Hike Voyageur Trek Loop at Lebanon Hills Regional Park

Rating	★★★★☆(4/5)
Overall Difficulty	Moderate
Navigation Difficulty	Easy
Distance	5 miles roundtrip
Time	2.5 hours
Terrain	A few hills
Best Seasons	All
Family Friendly	No
Dog Friendly	Yes
Accessible	No

Highlights

Multiple scenic lakes
Beautiful forest not far from the city

Hike Summary

Lebanon Hills Regional Park is one of the premier hiking destinations in the Twin Cities, and the Voyageur Trek is the hallmark hike of the park. I previously visited this park in March but was unable to hike because all of the trails were covered in thick, slippery ice. I'm glad I finally had a chance to return because this is one of the better hikes in the Twin Cities, and it is clear that Dakota County has recently invested in maintaining this park with several new boardwalks and bridges. This is an excellent place to spend an afternoon in any season.

From the parking lot, follow the paved trail down past the playground to Jensen Lake. Navigation here is easy thanks to the numbered poles placed at each intersection with maps interspersed throughout the park. Even better, the Voyageur Trek has green placards on those poles pointing you in the right direction. Once you reach intersection 4, turn right as indicated by the green placard. This section of trail hugs the lake, giving you views like pictured below.

The view of Jensen Lake from the boardwalk

Soon you'll see evidence of the major investment this park has received as you walk on brand new boardwalk, which wiggles around to make it more exciting than your standard straight boardwalk -- see the picture below.

This brand new, curvy boardwalk adds some fun to your hike

The trail curves away from the lake for a bit, and you'll cross a dirt road and go uphill. Then you'll cross that road again and pass someone's house before descending down to the lake. A pretty surprise, someone left the brightly painted rock pictured below on one of the posts. The loop of the Voyageur Trek begins here at intersection 8, and you can turn left or continue straight. I turned left, so I will describe the route in this direction.

A brightly painted rock left by another hiker

You'll hear road noise from the neighboring high speed streets in the first part of the hike, but the sound will fade as you travel deeper into the forest to the center of the park. Now, the trail gently meanders through forest past lakes with the occasional incline -- nothing too difficult though. Keep paying attention to the green placards to find your way.

At some point ahead, there will be an unmarked split in the trail. Follow the narrower path (the other path looks like a road); if you reach another unmarked intersection and something feels off, turn around (I did this myself). You'll eventually run into another intersection post if you're on the right path. Shortly after intersection 24, you'll pass O'Brien Lake, pictured below.

Looking across O'Brien Lake

After passing O'Brien Lake, the trail winds by Cattail Lake. A short uphill climb will take you to the elevated view of Cattail Lake pictured below, one of the nicest overlooks on the trail. Once you pass Cattail Lake, the trail will bend to the south. You'll see what looks like a major trail intersection, but technically this trail does not connect to the other trails at this point (near intersection 34 on the map) -- just continue straight. At intersection 33, continue heading south; the trail heading left is a spur of the Voyageur Trek that leads to the Visitor Center Trailhead.

Cattail Lake through the trees at the top of the hill

In the next section of trail, you will encounter another unmarked intersection with a wider, roadlike trail. This time, you will walk on the "road" for a short time, but follow the narrow trail when it splits again. O'Brien Lake will appear again on your right. At intersection 31 ahead, you'll cross a dirt road (actually a horse trail), then you'll reach Bridge Pond. You can see more evidence of the money spent on this park with the sturdy bridge over Bridge Pond, pictured below.

The bridge over Bridge Pond

Soon after crossing the bridge, the trail will meet intersection 8 where the loop started earlier. Simply retrace your steps back to the parking lot from this point. What a hike! I bet there are very few other places in the U.S. where you can hike past this many lakes while being inside a metropolitan area. Let me know what you think in the comments section below, and be sure to use #nocoastbestcoast on Twitter and Instagram!

Important Information

Dogs are allowed on leash. This hike is too long to be family friendly, but most of the trails here connect to form shorter loops. The Visitor Center Trailhead has the best family friendly options, though there is a playground at this trailhead. You can hike this entire route all year round. When I visited, it was the first sunny day in a week, and it seemed like everyone had the same idea as me. Expect to see plenty of people on the weekends, and possibly even on weeknights when it's still light outside.

Directions

From St. Paul, take Interstate 35E south and take the exit for Pilot Knob Road. Merge onto the road and continue heading south. Look for the sign for Lebanon Hills Regional Park, then turn left onto Carriage Hills Drive. Turn right into the parking area.

From Minneapolis, take Interstate 35W south then exit for Minnesota Highway 62 east. Take the exit for Minnesota Highway 77 south, cross the bridge, then take the exit for Cliff Road. Turn left, then turn right on Pilot Knob Road. Look for the sign for Lebanon Hills Regional Park, then turn left onto Carriage Hills Drive. Turn right into the parking area.

Google Maps Directions