Holland Lake–Thomas Lake, 3 lakes
16 mi · ▲ 516 ft · 5 hr 35 min
Holland Lake–Thomas Lake, 3 lakes is a 16-mile out-and-back in Central Park near Mendota Heights, MN. The route passes East Thomas Lake and Thomas Lake before reaching Holland Lake at the turnaround, 7.9 miles in. It climbs 516 ft and is mostly paved. It scores 0/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Holland Lake–Thomas Lake, 3 lakes
16 mi · ▲ 516 ft · 5 hr 35 min
Elevation 832–1,024 ft
Out & Back · Central Park
Trailhead: 44.87381, -93.14667
Weather Sep 25: sunrise 7:04 AM · sunset 7:06 PM
Transit-accessible: Lexington Av stop 126 m from the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading S.
- 0.6 miTurn right, heading W.
- 1 miContinue straight onto Big Rivers Regional Trail, heading W.
- 1.7 miTurn right, heading S.
- 0.4 miTurn right, heading SW.
- 0.1 miTurn left, heading S.
- 450 ftTurn left, heading W.
- 0.1 miTurn right, heading SW.
- 0.5 miTurn right, heading S.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading S.
- 250 ftTurn right, heading SE.
- 1.9 miPass East Thomas Lake.
- 300 ftPass Thomas Lake.
- 0.1 miTurn right, heading S.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading S.
- 250 ftBear right, heading S.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading S.
- 100 ftTurn right, heading S.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading S.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading S.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading S.
- 0.8 miPass Holland Lake.
- 0.1 miTurn right, heading E.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading E.
- 0.1 miReach Holland Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.1 miTurn right, heading E.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading E.
- 0.9 miTurn right, heading W.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading W.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading W.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading W.
- 100 ftTurn right, heading W.
- 50 ftBear left, heading W.
- 250 ftTurn right, heading W.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading W.
- 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 W.
- 0.1 miTurn left, heading N.
- 0.4 miTurn left, heading NW.
- 2.7 miTurn left, heading E.
- 0.2 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 4.0 mi in (~101 min). Leave by 5:06 PM for the 7:06 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:03 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Transit-accessible: Lexington Av stop 126 m from the trailhead
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from this trailhead
- Heine Pond via Big Rivers Regional Trail 13.5 mi · ▲ 383 ft
- River to River Greenway 4.1 mi · ▲ 108 ft
- Big Rivers Regional Trail 3.6 mi · ▲ 82 ft
- River to River Greenway 3.4 mi · ▲ 84 ft
- Big Rivers Regional Trail 4.4 mi · ▲ 187 ft
- Mendota-Lebanon Hills Greenway 4.6 mi · ▲ 84 ft
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