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Red Jacket Trail Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 229 Google reviews · Running trail in Mankato, Minnesota · Posted hours
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Paved
- Distance
- Not reported
- Shape
- Not reported
- Shade
- Not reported
- Access
- Posted hours
Confirmed from Red Jacket Trail 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.
Natural area with a lake and river, plus a bridge offering scenic views, trails, and fishing.
What runners say about Red Jacket Trail Park
“In a 45-60 minute hike you are able to see beautiful views of a river, the woods, some ponds, and even a nice lake with a few islands in the middle.”
“My experience there was very peaceful becoming one with nature as well as fun fishing and knowledge very comfortable with the sound of the river and plenty of parking”
I'm going to level with you right away, this trail is my favorite trail within a 20 mile radius. What makes thi trail so great? You may ask, well I will tell you that the trail has it all.
A definite diamond in the rough! Great clean trails set thru woods and along the lake and river. Wild life is abundant and for as many cars as we saw when we parked we didn't really cross paths with anyone. If your looking for a peaceful walk in nature or just some time to reflect and reset I recommend a stop here.
It had plenty of ponds and nice trails. People were swimming too and fishing. Some were also on boats. I loved how the trails had shade from trees. Very relaxing and amazing
The bridge is pretty neat to walk across. Also the view of both the small pond and the Lesueur River are neat to look at! I’ve noticed a lot of bird watchers that come to this area. Would recommend if you like to explore!:)
Trail conditions & character
“In a 45-60 minute hike you are able to see beautiful views of a river, the woods, some ponds, and even a nice lake with a few islands in the middle.”
“My experience there was very peaceful becoming one with nature as well as fun fishing and knowledge very comfortable with the sound of the river and plenty of parking”
“We also enjoyed the paved trails that led up to the wooden bridge high above the Le Sueur River.”
“I'm going to level with you right away, this trail is my favorite trail within a 20 mile radius.”
“There's an excellent connection to the Red Jacket trail just across the highway, water, porta-potties, and picnic shelters are available there too.”
“My experience there was very peaceful becoming one with nature as well as fun fishing and knowledge very comfortable with the sound of the river and plenty of parking”
Plan your run at Red Jacket Trail Park
The practical stuff
- AccessPosted hours — posted hours below; park gates sometimes close earlier than the listing says
- SurfacePaved — asphalt or concrete. Fast and predictable, runnable year-round, and fine with a stroller
- 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.
- At the trailheadparking, restrooms — reported by runners
- Websiteblueearthcountymn.gov
- Phone+1 507-304-4025
Hours
| Monday | 8 am–10 pm |
| Tuesday | 8 am–10 pm |
| Wednesday | 8 am–10 pm |
| Thursday | 8 am–10 pm |
| Friday | 8 am–10 pm |
| Saturday | 8 am–10 pm |
| Sunday | 8 am–10 pm |
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