AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes

Vadnais - Snail Lakes Regional Park

Gilfillan Lake–Sucker Lake, 4 lakes

10.7 mi · ▲ 109 ft · 3 hr 37 min

Gilfillan Lake–Sucker Lake, 4 lakes is a 10.7-mile out-and-back in Vadnais - Snail Lakes Regional Park near Cardigan Junction, MN. The route passes Sucker Lake and Gilfillan Lake before reaching Frogs at the turnaround, 5.3 miles in. It is mostly level, with 109 ft of elevation gain, and mostly paved. It scores 0/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi886 – 968 ft11.8 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 45.06219, -93.10698
Nearest town Cardigan Junction, MN
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Gilfillan Lake–Sucker Lake, 4 lakes

10.7 mi · ▲ 109 ft · 3 hr 37 min

Elevation 885–970 ft

Out & Back · Vadnais - Snail Lakes Regional Park

Trailhead: 45.06219, -93.10698

Weather Sep 21: sunrise 6:59 AM · sunset 7:14 PM

Transit-accessible: SuzAnne Av stop 65 m from the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading NW.
  2. 50 ftSharp right, heading NE.
  3. 200 ftTurn left, heading N.
  4. 0.4 miTurn left, heading NE.
  5. 50 ftContinue straight onto Sucker Lake Road, heading NW.
  6. 0.3 miSharp right onto Sucker Lake Nordic Ski Trail, heading N.
  7. 0.9 miPass Sucker Lake.
  8. 450 ftTurn right, heading N.
  9. 0.5 miPass Gilfillan Lake.
  10. 1.3 miTurn right, heading E.
  11. 250 ftTurn right, heading E.
  12. 0.5 miTurn right, heading S.
  13. 50 ftTurn right, heading S.
  14. 0.3 miTurn right, heading S.
  15. 50 ftTurn left, heading S.
  16. 1 miPass Frogs.
  17. 0.2 miReach Gilfillan Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  18. 1.1 miTurn right, heading N.
  19. 50 ftTurn left, heading N.
  20. 0.3 miTurn left, heading N.
  21. 50 ftTurn left, heading N.
  22. 0.5 miTurn left, heading N.
  23. 250 ftTurn left, heading N.
  24. 2.8 miSharp left, heading SE.
  25. 0.2 miContinue straight onto Sucker Lake Road, heading SW.
  26. 150 ftTurn right, heading SW.
  27. 0.4 miTurn right, heading NW.
  28. 200 ftSharp left, heading W.
  29. 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/gilfillan-lake-sucker-lake-out-back-4-lakes-17-km

Trail surface

77% paved23% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 6:59 AMSunset 7:14 PM

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 1.9 mi in (~46 min). Leave by 6:08 PM for the 7:14 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:14 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Transit-accessible: SuzAnne Av stop 65 m from the trailhead
  • Parking lot at the trailhead

More from this trailhead

Hikes near Cardigan Junction, Minnesota