River Bend Nature Center
Cardinal Trail–River Bend Trail, 3 sights
8.5 mi · ▲ 142 ft · 2 hr 54 min
Cardinal Trail–River Bend Trail, 3 sights is an 8.5-mile out-and-back in River Bend Nature Center near Faribault, MN. It is mostly level, with 142 ft of elevation gain, and mostly paved. It scores 9/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Cardinal Trail–River Bend Trail, 3 sights
8.5 mi · ▲ 142 ft · 2 hr 54 min
Elevation 956–1,070 ft
Out & Back · River Bend Nature Center
Trailhead: Straight River Trail · 44.30994, -93.27150
Weather Sep 25: sunrise 7:04 AM · sunset 7:07 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start on Straight River Trail, heading S.
- 1.1 miTurn left, heading SE.
- 0.4 miTurn left, heading S.
- 0.1 miTurn left, heading E.
- 1.5 miTurn left onto River Bend Trail, heading SW.
- 0.9 miTurn left, heading E.
- 0.1 miSharp right onto Cardinal Trail, heading NE.
- 0.2 miReach Straight River Trail, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.1 miSharp left, heading SE.
- 0.2 miTurn right onto River Bend Trail, heading W.
- 0.9 miTurn right onto Straight River Trail, heading W.
- 1.6 miTurn left, heading NW.
- 0.4 miBear left, heading N.
- 0.9 miArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
Weather
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 3.6 mi in (~91 min). Leave by 5:15 PM for the 7:07 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:50 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from Straight River Trail Trailhead
- Straight River Trail 8.4 mi · ▲ 113 ft
- River Bend Trail & Straight River Trail 8 mi · ▲ 113 ft
- Straight River Trail 4.7 mi · ▲ 27 ft
- Arrowhead Trail–Rabbit Trail, 5 sights 10.5 mi · ▲ 203 ft
- Upper Pond–Rabbit Trail, 4 sights 10.1 mi · ▲ 232 ft
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