{"id":97206478,"date":"2019-07-11T20:50:45","date_gmt":"2019-07-11T20:50:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/?p=97206478"},"modified":"2019-07-11T20:54:41","modified_gmt":"2019-07-11T20:54:41","slug":"the-8-great-outdoor-things-to-do-in-minneapolis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/the-8-great-outdoor-things-to-do-in-minneapolis\/","title":{"rendered":"The 8 Great Outdoor Things to Do in Minneapolis!"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you’re going to\u00a0Minneapolis and\u00a0think everything worth doing requires you to spend all your time indoors with the occasional cityscape stroll, you’re wrong. Sure, it’s a city\u00a0known by many for its beautiful architecture, great shopping, and the\u00a0famous “Skyway System” — a series of interconnected, enclosed climate-controlled walkways across the downtown area (spanning over 10 miles!). But it\u2019s also an ideal city for\u00a0almost anyone who loves being\u00a0outdoors and in nature.<\/p>\n

Most visitors would probably be surprised to learn that in Minneapolis\u00a0you\u2019re never more than six blocks away from a park. You\u2019re also never too far from a lake, river,\u00a0or another body of\u00a0water either! In fact,\u00a0the state of Minnesota has more shoreline than California, so its capital\u00a0has\u00a0a pretty sizable amount of waterside scenery.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a look at some of\u00a0the best outdoor things to do in Minneapolis with an emphasis on hiking and long walks, cycling, and, of course, making a splash!<\/p>\n

Minnehaha Falls Regional Park<\/h2>\n

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The 53-foot Minnehaha Falls is indeed a site to see, as are this park\u2019s limestone bluffs and views over the Mississippi River. Despite it being one of the city\u2019s most popular outdoor treasures and the backdrop for poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow\u2019s Song of Hiawatha<\/em>, Minnehaha Falls Regional Park<\/a> has plenty of room to roam. Hardly a mile north of the airport, the Falls could make a smart last stop before dropping off your rental and heading home.<\/p>\n

Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway<\/h2>\n

Up for leisurely stroll, relaxing bike ride, or a bit of mellow motoring? Keep the leafy Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway<\/a> in mind for any meanders around Minneapolis. This 50-mile loop around town and along most of the city\u2019s Mississippi shoreline hits some of the city\u2019s best parks, trails, and lakes with plenty of great places to eat, drink and shop along the way, including Mississippi River Boulevard and the Downtown Riverfront.<\/p>\n

Fort Snelling State Park<\/h2>\n

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A National Historic Landmark and a \u201cnational treasure\u201d according to the National Trust for Historic Preservation<\/a>, Fort Snelling is an excellent outdoor destination for discovering Minnesotan heritage and American history. Set atop a bluff where the Mississippi and Minnesota River converge, it\u2019s a lovely swath of Twin City green between Minneapolis and St. Paul. If you’re coming from the airport, the park is reached easily from Highway 494.<\/p>\n

St. Anthony Falls Visitor Center and Lock and Dam<\/h2>\n

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Just northeast of downtown Minneapolis, the Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam<\/a> is the location of the original settlement of this city. If you’re looking for even more things to do in Minneapolis, this urban waterfall and the surrounding area, has everything from amazing panoramic views across the city to a trail loop that offers a great historical perspective of the area. The falls make a good starting point for walking tours around town.<\/p>\n

Minneapolis Stone Arch Bridge<\/h2>\n

Pedestrianized with bike lanes and located in the downtown area (between the Central Avenue Bridge and I-35 West Saint Anthony Falls Bridge), the Stone Arch Bridge<\/a> is a former railroad bridge dates from 1883. A stroll or pedal along it yields breathtaking views of the St. Anthony Falls, city skyline and plenty of other significant landmarks. Odds are good that a visit here during the summer will coincide with a festival, live music, or fireworks display.<\/p>\n

Minneapolis Chain of Lakes Regional Park<\/h2>\n

Situated on the western edge of town, Chain of Lakes Regional Park<\/a> feature\u00a0more than 15 miles of cycling trails and footpaths pass along the shorelines of some of Minneapolis\u2019 most picturesque lakes, including Brownie Lake, Cedar Lake, Lake of the Isles, Bda Make Ska and Lake Harriet. Whether you’re heading out for a picnic, the string of stately lakeside homes or hope to mingle with dog walkers and local pooches at play, this giant gem of a park is the place to be on any day with great weather!<\/p>\n

Midtown Greenway<\/h2>\n
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Image via Flickr CC.20<\/a> – Michael Hicks<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

The Midtown Greenway is\u00a0a former railway corridor that’s been converted with bicycle lanes and walking paths. It spans about five miles along the Mississippi River on the southern edge of Minneapolis and is open day and night. The Greenway also connects with the Chain of Lakes Park\u00a0and other popular trails.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Love experiencing the great outdoors while still having access to big city amenities? We\u2019d love to hear about your favorite\u00a0urban green spaces in the comments below!<\/b><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you’re going to\u00a0Minneapolis and\u00a0think everything worth doing requires you to spend all your time indoors with the occasional cityscape stroll, you’re wrong. Sure, it’s a city\u00a0known by many for its beautiful architecture, great shopping, and the\u00a0famous “Skyway System” — a series of interconnected, enclosed climate-controlled walkways across the downtown area (spanning over 10 miles!). […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32,"featured_media":97206495,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1416],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-97206478","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel-guide"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97206478","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/32"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=97206478"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97206478\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":97206500,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97206478\/revisions\/97206500"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/97206495"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=97206478"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=97206478"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=97206478"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}