Medicine Lake Regional Trail & Southwest Trail Loop
10.9 mi · ▲ 188 ft · 3 hr 44 min
Medicine Lake Regional Trail & Southwest Trail Loop is a 10.9-mile out-and-back near Wayzata, MN. It is mostly level, with 188 ft of elevation gain, and mostly paved. It scores 0/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Medicine Lake Regional Trail & Southwest Trail Loop
10.9 mi · ▲ 188 ft · 3 hr 44 min
Elevation 951–1,033 ft
Out & Back
Trailhead: South West Trail Loop · 44.99754, -93.49954
Weather Sep 26: sunrise 7:07 AM · sunset 7:06 PM
Transit-accessible: Co Rd 6 / 19 Av N stop 178 m from the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start on South West Trail Loop, heading NE.
- 50 ftTurn left onto Southwest Trail Loop, heading N.
- 0.2 miTurn left onto South West Trail Loop, heading N.
- 1 miTurn right, heading E.
- 0.1 miTurn left, heading E.
- 0.5 miBear left, heading N.
- 50 ftBear right, heading N.
- 0.7 miBear right, heading N.
- 150 ftBear right, heading N.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading NE.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading NE.
- 0.9 miTurn right, heading N.
- 0.3 miTurn right, heading N.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading N.
- 0.7 miTurn left, heading E.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading E.
- 0.2 miTurn left onto Medicine Lake Regional Trail, heading E.
- 0.7 miReach Southwest Trail Loop, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.7 miTurn right, heading SE.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading SE.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading SE.
- 0.7 miTurn right, heading W.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading W.
- 0.3 miTurn left, heading W.
- 0.9 miTurn left, heading W.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading W.
- 0.2 miBear left, heading S.
- 150 ftBear left, heading S.
- 0.7 miBear left, heading S.
- 50 ftBear right, heading S.
- 0.5 miTurn right, heading S.
- 0.1 miTurn left onto South West Trail Loop, heading S.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading S.
- 0.4 miBear left onto Southwest Trail Loop, heading S.
- 0.8 miTurn right onto South West Trail Loop, heading W.
- 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 5.3 mi in (~133 min). Leave by 4:33 PM for the 7:06 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:34 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Transit-accessible: Co Rd 6 / 19 Av N stop 178 m from the trailhead
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from South West Trail Loop Trailhead
- Kreatz Lake–Snyder Lake, 3 lakes 15.8 mi · ▲ 221 ft
- Fish Lake West Trail & Southwest Trail Loop 15.5 mi · ▲ 276 ft
- Fish Lake–Fish Lake West Trail, 3 sights 16 mi · ▲ 275 ft
- Gleason Lake–Parkers Lake, 4 lakes 15 mi · ▲ 86 ft
- Weaver Lake–Kreatz Lake, 4 lakes 16.1 mi · ▲ 221 ft
- Long Lake–Gleason Lake, 4 lakes 14.9 mi · ▲ 79 ft
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