AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes

Fort Snelling State Park

Big Rivers Regional Viewpoint–Fish Lake, 3 sights

15 mi · ▲ 408 ft · 5 hr 12 min

Big Rivers Regional Viewpoint–Fish Lake, 3 sights is a 15-mile out-and-back in Fort Snelling State Park near Lilydale, MN. The route passes Big Rivers Regional Viewpoint before reaching Fish Lake at the turnaround, 7.5 miles in. It climbs 408 ft and is mostly paved. It scores 0/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi702 – 932 ft16.3 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 44.90439, -93.13495
Nearest town Lilydale, MN
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Big Rivers Regional Viewpoint–Fish Lake, 3 sights

15 mi · ▲ 408 ft · 5 hr 12 min

Elevation 704–932 ft

Out & Back · Fort Snelling State Park

Trailhead: 44.90439, -93.13495

Weather Sep 24: sunrise 7:03 AM · sunset 7:08 PM

Toilets at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading W.
  2. 50 ftTurn left onto Big Rivers Regional Trail, heading SW.
  3. 1.9 miTurn right, heading NW.
  4. 150 ftTurn left, heading NW.
  5. 0.1 miSharp right, heading SW.
  6. 0.1 miBear left, heading SW.
  7. 100 ftTurn right, heading SW.
  8. 50 ftBear left, heading SW.
  9. 1.1 miPass Big Rivers Regional Viewpoint.
  10. 350 ftTurn left, heading SW.
  11. 2.1 miTurn right, heading S.
  12. 0.4 miTurn right, heading W.
  13. 0.1 miTurn left, heading W.
  14. 450 ftTurn left, heading S.
  15. 0.1 miTurn right, heading W.
  16. 0.5 miTurn right, heading S.
  17. 50 ftTurn left, heading S.
  18. 250 ftTurn right, heading S.
  19. 0.5 miTurn left, heading S.
  20. 350 ftPass Fish Lake.
  21. 0.2 miReach Big Rivers Regional Viewpoint, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  22. 0.2 miTurn right, heading SE.
  23. 0.5 miTurn left, heading N.
  24. 250 ftTurn right, heading N.
  25. 50 ftTurn left, heading NW.
  26. 0.5 miTurn left, heading NW.
  27. 0.1 miTurn right, heading NW.
  28. 450 ftTurn right, heading N.
  29. 0.1 miTurn left, heading N.
  30. 0.4 miTurn left, heading N.
  31. 1.8 miTurn left, heading N.
  32. 0.3 miTurn right, heading N.
  33. 1.2 miBear left, heading NW.
  34. 100 ftTurn left, heading NW.
  35. 100 ftBear right, heading N.
  36. 0.1 miSharp left, heading N.
  37. 0.1 miTurn right, heading N.
  38. 1.9 miTurn right, heading NE.
  39. 50 ftArrive back at the trailhead.

Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.

Trail map, photos and weather for this hike: www.ambleway.com/hikes/big-rivers-regional-viewpoint-thomas-lake-out-back-6-lakes-25-km

Trail surface

96% paved4% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 7:03 AMSunset 7:08 PM

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 1.5 mi in (~38 min). Leave by 6:10 PM for the 7:08 PM sunset. Back at your car by 7:59 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Toilets at the trailhead
  • Parking lot at the trailhead

More from this trailhead

Hikes near Lilydale, Minnesota