If you're ever in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, a must visit is the Historic Fort Snelling.Fort Snelling is a former military fortification and National Historic Landmark in Minnesota on the bluffs overlooking the confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers. It is on the Dakota homeland of Bdóte with a history spanning thousands of years.

The Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport is directly next to the Park, so you will see many airplanes taking off/landing, however, while out on the trails, you really don't hear them. Since this is a State Park, you do need a parking permit to park, but once on the trails, you may get the chance to see many wildlife. Bald Eagles, Deer, Beaver, etc. 

Pike Island does have a great hiking loop from the visitor center parking lot. The entire loop is roughly an easy 4.0 mile hike. On this day, my friends who came with me enjoy a cooler hike than my last two. It had snowed, and was still a bit warm, so this hike was pretty muddy getting around. Some people were walking without masks on, while majority were wearing masks.

If you do venture to the actual Fort, there is a seperate parking area for that area, or you could walk up the steep, paved, bluffs...just watch out for the bikers who may be zooming down one of the many bike trails in/around the Twin Cities. 

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