Thunder Canyon via Minnesota Valley State Trail
16 mi · ▲ 462 ft · 5 hr 34 min
Thunder Canyon via Minnesota Valley State Trail is a 16-mile out-and-back near Glendale, MN. The route reaches Thunder Canyon at the turnaround, 8 miles in. It climbs 462 ft and is mostly paved. It scores 0/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Thunder Canyon via Minnesota Valley State Trail
16 mi · ▲ 462 ft · 5 hr 34 min
Elevation 722–1,015 ft
Out & Back
Trailhead: 44.74611, -93.37743
Weather Sep 23: Overcast, high 69°F / low 47° · precip 0% · wind 7 mph · sunrise 7:02 AM · sunset 7:11 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading W.
- 0.2 miBear left, heading SW.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading W.
- 2.8 miTurn right, heading W.
- 1.5 miTurn left, heading N.
- 1.8 miBear right, heading N.
- 100 ftTurn left, heading N.
- 0.2 miTurn right, heading NW.
- 1.3 miTurn right onto Minnesota Valley State Trail, heading N.
- 0.3 miTurn left, heading E.
- 150 ftReach Thunder Canyon, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.4 miTurn left, heading S.
- 1.3 miTurn left, heading S.
- 0.2 miTurn right, heading S.
- 100 ftBear left, heading S.
- 1.8 miTurn right, heading E.
- 1.5 miTurn left, heading S.
- 2.8 miTurn left, heading E.
- 50 ftBear right, heading E.
- 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 1.7 mi in (~43 min). Leave by 6:08 PM for the 7:11 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:12 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from this trailhead
- Upper Prior Lake & Mystic Lake via Big Woods Regional Trail 15.8 mi · ▲ 656 ft
- Sand Point Beach 3.9 mi · ▲ 189 ft
- Lower Prior Lake & Sand Point Beach 3.8 mi · ▲ 189 ft
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Hikes near Glendale, Minnesota