Fort Snelling State Park

Fort Snelling State Park is a really great state park to spend a day at, with a convenient location right in the Twin Cities. The park is located on the Minnesota River, which makes for many great recreational activities and many great opportunities to see an abundance of different wildlife species. The amount of waterfowl you will see here is unbelievable. They have many great well maintained trails, all of which are not difficult to walk, hike or bike. They have a fairly large beach area. Lots of good facilities, including a great visitor center. Plenty of parking.

We had a fantastic hike and joined a presentation on skipping stones at the river bank. Absolutely terrific staff, so friendly and kind. Our family had a spectacular time. The lake/pond is fairly small, but it was perfect for a quick kayaking and canoeing excursion with our younger kids.

First time visiting the park- I was worried on a Sunday afternoon in fall I wouldn’t find any parking. Turns out- there’s plenty, even when the park is plenty! The park was busy but easy to navigate. Trails were clearly marked and mostly hard dirt and sand. Plenty of gorgeous views of the river valley. Facilities were clean, and I thoroughly enjoyed my hike around Pike Island.

A great state park to take a hike at! We rented out a birding kit for the first time which was awesome. Saw many egrets, blue herons, seagulls, and different birds! A nice 2.5 mile hike and it was awesome to see where the MN river ends and goes into the Mississippi River.

Wild oasis in the heart of the city. Great trails, access to lakes and two rivers. Lots of interesting history and wildlife. Great resource for locals.

I haven’t visited this park since an elementary school visit and was impressed by the size. A huge park filled with water and wild flowers available to us in the city.

I visited on a Friday afternoon and was often wandering around alone. I primarily followed the Pike Island loop. I’ve never seen so many coneflowers. The woods were lush and green and water seemed to be somewhere in every direction.

There are some trail closures in the park but there are plenty of trail options to choose from.

Neat place to visit and check out. Had a good Fourth of July here with my kiddos. Safe and cop free no one hassled us we enjoyed our selves and had a good time hanging out by the overlook watching the fire works. Good times.

Excellent new visitors center in historic building, with exhibits about native people and Minnesota military history.
Easily accessible throughout, although everything is a bit of a hike from the parking lot. Crushed gravel paths could prove difficult for wheelchairs. I had no problems in a mobility scooter.

Fort Snelling State Park is an excellent destination for outdoor enthusiasts. You can enjoy a variety of activities like fishing, swimming, hiking, biking, and canoeing. If you are into fishing, Pike Island should be your go-to spot. Here, you can catch catfish, walleye, and other fish while appreciating the stunning views of the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers. This park is an ideal getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city, allowing you to fully immerse yourself in nature.

Really cool park with lots of history behind it. You can visit the actual fort and see some other historical landmarks, but there's actually a ton of trails too. There's paved ones that lead down onto Pike Island, a bike trail, and other walking/hiking trails that lead down to the river and connect up with trails from nearby Minnehaha Park.

We cannot change our future without first examining our past. I visited here many years ago and found the experience interesting. Now returning many years later as an adult I've found they have put in more work to keep the fort intact and made a wonderful welcome center. There is so much to learn. Plan for at least 1.5-2 hours if you want to briskly walk through. However, to deeply immerse yourself and experience all the presentations they offer plan for at least 3. There is no food offered here so pack a lunch if needed. Also make sure to check the weather as most of it is outside.

Beautiful state park. Great pavilion, beach, trails, many deer running around.

This a fantastic place to go hiking during any season. We especially love hiking here in the fall when it's dry & the winter when there is lots of snow. There are many trails. Our favorites go all the way to Minnehaha Falls & also to the tip of Pike Island. Some of the trails are paved but the rest are packed down enough to still be accessible to those in wheelchairs. There is LOTS of accessible parking & restrooms too. We almost always see deer here. I posted a few photos of a very large buck we saw today. There are lots of areas to have a picnic & lots of beaches to rest. All in all it is a great place with lots of beautiful things to see.

We love this park with wonderful hiking trails, you can also walk by the river and beach is extremely beautiful. Fishing is also a great opportunity. Swim in the lake at in the river is great experience. Fort visit can be done. Every where you can find restrooms. So many parking spots. One good thing is it’s not over crowded at weekends or national holidays also. You need buy a day pass or the annual state park pass to get enter. Nature is at the best. Is. A wonderful palace to visit at anytime.

This place is awesome. I love the history of it all. The restoration work they have done is incredible. I was there in the 90s and hadn't been back until now and I'm still amazed by it all. The tour guides were very helpful and friendly. They didn't have many reenactments this last time due to covid. But was still good. It's a great place for families, most of it is wheelchair accessible and they have a golf cart that will take you to and from the parking lot. If you do go I recommend checking out some of the surrounding trails, very beautiful and some breath taking views.

One of my favorite places to let my dog run (but it’s currently is under water.) Such a beautiful scene but I do feel badly for anyone with homes or businesses effected negatively by the rain fall and the river being so outrageously high.😳

Nicely renovated Old fort that has a lot of history. It's a must stop for history buffs of any kind. The surrounding area is beautiful and has many hiking trails. Inside the fort they have different reenactments from different time periods. When I was there they had a World war I theme happening, a grenade throwing demonstration and a rifle demonstration. Very informative and educational. Start out with the 15 minute movie that has information about the fort, the area and so forth. There's a lot of walking and some uneven surfaces so be prepared for that. It is handicapped accessible also except for areas where stairs are used. They also had cooking, blacksmith, and other demonstrations throughout the fort going on which was very interesting and educational.

The Fort itself was built in the early 1800s, and was in service through World war II pretty much with a short break right before the civil war.

Many World war II soldiers came here first before being sent off to different parts of the country for training.

We enjoyed a lot hiking around Pike Island which is part of Fort Snelling State Park. You can choose the 1, 2, or 3 mile trails to hike. My family chose to hike around the whole island (3 miles), and we were able to casually finish the full circle in less than 2 hours (with little kids). We got to see the confluence of Mississippi River and Minnesota River. Very cool!

Out of the 66 state parks in Minnesota, Fort Snelling State Park probably is the only one within the Twin Cities area. It is awesome to have such a pleasant environment nearby for people to get relaxed!

I just love Fort Snelling. There’s something for everybody. Animals, nature, trails, fishing,park,birds. This time I went for the ducks. I’m on the hunt for the Minnesota State Bird the loon! Oh I did see a snake go after a duck though in the water. So snakes are in the water if you plan to get in there just know there are SNAKES!!!!

Beautiful state park with a lot of history. There's something for everyone here. A beach for swimming or soaking up the sun. Showers and restrooms as well. Multiple fishing docks and boat landings on both the lake and the river. Playgrounds. Picnic and BBQ areas and of course hiking trails. There's even an ATV wheelchair available for free. ( you have to reserve ahead of time) Great place for the whole family!