60 Hikes within 60 Miles - Minneapolis and St. Paul

 One of the goals I have this year is to do more hiking. The library had a good book - 60 Hikes within 60 Miles - Minneapolis and St. Paul by Tom Watson - that offers a lot of good ideas for hikes within a reasonable driving distance from home. 

Some of the ones that sound interesting include:

- Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge - from the Bass Ponds to Old Cedar Bridge. 2400 East 86th Street, Bloomington. 1.75 mile interpretive loop.

- Carlos Avery Trail - Zodiac Street NE at Headquarters Road in Forest Lake. 8.7 mile loop.

- Coon Rapids Dam - 10360 West River Road, Brooklyn Park. 2.2 mile elongated figure eight on the west bank of the Mississippi River. 

- Hyland Park Reserve - Richardson Interpretive Trail - 8737 East Bush Lake Road, Bloomington. 2.1 mile series of loops.

- Rice Creek North Regional Trail - 1953 County Road I, Arden Hills. 5-mile balloon trail.

- Wood Lake Nature Center - 6710 Lake Shore Drive South, Richfield. 2.2-mile figure eight with outer connecting loop.

- Baylor Regional Park - 10775 County Road 33, Norwood Young America. 4.6 miles.

- Carver Park Reserve - Lowry Nature Center - Tamarack Trail - 7025 Victoria Drive, Victoria.1.5 mile interpretive loop.

- Lake Minnewashta Regional Park - Marsh Trail Loop - 6900 Hazeltine Boulevard, Chanhassen. 1.3-mile balloon with options for shorter loops.

- Sakatah Lake State Park - 50499 Sakatah Lake State Park Road, Waterville. 2.2 miles, 2 stacked loops.

- Afton State Park - 6959 Peller Avenue South, Hastings. 4.3-mile balloon loop.

- Frontenac State Park - Bluffside Trail - 29223 County 28 Boulevard, Frontenac. 2.5-mile short loop.

- Nerstrand-Big Woods State Park - Big Woods Trail - 9700 170th Street East, Nerstrand. 3.1 miles, 2 stacked loops.

- Baker Park Reserve - 2309 Baker Park Road, Maple Plain. 6.2-mile circular loop.

- Elm Creek Park Reserve - 13351 Elm Creek Road, Osseo. 11.25-mile crescent-shaped loop with several spur options.

- Elm Creek Park Reserve - Eastman Nature Trail - 13351 Elm Creek Road, Osseo. 3.8 mile irregular figure eight.

- Tamarack Nature Center - 5287 Otter Lake Road - White Bear Township. 1.3-mile loop from the visitor center, with many optional routes.