Prairie Oaks Trail
8.5 mi · ▲ 0 ft · 2 hr 50 min
Prairie Oaks Trail is an 8.5-mile out-and-back in Sunshine Park near Andover, MN. It is mostly level, with 0 ft of elevation gain, and mostly paved. It scores 0/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Prairie Oaks Trail
8.5 mi · ▲ 0 ft · 2 hr 50 min
Elevation 870–911 ft
Out & Back · Sunshine Park
Trailhead: 45.23846, -93.31807
Weather Sep 21: sunrise 7:00 AM · sunset 7:15 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading SE.
- 250 ftSharp left, heading N.
- 50 ftBear left, heading NW.
- 50 ftBear right, heading S.
- 500 ftBear right, heading N.
- 100 ftTurn left, heading NE.
- 0.1 miTurn right, heading N.
- 100 ftTurn left, heading N.
- 0.1 miBear right, heading E.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading E.
- 450 ftTurn right, heading NE.
- 350 ftTurn right, heading N.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading E.
- 200 ftTurn left, heading E.
- 500 ftTurn right, heading S.
- 0.5 miTurn left, heading S.
- 0.9 miTurn right, heading S.
- 0.5 miTurn left, heading S.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading S.
- 0.5 miContinue straight onto Prairie Oaks Trail, heading S.
- 0.5 miTurn left, heading S.
- 0.4 miTurn left, heading S.
- 500 ftTurn right, heading S.
- 500 ftReach the turnaround, then head back the way you came.
- 500 ftTurn left, heading E.
- 500 ftTurn right, heading N.
- 0.4 miTurn right, heading SW.
- 1 miTurn left, heading N.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading N.
- 0.5 miTurn left, heading N.
- 0.9 miTurn right, heading N.
- 0.5 miTurn left, heading N.
- 500 ftTurn right, heading N.
- 200 ftTurn right, heading N.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading N.
- 350 ftTurn left, heading N.
- 450 ftTurn right, heading N.
- 50 ftBear left, heading N.
- 0.1 miTurn right, heading N.
- 100 ftTurn left, heading N.
- 0.1 miTurn right, heading N.
- 100 ftBear left, heading N.
- 500 ftBear left, heading N.
- 50 ftBear right, heading N.
- 50 ftSharp right, heading N.
- 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 3.0 mi in (~74 min). Leave by 5:41 PM for the 7:15 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:44 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from this trailhead
- Prairie Oaks Trail 8.6 mi · ▲ 27 ft
- Prairie Oaks Trail 8.6 mi · ▲ 27 ft
- Prairie Oaks Trail 8.8 mi · ▲ 27 ft
- Prairie Oaks Trail 8.8 mi · ▲ 27 ft
- Prairie Oaks Trail 8.3 mi · ▲ 0 ft
- Prairie Oaks Trail 6.4 mi · ▲ 0 ft
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