AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes
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Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge

Long Meadow Lake & Lake Nokomis-Minnesota River Regional Trail

5.8 mi · ▲ 201 ft · 2 hr 2 min

Long Meadow Lake & Lake Nokomis-Minnesota River Regional Trail is a 5.8-mile out-and-back in Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge near Nicols, MN. The route reaches Long Meadow Lake. It is mostly level, with 201 ft of elevation gain. It scores 3/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi702 – 827 ft6.6 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 44.85137, -93.24885
Nearest town Nicols, MN
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Long Meadow Lake & Lake Nokomis-Minnesota River Regional Trail

5.8 mi · ▲ 201 ft · 2 hr 2 min

Elevation 703–826 ft

Out & Back · Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge

Trailhead: 44.85137, -93.24885

Weather Sep 25: sunrise 7:04 AM · sunset 7:07 PM

Transit-accessible: Old Cedar Av S stop 377 m from the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading E.
  2. 250 ftTurn right onto Lake Nokomis-Minnesota River Regional Trail, heading S.
  3. 0.9 miTurn right, heading S.
  4. 50 ftTurn left, heading S.
  5. 300 ftTurn right, heading SW.
  6. 50 ftTurn left, heading S.
  7. 0.4 miTurn right, heading SE.
  8. 50 ftTurn left, heading SE.
  9. 0.8 miPass Long Meadow Lake.
  10. 500 ftTurn right onto Minnesota River Bottoms Singletrack Trail, heading S.
  11. 0.5 miBear left, heading SW.
  12. 0.1 miReach Long Meadow Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  13. 450 ftBear right, heading SW.
  14. 0.6 miTurn left, heading NE.
  15. 0.9 miTurn right, heading NE.
  16. 50 ftTurn left onto Lake Nokomis-Minnesota River Regional Trail, heading NE.
  17. 0.4 miTurn right, heading N.
  18. 350 ftTurn right, heading NW.
  19. 0.9 miTurn left, heading N.
  20. 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/minnesota-river-long-meadow-lake-out-back-3-lakes-14-km

Trail surface

54% dirt37% paved4% boardwalk5% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 7:04 AMSunset 7:07 PM

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 0.2 mi in (~5 min). Leave by 6:42 PM for the 7:07 PM sunset. Back at your car by 7:27 PM — 9 min before dark. Car visible from the viewpoint

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Transit-accessible: Old Cedar Av S stop 377 m from the trailhead
  • Parking lot at the trailhead

Hikes near Nicols, Minnesota