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
Getting there
Directions
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
- Start at the trailhead, heading W.
- 150 ftTurn right, heading W.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading W.
- 1.3 miPass East Thomas Lake.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading S.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading N.
- 2 miTurn left, heading N.
- 250 ftTurn right, heading N.
- 100 ftTurn left, heading N.
- 0.5 miTurn left, heading N.
- 0.1 miTurn right, heading W.
- 450 ftTurn right, heading NW.
- 0.1 miTurn left, heading N.
- 0.4 miTurn left, heading E.
- 1.4 miContinue straight onto Big Rivers Regional Trail, heading N.
- 0.4 miTurn left, heading N.
- 0.1 miReach East Thomas Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 1.9 miTurn right, heading S.
- 0.4 miTurn right, heading W.
- 0.1 miTurn left, heading W.
- 450 ftTurn left, heading W.
- 0.1 miTurn right, heading S.
- 0.5 miTurn right, heading S.
- 100 ftTurn left, heading S.
- 250 ftTurn right, heading S.
- 2 miTurn left, heading S.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading S.
- 1.3 miTurn right, heading E.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading E.
- 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
Weather
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.
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from this trailhead
- Holland Lake–Marsh Lake, 7 lakes 7.6 mi · ▲ 168 ft
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