MINNEHAHA FALLS REGIONAL PARK, A GEM IN BETWEEN THE TWIN CITIES

During my last trip to Minneapolis (Minnesota) I discovered a gem: the Minnehaha Falls Regional Park, a large park with lots of walkways and resting areas.

The park is called after the Minnehaha stream who joins the Mississippi river creating a beautiful 53 feet waterfall, which you will see in one of the photos below.

Minnehaha Falls Regional Park is actually part of the city, which means it can be reached by bus as well. I was really happy to learn that you can hike within the Twin Cities. While hiking in there, being surrounded by nature, you can easily forget that you are literally in-between two major cities: Minneapolis and St-Paul.

From the parking lot you can descend to the gorge using the stairs and admire the waterfall from below. Before you start running down towards the gorge, keep in mind that there are lots of steps to climb back up.

If you decide to stay back, you can have a seat on one of the benches on the upper part of the gorge and enjoy the view. We skipped the bicycle tours because my son was more interested in playing in the water or running through the grass than pedalling in the heat.

We took the trail past the gorge and passed a few pools, stone bridges that lead us to a sandy beach where Minnehaha Creek and the Mississippi River meet.

There we found many families with children playing in the water and having lots of fun. I took some photos but I was asked to delete them by one of the parents. I did not mind, so I complied with his request.

The park had many amenities among which a restaurant, restrooms, a wading park for children, a playground area and disc golf course.

Strolling down the trails in the shade was a really peacefully experience in that hot summer day. Soaking our feet in the cold cold water was exactly what we needed to freshen up a bit and keep walking.

On our way to the playground area for kids we stumbled upon this pavilion where there was a band playing blues. I loved it!

From what I gathered while chatting with some people in there, each night there was a band performing in the pavilion.

This is a lovely place to spend an afternoon or a few hours, to have a picnic and enjoy the nature.

If you chose to hike on the trails, bring water with you and wear good sturdy walking or hiking shoes. Don't forget to bring your camera as well because you will encounter scenic banks and many birds along the way.