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Minnehaha Regional Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 11,113 Google reviews · Running trail in Minneapolis, Minnesota · Posted hours
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Mixed
- Distance
- Not reported
- Shape
- Not reported
- Shade
- Not reported
- Access
- Posted hours
Confirmed from Minnehaha Regional Park's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
This 193-acre riverfront park has miles of trails & a waterfall celebrated in a Longfellow poem.
What runners say about Minnehaha Regional Park
“But, I’ve been waiting to visit Minneapolis for over 3 years now and my word I love this beautiful city and all of its beautiful historic bridges and waterfalls just like this one!”
“Beautiful nature area, trails along a slowly rapid creek, bridges, trails for all levels!”
Easy walk from the Blue Line Stop, and the trails are wonderful. A great mix of paved and dirt trails with adorable bridges, easy to navigate stairs, and of course the beautiful falls with multiple vantage points to see them. We went early in the morning before any crowds which was perfect.
Minnehaha Regional Park is pretty cool place to spend time outside. To enjoy waterfalls and river. Multiple hiking trails. There are separate trails for bikes. And there is special area for walking dogs without leash (dog permit required). All other areas you can still walk the dogs but on the leash only.
This park is so much more than the falls! If you take the trail toward the river it’s absolutely beautiful. You will eventually get to the river and there is a beach. Great views, cool graffiti and wasn’t too crowded. Get to the falls early to avoid over crowding.
The only saw a small portion of this park. It was absolutely beautiful day and a beautiful walk. We are from out of town and it looks like they just had a large snowfall. The weather was in the 80s in the snow is still starting to melt. We parked at a pay lot and walked about a mile to get to the Falls.
Trail conditions & character
“But, I’ve been waiting to visit Minneapolis for over 3 years now and my word I love this beautiful city and all of its beautiful historic bridges and waterfalls just like this one!”
“There is a building before you get to the waterfall that provides restrooms, food and drinks.”
“Had to be very patient to find a parking spot.”
“And there is special area for walking dogs without leash (dog permit required).”
“It's well maintained and the top of the park is accessible.”
“A great mix of paved and dirt trails with adorable bridges, easy to navigate stairs, and of course the beautiful falls with multiple vantage points to see them.”
“The waterfall was amazing I highly recommend everybody to see it during the day and at night when they put the light on it.”
Plan your run at Minnehaha Regional Park
The practical stuff
- AccessPosted hours — posted hours below; park gates sometimes close earlier than the listing says
- SurfaceMixed — more than one surface along the route, so check the segment you plan to run
- DistanceNot reported. Trail systems often quote total path mileage rather than a single loop, so measure the route you actually want before you drive out.
- ShadeNot reported. Assume some of it is exposed and carry water in summer.
- LightingRunners report lights on the path — useful for pre-dawn and after-work miles. Lighting and opening hours are separate things, so check both.
- At the trailheadparking, restrooms, water — reported by runners
- DogsWelcome, per reviewers. Leash rules vary by park — the trailhead sign is the authority.
- Stroller / wheelchairReported as smooth and step-free enough for a running stroller or a chair.
- Websiteminneapolisparks.org
- Phone+1 612-230-6400
- Social Instagram · Facebook
Hours
| Monday | 6 am–10 pm |
| Tuesday | 6 am–10 pm |
| Wednesday | 6 am–10 pm |
| Thursday | 6 am–10 pm |
| Friday | 6 am–10 pm |
| Saturday | 6 am–10 pm |
| Sunday | 6 am–10 pm |
Running trails near Minneapolis
Other trails within easy driving distance — useful when this one is flooded, gated, or just not the run you had in mind today.
Minnehaha Falls Lower Glen Trail
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Winchell Trail
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Lake Nokomis Park
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Shadow Falls Park
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