Upper Prior Lake & Mystic Lake via Big Woods Regional Trail
15.7 mi · ▲ 379 ft · 5 hr 25 min
Upper Prior Lake & Mystic Lake via Big Woods Regional Trail is a 15.7-mile out-and-back near Shakopee, MN. The route passes Mystic Lake before reaching Upper Prior Lake at the turnaround, 7.9 miles in. It climbs 379 ft and is mostly paved. It scores 0/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Upper Prior Lake & Mystic Lake via Big Woods Regional Trail
15.7 mi · ▲ 379 ft · 5 hr 25 min
Elevation 754–1,049 ft
Out & Back
Trailhead: 44.79574, -93.51097
Weather Sep 23: Overcast, high 71°F / low 47° · precip 0% · wind 6 mph · sunrise 7:03 AM · sunset 7:11 PM
Transit-accessible: Marschall Rd stop 286 m from the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading S.
- 1.2 miTurn left, heading SE.
- 250 ftBear left, heading NE.
- 0.4 miTurn right, heading SE.
- 0.6 miTurn right, heading SE.
- 2.6 miPass Mystic Lake.
- 250 ftTurn left, heading S.
- 1.9 miTurn left onto Big Woods Regional Trail, heading E.
- 1.2 miReach Upper Prior Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 1.2 miTurn right, heading W.
- 1.9 miTurn right, heading W.
- 2.7 miTurn left, heading N.
- 0.6 miTurn left, heading SW.
- 0.4 miBear right, heading NW.
- 250 ftTurn right, heading NW.
- 1 miArrive 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 4.7 mi in (~119 min). Leave by 4:52 PM for the 7:11 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:21 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Transit-accessible: Marschall Rd stop 286 m from the trailhead
- Parking lot at the trailhead
More from this trailhead
- Minnesota Valley State Trail 9.3 mi · ▲ 27 ft
- Minnesota Valley State Trail 9.3 mi · ▲ 27 ft
- Minnesota Valley State Trail 9.2 mi · ▲ 27 ft
- Minnesota Valley State Trail 9.2 mi · ▲ 27 ft
- Lower Prior Lake & Sand Point Beach 14.9 mi · ▲ 245 ft
- Quarry Lake Trail 7.7 mi · ▲ 0 ft
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