{"id":575,"date":"2008-09-18T03:44:22","date_gmt":"2008-09-18T08:44:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.teamcrossworld.com\/running\/?p=575"},"modified":"2008-09-17T22:49:37","modified_gmt":"2008-09-18T03:49:37","slug":"pike-islands-trails","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.teamcrossworld.com\/running\/2008\/pike-islands-trails\/","title":{"rendered":"Pike Island’s Trails"},"content":{"rendered":"

I would take a nice trail run any day over running the roads.\u00a0 Trails are my friend as this picture<\/a> so elegantly shows! It is a little hard for me to hit the trails very often since we only have 1 car and I prefer to run in the mornings.\u00a0 However, Pike Island<\/a> is easy to get to via public transportation and even via bike.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Part of Fort Snelling State Park<\/a>, Pike Island sits at the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers just south of Minneapolis and Saint Paul.\u00a0 On Pike Island itself you have a variety of options for running. See the maps here<\/a>.\u00a0 The easiest is a 5k loop around the outer edge of the Island – but there are little cut through trails to make 1 and 2 mile loops.<\/p>\n

It is pretty scenic as you run along the rivers.\u00a0 I think every time I’ve run there I’ve seen some wild animals – deers, squirrels, rabbits, but no pine martens! The trail is very flat and actually pretty wide too.\u00a0 It might narrow down in places but is wide enough to mostly run 3-4 wide throughout. The trail is a mix of soft surfaces but is pretty safe for the ankles and has no technical elements to it.<\/p>\n

Another great thing about this run is that it can easily be extended.\u00a0 Want to go really long? You can head north up to Minnehaha Falls<\/a> and connect into a variety of trails from there, although this is a paved trail.\u00a0 More of a mid-distance run, you can run around Picnic Island and Snelling Lake.\u00a0 Part of this segment is on pavement, but most is still trails and Picnic Island has grass stretches. You can also connect with bridges (with pedestrian lanes) that cross either river and connect with trails on the other side.<\/p>\n

I enjoy running at Pike Island and have used it in the past to recover and reconnect with my reasons for running.\u00a0 The worst thing about running here is that it is so close the MSP Airport, with almost continual flights over-head.<\/p>\n

Parking Note:<\/em> You must pay to park if you enter through Fort Snelling State Park. It costs $5 to enter the park or a valid State Park Permit. Then follow the main road to the Visitor’s Center.\u00a0 However, if you enter from Historic Fort Snelling on top of the bluff there is no charge for parking.\u00a0 Park in the main lot and run towards the fort and then follow the trail down the hill to Pike Island.<\/p>\n

There is also some interesting history associated with this area:<\/p>\n

To the Dakota [Native American tribe], Pike Island in Fort Snelling State Park was and is a sacred place. It is where the waters of the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers meet and the Dakota believe it is the very center of the earth and arguably the place where Minnesota began.\u00a0 WCCO<\/a><\/p>\n

During this time[Dakota War of 1862<\/a>], more than 1600 Dakota women, children, and old men were held in an internment camp on Pike Island. Living conditions were poor, and disease struck the camp, killing more than three hundred. Wikipedia <\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Despite the mixed history I enjoy running here, what do you think?<\/p>\n

[tags] Pike Island, Fort Snelling, Minneapolis, Running Routes\u00a0 [\/tags]<\/p>\n

\"Reblog<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I would take a nice trail run any day over running the roads.\u00a0 Trails are my friend as this picture so elegantly shows! It is a little hard for me to hit the trails very often since we only have 1 car and I prefer to run in the mornings.\u00a0 However, Pike Island is easy […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[12,11],"tags":[240,238,163,151,241,239,182,237,107],"class_list":["post-575","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-course-comments","category-trail-run","tag-dakota-war-of-1862","tag-fort-snelling-state-park","tag-minneapolis-minnesota","tag-minneapolis-saint-paul","tag-minneapolis-saint-paul-international-airport","tag-minnehaha-falls","tag-pike-island","tag-saint-paul-minnesota","tag-trail"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4iaAv-9h","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1259,"url":"https:\/\/www.teamcrossworld.com\/running\/2009\/video-friday\/","url_meta":{"origin":575,"position":0},"title":"Video Friday","author":"crossn81","date":"April 10, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Earlier this week I did a run on a flooded Pike Island.\u00a0 Here are two videos that I created from that adventure. The first is a short \"remix\" and the second a longer one. If you are prone to seizures or vomiting you might want to skip the second one!\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Trail Run"","block_context":{"text":"Trail Run","link":"https:\/\/www.teamcrossworld.com\/running\/category\/trail-run\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":7760,"url":"https:\/\/www.teamcrossworld.com\/running\/2025\/day-26\/","url_meta":{"origin":575,"position":1},"title":"Day 26","author":"crossn81","date":"January 26, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"After dropping off family at the airport I wore my 12# vest and hiked Pike Island at Fort Snelling State Park. It had been awhile since I've been there. There is basically no snow, but the rivers are frozen. It was a nice 4 mile walk! Here's the frozen confluence\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "My Running"","block_context":{"text":"My Running","link":"https:\/\/www.teamcrossworld.com\/running\/category\/my-running\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamcrossworld.com\/running\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/20250126_1045196281444959206898664.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamcrossworld.com\/running\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/20250126_1045196281444959206898664.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamcrossworld.com\/running\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/20250126_1045196281444959206898664.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamcrossworld.com\/running\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/20250126_1045196281444959206898664.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamcrossworld.com\/running\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/20250126_1045196281444959206898664.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamcrossworld.com\/running\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/20250126_1045196281444959206898664.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1788,"url":"https:\/\/www.teamcrossworld.com\/running\/2010\/snowshoeing-at-pike-island\/","url_meta":{"origin":575,"position":2},"title":"Snowshoeing at Pike Island","author":"crossn81","date":"January 19, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"We got snow shoes for Christmas. \u00a0Here is a video from the Mississippi River taken a week or so ago starting at Pike Island. \u00a0It was fun to wander around the island and the rivers. httpv:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=fIvmTvHydSs See the map here. [tags] snowshoeing, pike island, fort snelling, mississippi river[\/tags]","rel":"","context":"In "Cross-Training"","block_context":{"text":"Cross-Training","link":"https:\/\/www.teamcrossworld.com\/running\/category\/cross-training\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3605,"url":"https:\/\/www.teamcrossworld.com\/running\/2010\/snow-shoe-sun\/","url_meta":{"origin":575,"position":3},"title":"Snow Shoe Sun","author":"crossn81","date":"January 11, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"I took this while snow shoeing around Pike Island at Fort Snelling State Park.\u00a0 It was my first trip with my new snow shoes. This picture was taken from the middle of the Minnesota River.\u00a0","rel":"","context":"In "365"","block_context":{"text":"365","link":"https:\/\/www.teamcrossworld.com\/running\/category\/365\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Snowshoesunriver","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/getfile0.posterous.com\/getfile\/files.posterous.com\/teamcross365\/Lsxv96Ke9T61BALZbXcbHuZ9a2KS8bGmNi4mzHq0pGyirQFUKOi9yzV89I4D\/snowshoesunriver.jpg.scaled.500.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":469,"url":"https:\/\/www.teamcrossworld.com\/running\/2008\/running-the-minneapolis-riverfront\/","url_meta":{"origin":575,"position":4},"title":"Running the Minneapolis Riverfront","author":"crossn81","date":"September 4, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Follow a run around the Minneapolis Riverfront along the Mississippi River. A great running route in Minneapolis, Minnesota.","rel":"","context":"In "Course Comments"","block_context":{"text":"Course Comments","link":"https:\/\/www.teamcrossworld.com\/running\/category\/course-comments\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"\/running\/images\/riverfrontearth.jpg","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":621,"url":"https:\/\/www.teamcrossworld.com\/running\/2008\/september-highlights-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":575,"position":5},"title":"September Highlights","author":"crossn81","date":"October 2, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"I probably say that every month seems to fly by, well September was no different.\u00a0 The middle school I work at started right after Labor Day and it has meant some busy weeks. It is good to have the students back though, they help give purpose to my work -\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Highlights"","block_context":{"text":"Highlights","link":"https:\/\/www.teamcrossworld.com\/running\/category\/highlights\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.teamcrossworld.com\/running\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/575","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.teamcrossworld.com\/running\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.teamcrossworld.com\/running\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.teamcrossworld.com\/running\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.teamcrossworld.com\/running\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=575"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.teamcrossworld.com\/running\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/575\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":582,"href":"https:\/\/www.teamcrossworld.com\/running\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/575\/revisions\/582"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.teamcrossworld.com\/running\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=575"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.teamcrossworld.com\/running\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=575"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.teamcrossworld.com\/running\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=575"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}