
Nature Conservancy staff put their heads together and came up with a list of their favorite places in or near the Twin Cities to get outdoors with their kids, and we bet you’ll like them too.
Fort Snelling State Park
Located on top of a bluff overlooking the confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers, Fort Snelling offers great biking, hiking and cross-country ski trails and great places to go fishing like Snelling Lake and the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers.
From here you can also explore local history at nearby spots like Coldwater Spring and Fort Snelling Historic Site.
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ExploreHelen Allison Savanna
Just 20 miles north of the Twin Cities is a remnant of Minnesota’s past and one of the rarest habitats on Earth. At TNC’s Helen Allison Savanna, the gnarled limbs of bur oak trees reach for the sky and wildflowers abound.
It’s also a fantastic place to view hawks, songbirds, frogs and other wildlife.
Lake Elmo Park Reserve
About 10 miles east of St. Paul, Lake Elmo Park Reserve is a fun place to take the kids camping or fishing in the summer and cross-country skiing in the winter.
Minnehaha Falls at Minnehaha Regional Park
This 193-acre park overlooking the Mississippi River is just north of the airport and Fort Snelling. It features a 53-foot waterfall, limestone bluffs, big trees and woodland wildflowers. There are gardens, walking paths, a bike trail and there’s even an off-leash dog park for the canine members of the family. Below the waterfall, a trail winds along Minnehaha Creek down to the Mississippi River—another popular spot for fishing!
Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge
This refuge, about 10 miles from downtown Minneapolis, is one of only a handful of urban national wildlife refuges in the nation. It’s a great place to see bald eagles, wild turkey, songbirds and migrating waterfowl. Hit the trail after dusk and you might even hear coyotes howling in the distance!
Springbrook Nature Center
About 10 miles north of downtown Minneapolis in the City of Fridley, you’ll find the Springbrook Nature Center nestled among 127 acres of native prairies, oak and aspen forests, oak savanna and wetlands. There are hiking trails and floating boardwalks.
Three Rivers Park District
The Twin Cities are among the best urban park systems in the world, and the Three Rivers Park District is a favorite with Nature Conservancy staff. Here are a couple of their recommended, kid-friendly spots:
Richardson Nature Center
Hiking trails take you through marshes, oak forest and restored prairie where you might see deer, fox, coyotes and turkeys.
Elm Creek Park Preserve
At 4,900 acres, Elm is a good place to enjoy wildlife including eagles, sandhill cranes, deer, beavers, loons and trumpeter swans.
Wood Lake Nature Center
Three miles of trails and boardwalks wind through the marshes, prairies and forests at this 150-acre natural area in the City of Richfield.
Throw a couple of field guides in your kid's backpack to enhance the experience and get them started on their nature science journey!
If you know of any other great places near the Twin Cities to get kids out and into nature, drop us an e-mail at minnesota@tnc.org! We might just share some of your suggestions on this web page. Happy trails!
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