Fort Snelling State Park
Fort Snelling State Park
4.5
Historic Sites • State Parks • Points of Interest & Landmarks
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8:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 10:00 PM
About
Located on Pike Island, this scenic state park is one of Minnesota's most visited attractions, which features trails for cross-country skiing, hiking and mountain biking.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
134 reviews
Excellent
60
Very good
53
Average
20
Poor
1
Terrible
0
Robin B
Phoenix, AZ1,324 contributions
Oct 2021
I gave this attraction four stars because only about ¼ of the fort is open. There were only about four (very knowledgeable) docents due to Covid staffing shortages, most of the buildings were closed and the only demonstration was a musket demo. Still, the fort has an interesting history. I’d like to go back during normal times. The docent taking tickets the day we were there was one of the most cheerful, friendliest people I’ve ever met.
Written October 8, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Redacted Name
Metro Minneapolis-Saint Paul, MN56 contributions
Jun 2022 • Solo
I registered for a dnr "I can paddle: kayaking" course at this location, then picked up my (included) vehicle day pass from the visitor center at the park entrance. I then drove down to the lake where I met my class. I'd never been here before and was surprised at how there wasn't a disgruntled person Anywhere and the park's simple beauty was intoxicating. The lake was a good size, but calm. I'd go back.
Written February 7, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bill K
Mantorville, MN6,368 contributions
Jan 2022
This is a beautiful park with numerous trails. The confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers is located here, and forms a wonderful backdrop to many activities year round. I recently hiked during the winter and was joined by snowshoers, cross country skiers, ice fishermen, and other hikers.
Written January 25, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TravelingSoccerLoon
Saint Paul, MN2,823 contributions
Jun 2021 • Solo
Beautiful area that is somewhat hidden even though it is right in middle of the city with several major thoroughfares nearby. I came here to hike the Pike Island Loop along the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers including the confluence of the two at the north end of the island. Great views of both rivers throughout the 4 mile walk. Amazing as you feel like you are far from any city.
Written June 20, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jake
Minneapolis, MN125 contributions
Mar 2020 • Couples
My wife and I hiked the Pike Island loop in February. It was about 45 degrees and sunny so things were melting quite a bit. The loop is about 3.5 miles all together and it took us about two hours. It runs right along the Mississippi River so the view is very pretty. Since it’s Minnesota, it is very flat. We wished there was a bit more elevation change but we had fun anyway. We brought our dog who had an absolute blast. There’s so much more to explore at Fort Snelling State Park than just the Pike Island loop. We look forward to exploring more. We live in Minneapolis so it’s only about 20 minutes to the park. All other state parks are at least an hour away. We will be back!
Written March 1, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Andy M
Saint Paul, MN399 contributions
Aug 2019
Many people have no idea Fort Snelling State Park is there. It is under the Fort area at the bottom of the bluff along the river. It has wonderful hiking, and is an awesome place to go on a hot summer day.
Written February 1, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Eisme77
Janesville, WI1,515 contributions
Jul 2022
Hard to believe this is nestled in the middle of an urban area. My family and I took the hiking paths out toward the confluence of the Mississippi and the Minnesota Rivers. The trail was easy and enjoyable. After that, we walked the hill (it is very steep) to the actual Fort. We did not tour the fort as it wasn't our objective that day. However, the hiking was very scenic.
Written January 21, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MaryVaKay
North Bay, Canada15 contributions
Mar 2018
This is just a beautiful park between the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers, but just across the street from the airport and two busy highways. But don't let that stop you from visiting. There are wonderful trails and wildlife. In the summer, I'm sure it is busy with picnickers. The staff was very helpful too. There's even a geocache.
Written April 5, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Peter M
Sarasota, FL59 contributions
May 2016 • Family
My wife and I regularly visit this park. We go mostly for long walks. The park offers a variety of trails to meet the needs of most hikers. This is one of the few parks where we encounter many bicycle riders. The park also has a large swimming area. It is not a great place for fishing in mid summer, since the lake becomes filled with weeds. However, people can fish in the river.
Written May 9, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
oceansoul39
Apple Valley, MN59 contributions
Jul 2013 • Family
Fort Snelling State Park is NOT the actual historical fort....THAT is down the road a bit further. The park is exactly that, a park. There is a fee to enter the park...we have a park membership (which gets you into all state parks free for 1 year) which was $25, but just a day pass is $5 per car I believe. We spent most of July 4th here and had a great time...as you can imagine, there were a lot of people here, but it was still very enjoyable. There are bike trails, hiking trails (I think), picnic areas, a very nice beach and lake, a small playground, and lots of open space surrounded by lovely forest. There is a good sized area of the lake roped off for swimming, with a rope down the middle indicating depth change. My 6 yr olds could go just past the rope and feel comfortable swimming, so there is a lot of space for little ones. The water is clear and weed free, although outside the roped area there were weed with some floating on top. The ropes seemed to stop the weeds from entering the swimming area. People were also canoeing outside the swim area. I imagine that would be wonderful. The beach is great...large and fairly fine sand so we played there extensively too. The beach faces south so there is no shade...bring hats or an umbrella if you have one. Not far from the beach there are brick structures housing bathrooms and showers that were clean with only the occasional spider (it is a park after all). Off to one side of the beach is a small playground. It is shaded, with a couple small slides, couple tire swings and a little climbing structure. The climber is pretty open, so I don't know how parents would do with little ones on there, but it isn't very high either. While we were prepping food, my 6 & 8 yr olds and their 3 & 5 yr old cousins were content to play there and I felt perfectly confident they could handle the openness of the climber. Beyond the beach and surrounding the buildings is the picnic area. It's a huge open space where people were playing frisbee, baseball, etc. There were quite a few picnic tables and they were mobile. (I hate when they are chained or cemented in.) Because the open space is so vast, it's a little bit of a walk to get to the beach...I estimate (and I'm terrible at this!) 1.5 full city blocks maybe. ??? The paths are paved or gravel and the grass is mowed short so the walk is fairly easy. It's also at a slight incline from the parking lot to the bathroom/shower buildings and then back down again to the beach. We had grandma & grandpa with us and I don't believe either of them had issues with it, but they have no walking or lung issues either...maybe it would be challenging for some. Overall it is a lovely setting for a very nice day spent at the lake. I have ONLY 1 complaint. It's located near the airport and in spurts there was a lot of loud air traffic. The airport does a good job of spacing planes so there were also long periods of silence. It didn't ruin our day by any means.
Written July 16, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Global828330
Brainerd, MN1 contribution
Is this a good place to take dogs?
wayne102018
Saint Paul, MN55 contributions
I doubt if dogs are allowed in the fort.
We got all the snow at once, how are the trails here. I’m a classic skier looking for peace and beauty, not a race.
When would you say the water is a nice temp to swim? I read that the weather can be super hot but the water is too cold until late in the summer.
Yuko-Stu
Yokohama, Japan237 contributions
We have not gone into the water at the beach for a very long time. But it I recall there are people there in July swimming, I suggest that you check with the Park Office as to the conditions.
Are dogs allowed on the trails?
mn_usa1
Chaska, MN23 contributions
We saw tons of dogs on the trails.
Fort Snelling State Park (Saint Paul) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go
Frequently Asked Questions about Fort Snelling State Park
- Fort Snelling State Park is open:
- Sun - Sat 8:00 AM - 10:00 PM
- Hotels near Fort Snelling State Park:
- (3.45 mi) TownePlace Suites by Marriott Minneapolis Mall of America
- (4.87 mi) Historic District BnB
- (3.50 mi) AC Hotel Bloomington Mall of America
- (3.08 mi) Hyatt Regency Bloomington-Minneapolis
- (5.73 mi) The Saint Paul Hotel
- Restaurants near Fort Snelling State Park:
- (2.19 mi) Cecil's Delicatessen & Bakery
- (0.60 mi) Buca di Beppo Italian Restaurant
- (2.37 mi) Joan's in the Park
- (2.84 mi) Casper & Runyon's Nook
- (0.99 mi) Lucky's 13 Pub