AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes

Sechler Park

St. Olaf Natural Lands–St. Olaf Natural Lands Forest Restoration, 17 sights

13.2 mi · ▲ 166 ft · 4 hr 29 min

St. Olaf Natural Lands–St. Olaf Natural Lands Forest Restoration, 17 sights is a 13.2-mile out-and-back in Sechler Park near Northfield, MN. The route passes Baseball Pond, St. Olaf Natural Lands, Soccer Pond and 7 more. It is mostly level, with 166 ft of elevation gain. It scores 0/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi902 – 1,047 ft14.9 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 44.47133, -93.17891
Nearest town Northfield, MN
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

St. Olaf Natural Lands–St. Olaf Natural Lands Forest Restoration, 17 sights

13.2 mi · ▲ 166 ft · 4 hr 29 min

Elevation 901–1,048 ft

Out & Back · Sechler Park

Trailhead: 44.47133, -93.17891

Weather Sep 26: sunrise 7:05 AM · sunset 7:04 PM

Transit-accessible: Northfield Manor stop 251 m from the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading S.
  2. 0.2 miPass Baseball Pond.
  3. 50 ftPass St. Olaf Natural Lands.
  4. 350 ftSharp right, heading S.
  5. 200 ftBear right, heading S.
  6. 50 ftTurn left, heading S.
  7. 300 ftContinue straight onto Baseball Pond Loop, heading NW.
  8. 0.1 miPass Soccer Pond.
  9. 100 ftTurn right onto Knoll Loop, heading W.
  10. 350 ftTurn right onto Prairie Loop, heading W.
  11. 1.1 miPass Big Pond.
  12. 50 ftPass West Coyote Pond.
  13. 50 ftPass East Coyote Pond.
  14. 200 ftTurn right onto Big Pond Loop, heading SE.
  15. 500 ftPass Woodland Pond.
  16. 0.1 miTurn left, heading SE.
  17. 300 ftPass Duckweed Pond.
  18. 250 ftSharp right onto Forest Restoration Loop, heading E.
  19. 50 ftContinue straight onto Campus Drive, heading E.
  20. 350 ftContinue straight onto Forest Restoration Loop, heading E.
  21. 0.2 miTurn left, heading SE.
  22. 0.1 miPass St. Olaf Natural Lands.
  23. 0.2 miTurn left onto Heath Creek Trail, heading S.
  24. 0.1 miPass St. Olaf Natural Lands Forest Restoration.
  25. 0.4 miBear left, heading S.
  26. 250 ftContinue straight onto Sechler Park Access Road, heading S.
  27. 50 ftTurn left onto Mill Towns State Trail, heading S.
  28. 0.9 miContinue straight onto Sechler Park Access Road, heading NE.
  29. 100 ftContinue straight onto CROCT Trail from Walgreens, heading NE.
  30. 350 ftContinue straight onto Sechler Park Access Road, heading NE.
  31. 150 ftContinue straight onto CROCT Trail from Walgreens, heading NE.
  32. 350 ftSharp right onto Mill Towns State Trail, heading NE.
  33. 350 ftTurn right onto East River Trail, heading NE.
  34. 150 ftContinue straight onto New mountain bike trail, heading NE.
  35. 400 ftBear right onto East River Trail, heading NE.
  36. 0.6 miContinue straight onto East Cannon Winter trail, heading SW.
  37. 150 ftContinue straight onto East River Trail, heading W.
  38. 0.9 miBear left, heading W.
  39. 0.8 miReach St. Olaf Natural Lands, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  40. 0.8 miBear left, heading NE.
  41. 0.9 miContinue straight onto East Cannon Winter trail, heading N.
  42. 150 ftContinue straight onto East River Trail, heading N.
  43. 0.6 miBear left onto New mountain bike trail, heading E.
  44. 400 ftContinue straight onto East River Trail, heading NE.
  45. 150 ftTurn left onto Mill Towns State Trail, heading NE.
  46. 350 ftSharp left onto CROCT Trail from Walgreens, heading NE.
  47. 350 ftContinue straight onto Sechler Park Access Road, heading NE.
  48. 100 ftContinue straight onto CROCT Trail from Walgreens, heading E.
  49. 350 ftContinue straight onto Sechler Park Access Road, heading NE.
  50. 150 ftContinue straight onto Mill Towns State Trail, heading NE.
  51. 0.9 miTurn right onto Sechler Park Access Road, heading W.
  52. 250 ftBear right onto Heath Creek Trail, heading W.
  53. 0.4 miBear left, heading SW.
  54. 0.2 miTurn right onto Big Woods Trail, heading SW.
  55. 0.4 miTurn right onto Forest Restoration Loop, heading SW.
  56. 0.2 miContinue straight onto Campus Drive, heading N.
  57. 350 ftContinue straight onto Forest Restoration Loop, heading N.
  58. 100 ftSharp left onto Big Pond Loop, heading NE.
  59. 450 ftTurn left, heading W.
  60. 0.2 miTurn left onto Prairie Loop, heading NW.
  61. 1.1 miTurn left onto Knoll Loop, heading W.
  62. 350 ftTurn left onto Baseball Pond Loop, heading W.
  63. 0.2 miTurn right, heading NW.
  64. 50 ftBear left, heading W.
  65. 200 ftSharp left, heading W.
  66. 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/st-olaf-natural-lands-st-olaf-natural-lands-forest-restoration-out-back-23-lakes-21-km-52ea

Trail surface

50% paved25% grass16% dirt5% gravel4% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 7:05 AMSunset 7:04 PM

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 1.0 mi in (~25 min). Leave by 6:20 PM for the 7:04 PM sunset. Back at your car by 7:44 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Transit-accessible: Northfield Manor stop 251 m from the trailhead
  • Parking lot at the trailhead

More from this trailhead

Hikes near Northfield, Minnesota