Minnesota Outdoor Activities
for Every Season
Minnesota outdoor activities provide the fun and relaxation we all need in our lives. Whether you are a visitor to Minnesota or a resident of our lovely state, you can find an exciting adventure or restful outdoor activity.
Here is an overview of the best "getting outdoors in Minnesota" options that you won't want to miss. Click through to other pages that offer even more detail about where to go to experience our great outdoors. Relax, unwind and enjoy yourself!
Minnesota's Famous Lakes!
Everything you've heard about
Minnesota lakes
is true! There are indeed MORE than 10,000 lakes in our wonderful, watery, state. We swim in our lakes,
fish in our lakes,
and ice fish on our lakes
---canoe, boat, pontoon, water ski, snorkel and more.
If you spend any time at all in Minnesota, you will have a delightful encounter with one or more of our lakes.
Fishing Minnesota
A bad day of fishing is better than a good day of work.
~Author Unknown
Fishing Minnesota lakes and rivers is a family tradition;
a tradition we are passing on to the next generation!
Minnesota Water Sports
When I was young our family always lived within walking distance of a lake. Swimming, boating and water skiing were how we spent the long summer days. If your family did not own a cabin on the lake, or a boat, your friends or relatives did.
There are so many ways to get out on the water. Some of our other favorite water adventures include:
- Packing a picnic lunch and sharing a lake cruise on a pontoon with a group of friends
- Taking a riverboat cruise down the Mississipi or St. Croix river
- Renting a houseboat for a weekend family reunion
- Jet-skiing
There is something so relaxing about the combination of warm summer sun, cool water, lapping waves and the company of family and good friends.
Minnesota State Parks
Minnesota's state parks
are a great place to enjoy the lakes, hiking trails, camping, and all the natural beauty you could desire. This
Minnesota State Parks map
offers an overview of Minnesota State parks, from northern to southern Minnesota. Click on the name of a park to get more detailed information.
Camping in Minnesota
With five children to raise, we needed low cost ways to enjoy the outdooors together. Camping was the perfect solution. A campsite in Minnesota can be found in our beautiful
or in a private campground. Daily fees are minimal and the ameneties unsurpassed!
Some
campgrounds
are on the shores of a lake, in dense wilderness, on a river or in the heart of wildlife country. Private campgrounds may feature swimming pools, playgrounds and more.
Our favorite way to camp was with a group of friends. At one point there were 10 families that camped together all over northern Minnesota. Though our children are now all grown, the memories we created never fade.
Our first set of camping equipment was pretty basic. It included an old canvas tent, a propane lantern and a few sleeping bags. Meals were cooked over a campfire and baths were taken in a lake or stream.
As our family grew, we invested in more, and more elaborate, camping equipment. At one point we even bought a pull-behind pop up camper with stove and refrigerator. After the kids started leaving home we scaled back down to a tent and I still love the feeling of being "right there" in the outdoors that a tent offers.
Hiking Minnesota Trails
Hiking is a favorite Minnesota outdoor activity for all ages. One of the best long-distance trails in the country is the Superior Hiking Trail which extends for nearly 200 miles along the North Shore. A hike anywhere along this trail will offer some of the most stunning views anywhere. The SHT is also part of the National Scenic Trail that will untimately stretch for more than 4,000 miles from New York to North Dakota.
Our two National Forests offer great hiking as well. Both the Chippewa National Forest and the Superior National Forest have many miles of trails. You can hike in the Bounday Waters Canoe Area as well on either very challenging or relatively easy routes.
Minnesota's State Parks offer more than 1,250 miles of hiking trails. They are well maarked and maintained. Many of these trails, especially those in the northern part of the state, will take you through dense forests and rushing waterfalls.
Don't forget to check out hiking trails in the Twin Cities, in the farming and prairie areas or, really, anywhere in the state.
Get maps and other information from the
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Nature Viewing in Minnesota
Minnesota is home to a wonderful and wild assortment of creatures. The state is inhabited by moose and deer, bears and wolves, otters and badgers, lynx and mountain lions, songbirds, eagles, snowy owls, fish by the hundreds of species and so much more!
Anyone who visits Minnesota hopes to catch of glimpse of as many of these animals as possible. With a little planning and guidance your chances are greatly increased.
Our Minnesota Wildlife page offers detailed information about where to see some of our state's wildest residents.
Off-Highway Vehicle Riding
Minnesota Winter Sports
Winter came down to our home one night
Quietly pirouetting in on silvery-toed slippers of snow,
And we, we were children once again.
~Bill Morgan, Jr.
Minnesota and ice skating are a natural combination. When I was a child, as soon as the lakes would freeze over, we would grab shovels in one hand and skates in the other and off we would go to clear an area for skating. Of course, the state is amply supplied with both indoor and outdoor rinks as well for skaters who want to make a try for the Olympics or just simply experience the thrills and spills of this wonderful winter activity.
Minnesota--the "State of Hockey"--also avidly follows our "Minnesota Wild" pro team and the "hockey Gophers" that represent the University of Minnesota. Children, both girls and boys, join local hockey programs from Ely to Albert Lea--and every town in between.
Though we lack "real" mountains, we have enough hilly terrain to accomodate lots of skiing and snowboarding. I learned to ski on "Detroit Mountain," near Detroit Lakes and others indulge their downhill passion at Lutsen, Afton, Buck Hills and other locations.
Most large parks in Minnesota have groomed trails for Cross Country Skiing. The Gunflint Trail in northern Minnesota has miles of well maintained trails. The Three Rivers Park District around Minneapolis has more lighted ski trails than any other place in the nation. Maplelag Resort near Detroit Lakes and Giant's Ridge ski area both have hosted World cup events and Olympic ski trials.
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