AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes

Fort Snelling State Park

Gun Club Lake & Big Rivers Regional Viewpoint via Big Rivers Regional Trail

4.8 mi · ▲ 136 ft · 1 hr 40 min

Gun Club Lake & Big Rivers Regional Viewpoint via Big Rivers Regional Trail is a 4.8-mile out-and-back in Fort Snelling State Park near Mendota, MN. The route passes Big Rivers Regional Viewpoint before reaching Gun Club Lake at the turnaround, 2.4 miles in. It is mostly level, with 136 ft of elevation gain, and mostly paved. It scores 0/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi712 – 827 ft5.3 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 44.88658, -93.16695
Nearest town Mendota, MN
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Gun Club Lake & Big Rivers Regional Viewpoint via Big Rivers Regional Trail

4.8 mi · ▲ 136 ft · 1 hr 40 min

Elevation 712–826 ft

Out & Back · Fort Snelling State Park

Trailhead: 44.88658, -93.16695

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

Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading S.
  2. 150 ftSharp right, heading SW.
  3. 0.1 miBear left, heading SW.
  4. 100 ftTurn right, heading S.
  5. 50 ftContinue straight onto Big Rivers Regional Trail, heading SW.
  6. 50 ftBear left, heading SW.
  7. 1.2 miPass Big Rivers Regional Viewpoint.
  8. 150 ftTurn right, heading S.
  9. 150 ftTurn right, heading SW.
  10. 0.4 miTurn right, heading SW.
  11. 50 ftTurn left, heading SW.
  12. 50 ftTurn right, heading SW.
  13. 0.6 miReach Gun Club Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  14. 0.6 miTurn left, heading E.
  15. 50 ftTurn right, heading E.
  16. 0.3 miBear left, heading NE.
  17. 0.2 miTurn right, heading NE.
  18. 50 ftTurn left, heading NE.
  19. 1.2 miBear left, heading N.
  20. 50 ftTurn left, heading N.
  21. 100 ftBear right, heading N.
  22. 0.1 miSharp left, heading NE.
  23. 150 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/gun-club-lake-big-rivers-regional-viewpoint-out-back-8-km-6364

Trail surface

91% paved7% dirt2% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 7:04 AMSunset 7:06 PM

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 0.1 mi in (~3 min). Leave by 6:44 PM for the 7:06 PM sunset. Back at your car by 7:24 PM — 11 min before dark. Car visible from the viewpoint

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Parking lot at the trailhead

More from this trailhead

Hikes near Mendota, Minnesota