Central Park

East Thomas Lake via Big Rivers Regional Trail

13 mi · ▲ 351 ft · 4 hr 31 min

East Thomas Lake via Big Rivers Regional Trail is a 13-mile out-and-back in Central Park near Eagan, MN. The route reaches East Thomas Lake. It climbs 351 ft and is mostly paved. It scores 0/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi833 – 951 ft13.9 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 44.79592, -93.14018
Nearest town Eagan, MN

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

East Thomas Lake via Big Rivers Regional Trail

13 mi · ▲ 351 ft · 4 hr 31 min

Elevation 833–951 ft

Out & Back · Central Park

Trailhead: 44.79592, -93.14018

Weather Sep 25: sunrise 7:04 AM · sunset 7:06 PM

Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading W.
  2. 150 ftTurn right, heading W.
  3. 50 ftTurn left, heading W.
  4. 1.3 miPass East Thomas Lake.
  5. 50 ftTurn right, heading S.
  6. 50 ftTurn right, heading N.
  7. 2 miTurn left, heading N.
  8. 250 ftTurn right, heading N.
  9. 100 ftTurn left, heading N.
  10. 0.5 miTurn left, heading N.
  11. 0.1 miTurn right, heading W.
  12. 450 ftTurn right, heading NW.
  13. 0.1 miTurn left, heading N.
  14. 0.4 miTurn left, heading E.
  15. 1.4 miContinue straight onto Big Rivers Regional Trail, heading N.
  16. 0.4 miTurn left, heading N.
  17. 0.1 miReach East Thomas Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  18. 1.9 miTurn right, heading S.
  19. 0.4 miTurn right, heading W.
  20. 0.1 miTurn left, heading W.
  21. 450 ftTurn left, heading W.
  22. 0.1 miTurn right, heading S.
  23. 0.5 miTurn right, heading S.
  24. 100 ftTurn left, heading S.
  25. 250 ftTurn right, heading S.
  26. 2 miTurn left, heading S.
  27. 50 ftTurn left, heading S.
  28. 1.3 miTurn right, heading E.
  29. 50 ftTurn left, heading E.
  30. 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 surface

96% paved4% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 7:04 AMSunset 7:06 PM

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 3.9 mi in (~100 min). Leave by 5:06 PM for the 7:06 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:01 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Parking lot at the trailhead

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