I like this ride. I do. I finally even made it past Lake Calhoun and then suddenly realized I was…read morenear Steel Toe Brewing. Woo!! Weeeee!!! Set 'em up and I'll knock em down. Well at least one since I had to ride back. But anyway, that made the trip out west even better. Many people were using it when it was light but yowza! That was was a wicked headwind on my way home and it was getting dark. Just some additional safety observations during my ride: it seems like the homeless population are starting to grow. Some of the lights are out. Saw one person using the blue police responder to assist someone passed out in the weeds and at night, I didn't feel as safe on my ride home as I did on my ride in due to the waning light. I decided to follow some yahoo who was in far better shape then I am but I managed and by the time I made it back to Hwy 55, I was thoroughly knackered. None-the-less, I had a quick and enjoyable 15 mile ride and will go again. Anyway, it inspired a haiku: It is a nice ride Exits to good food and drink Sketchy in the night

The Greenway is part of the reason that Minneapolis was honored as Bicycling Magazine's Best Bike…read moreCity in America in 2010. Yay us! Things I love about this spectacular local bike highway: -The Greenway feels better under my tires. It's smooth, like buttah. -Bikers and other Greenway users are protected from cars and buses, which scare the bejeezus out of me when I'm biking on busy streets like Franklin (aka the worst bike road in the best bike city... that's another tale though). -The bike path is flat, so I don't get tuckered out. -That bridge over Hiawatha is cRaZy cool. -Midtown Global Market has an entrance right on the Greenway for easy ethnic food access and pastries from the Salty Tart (cyclist fuel). -There's a bike shop mid-Greenway if I want to trick out my ride on the go. -Said bike shop is also a cafe for more cyclist fuel. -At night, the Greenway is the best place to roam with my bike gang.

While driving in the area, looking for a business, we discovered this water front street and park…read more The name itself intrigued me as I love history, a quick google search, and I knew it was a place I had to return to and spend some time walking around. A gorgeous Sunday morning couldn't have been better to return. Early morning, hardly anyone around or cars on the bridge. Park and walk at my own slow pace, walking up and down the nooks and crannies of the beautiful Mississippi river, which, by the way, I had never actually spent actual time at before. It was peaceful, relaxing, and beautiful. There is something to be said about history and beauty still wrapping themselves together. It can be a 5 minute walk or a 2 hour walk... all enjoyable.

Great place to bike or run along the river! Has shaded spots on the trail too! Dog friendly…read more Enjoyed the designated lanes for walkers separate from bikers

This is my favorite lake in the twin cities, especially during the fall when the leaves are at peak…read moreintensity of fall colors! I especially love paddle boarding here because it's usually a short walk from street parking to the lake. The views are spectacular and the wildlife is fun to watch. The walking paths around the lake are always well maintained and it's about a 3 mile loop around, with great views the entire time.

Lake of the Isles is a lake in Minneapolis, it's connected to Cedar Lake and Bde Maka Ska. It's…read morepart of the Chain of Lakes. It's a park area. There's a walk area, and around the lake there are fancy homes.

Beautiful park with hiking trails. There's also a dog area so that's always a plus. The trails…read moreconnect to other regional trails so make sure you read the maps or bring your own so you don't get lost.

A great walking path if you don't mind a bug or two…read more Hike (or bike) along rice creek in several areas with plenty of newly remodeled benches to rest on. Many connections to other regional trails for the more adventurous. A small area park lies just over a foot bridge for the younger set.

Last time I started on the other end of the trail, I don't recommend it. If you are going in winter…read moretime, bring cleats for your boots, last year I wiped out on the ice, fool me once... This lovely hike runs along the Mississippi River. As you can see from the pictures, there are waterfalls to see. The wild life wasn't as active due to the cold, but we still heard some birds. You've never experienced listening to a woodpecker until you've done so next to a frozen river. It echoed around like crazy. Even though this is an intermediate level trail, you are often close to the parkway so if something goes wrong it's not a long way to get help. In the winter do bring a hiking partner, cleats, warm clothes, snacks, water, and a whistle. I'm so grateful to have so a beautiful hike so close to the city.

This trail in Minneapolis is very easy to get to, there's tons of parking on the street and parking…read morelots, and it's a very easy trail to walk. Today, it was towards the end of peak fall colors season and there were tons of leaves all over and while it was past peak, it was still a very pretty walk. It wasn't super busy, but it was busy enough for you didn't feel unsafe. I believe this trail is about 5 miles round-trip, but you can go halfway or as long as you want to. as I said, it's a very easy trail to walk with slight elevation gains but overall it's the elevation stays about the same and it's very safe and it's pretty well marked.

Lovely trail to walk this fall. Very popular so very busy…read more If you don't want crowds during these covid times probably not the best location. So popular that parking can be an issue. They have a long lot and thankfully someone else was leaving when I arrived so I could park in the lot to meet my friend for our outdoor walk and talk. Nice variety of nature- woods, lake, etc. Clear marked trail and nice spot during a less busy time.

Need a quick but close-by getaway and one with lots of wildlife? I highly recommend this one,…read moreespecially with the little humans as the trail is super easy but still is dirt so feels more like in nature. The highlight was going on the bridge and seeing swans, ducks, turtles, & egrets! Not too busy right now with the center under reconstruction. Just park on the street and walk in.

As Good as it Gets…read more Although The Grand Rounds Scenic Byway (abbreviated GRSB from here forward) is physically a couple of blocks from the hustle and bustle of the city, it is mentally a world away. GRSB is a 50-plus mile green beltway of parkways and trails that encircle Minneapolis. Along its miles of picture postcard trails; the GRSB leads to eight lakes, water falls, the Mississippi River riverfront, forests, cultural sights, forests, Meadows, bridges, Uptown, downtown, and other points of interest. If you are searching for a waterside trail in Minneapolis, chances are you will meet up with the GRSB. I am a lover of the outdoors and nature. When I visited Minneapolis for a week it wasn't if I was going to see the river; it was "how often?" Understandedly it is impossible to hike the totality of a 50-plus mile trail on a vacation. I ended up exploring two segments of it on three different hikes. On two hikes I explored the Mississippi Riverfront segment east of downtown from The Plymouth Avenue Bridge at the north to the Stone Arch Bridge at the south. On a third hike I explored the east Bde Maka Ska (also Lake Calhoun) shore southwest) of Uptown from 36th Street to Lake Street. Being a bike trail enthusiast, I was super impressed. Besides the nature in the city scenery I appreciate that the dual rights of way that separate the bicyclists from the hikers. Throughout the trail there is sufficient trail markers, signs, benches, and landscaping; yet very little if any graffiti. If my Minneapolis vacation was a movie when I first got on GRSB was the climax. A few minutes after egressing the Hennepin River Bridge I was engulfed in a forested Mississippi River landscape. This segment was the ultimate connector to the same Mississippi River that bridges the northernmost state to the Gulf of Mexico. The scenery and connection to the mother River were so positively overwhelming that for a few minutes I contemplated throwing my bills, job, and stresses down the river and becoming a permanent river nomad. Although that did not happen, the hike momentarily released my stress. That is what a fantastic trail does. Along the GRSB I'd enjoy a vacation from stress along forested trails overlooking the Mississippi. The stress-free walk east of the city led me to vistas of Mississippi River bridges, mills ruins, water-falls, a light house, and other sights that would exceed the Yelp character limit. Southwest of Uptown, it led me to a nearly continuous picturesque view of Bde Maka Ska (also Lake Calhoun) at the lake and a linear forest to the right. The sundown above the lake was a saratorium rise in my brain. The GRSB is as good as it gets. Too bad my free time and money isn't. If I had unlimited time and money I'd be back in Minneapolis spending indefinite hours on the GRSB.

This is one of the nicest bike loops of any city. There's so much green space and you can tour the…read morewhole city. You can stop off at a million parks along the way and the river views on the east side of the city are great!

There was so much energy during a warm summer evening when I visited. There was an intense…read morevolleyball game being played, while smoke carrying delicious aromas drifted over from a cookout. Children were giggling at the playground, while more kids were splashing in the lake with their parents. There was a small queue for the washrooms. The parking lot was almost full. However, everything was so harmonious, as everyone was having a great time and determined to keep it that way! I walked along some trails near the lakes. The paved trails were very well maintained, with no litter in sight. As I went away from the parking lot and popular areas, solitude enveloped me and it felt like I was a million miles away. There weren't many people on the trails, probably because the park was so large and everyone was spread out. Great place to catch a breath of air.

Part of 1252 acres of lakes & woods & swamp. Paved & unpaved trails, picnic shelters, on-shore…read morefishing. Off street parking lots. Wildlife. Fun snowshoeing here today!