HomeMinnesotaLake Elmo › Sunfish Lake Park

Sunfish Lake Park

4.7 ★★★★★ 263 Google reviews · Running trail in Lake Elmo, Minnesota · Posted hours

Runner's snapshot

Surface
Not reported
Distance
Not reported
Shape
Not reported
Shade
Not reported
Access
Posted hours

Confirmed from Sunfish Lake 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.

ScenicWaterTrailhead parkingQuiet

284 acres of woodland, wetland & prairie wildlife habitats & trails for snow skiing & hiking.

What runners say about Sunfish Lake Park

Pulled from public reviews of this trail (263 of them) — the things people bring up again and again, in their own words. Nothing here is written by us.

🏞️ beautiful scenery 4 mentions

“Beautiful trails groomed perfectly for skiing and fat biking.”

🌾 quiet & peaceful 6 mentions

“This is a good place to go if you're looking for some peace and quiet in nature.”

Quiet, free park with a variety of a paths for biking, skiing, and hiking. Thanks to the new signs, it is much easier to navigate this maze of trails. The park is fairly peaceful and much smaller than nearby Lake Elmo Preserve, but that is some of the magic of this place.

★★★★★ — Peter , Dec 2021

Very interesting terrain and paths. Very close to Lake Elmo Park and a drive down a dirt road to the parking lot and nature center. Shared walking, horse, and mountain biking paths. A pretty spot owned by the cityn and quite a few places to look out over smaller ponds in the woods.

★★★★★ — Eric , Mar 2023

New singletrack MTB trail here, only a month or two old. Not a lot of miles (about 4), and needs some improved signage, but a fast, flowy, fun trail, with quite a few optional features to ride. It's very fun, hoping they continue to add more to this system.

★★★★☆ — Shane , Sep 2020

Nice little nature center with really nice hiking trails. There are mountain bike trails as well.

★★★★★ — L , Jun 2023

Excerpts from public Google reviews. Read all 263 reviews →

Trail conditions & character

What this trail is actually like underfoot and overhead, taken from its own listing and from reviews. Each one links to every other trail with the same character. Busy or quiet is reported as a plain fact, not a plus or a minus — a runner heading out alone at dawn often wants company on the path, and someone running intervals wants an empty one.

🤫 Quiet / uncrowded 6 mentions

“This is a good place to go if you're looking for some peace and quiet in nature.”

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🏞️ Scenic views 5 mentions

“It is almost fully wooded with some lake overlooks that are very pretty.”

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🅿️ Trailhead parking 5 mentions

“Very close to Lake Elmo Park and a drive down a dirt road to the parking lot and nature center.”

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🚰 Water fountains

“Nice water bottle filling area”

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Plan your run at Sunfish Lake Park

The practical stuff

  • AccessPosted hours — posted hours below; park gates sometimes close earlier than the listing says
  • 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, water — reported by runners
  • Websitelakeelmo.org
  • Phone+1 651-777-5510

Hours

Monday 6 am–9 pm
Tuesday 6 am–9 pm
Wednesday 9 am–9 pm
Thursday 6 am–5 pm
Friday 9 am–9 pm
Saturday 6 am–9 pm
Sunday 6 am–9 pm

Posted hours for the park or trailhead. Gates and parking lots often close earlier than the trail itself, and seasonal hours change — worth a check before a pre-dawn or after-dark run.

Where to find Sunfish Lake Park

3554 Kelvin Ave N, Lake Elmo, MN 55042

Get directions

Running trails near Lake Elmo

Other trails within easy driving distance — useful when this one is flooded, gated, or just not the run you had in mind today.

Lake Elmo Dog Park

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Dog-friendly

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Reid Park

4.5 ★★★★★ 35 reviews

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Prairie Trails Park

3.5 ★★★★☆ 2 reviews

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2.0 miles away

Oakfield Park

4.3 ★★★★☆ 46 reviews

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2.3 miles away

Eastside Park

4.2 ★★★★☆ 136 reviews

Oakdale, MN

Park with picnic areas, a playground, tennis courts, a baseball field, and an ice rink.

2.9 miles away

All running trails in Lake Elmo, MN →

Nearby towns

Listing verified July 2026 from public records, the trail's own website and runner reviews. Trail conditions change — paths flood, gates close at dusk, and shaded woods stay muddy for days after rain. Something out of date? Report a correction. Manage this trail? Send us the details — it is free.