AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes

Gale Woods Farm

Whaletail Lake via Dakota Rail Regional Trail

8.5 mi · ▲ 85 ft · 2 hr 53 min

Whaletail Lake via Dakota Rail Regional Trail is an 8.5-mile out-and-back in Gale Woods Farm near Saint Bonifacius, MN. The route reaches Whaletail Lake at the turnaround, 4.2 miles in. It is mostly level, with 85 ft of elevation gain, and mostly paved. It scores 5/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi935 – 1,004 ft8.9 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 44.90085, -93.74748
Nearest town Saint Bonifacius, MN
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Whaletail Lake via Dakota Rail Regional Trail

8.5 mi · ▲ 85 ft · 2 hr 53 min

Elevation 934–1,003 ft

Out & Back · Gale Woods Farm

Trailhead: 44.90085, -93.74748

Weather Sep 25: sunrise 7:06 AM · sunset 7:09 PM

Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading S.
  2. 0.4 miTurn left, heading S.
  3. 300 ftTurn left onto Dakota Rail Regional Trail, heading NE.
  4. 3.2 miSharp left, heading NE.
  5. 0.3 miTurn left, heading N.
  6. 0.3 miReach Whaletail Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  7. 0.4 miTurn right, heading E.
  8. 0.3 miSharp right onto Dakota Rail Regional Trail;Baker-Carver Regional Trail, heading SW.
  9. 3.2 miTurn right, heading SW.
  10. 300 ftTurn right, heading SW.
  11. 0.2 miArrive 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/whaletail-lake-out-back-14-km-7662

Trail surface

87% paved11% gravel2% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 7:06 AMSunset 7:09 PM

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 3.4 mi in (~83 min). Leave by 5:26 PM for the 7:09 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:46 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Parking lot at the trailhead

More from this trailhead

Hikes near Saint Bonifacius, Minnesota