Ron Bexel
Best Dog Friendly Hiking Trails Near Me – Minnesota may not be known for great hiking like Colorado or Oregon. But this land of 10,000 lakes still has miles of hiking trails to be found within the 51.2 million acres of land that lie within the state’s borders. And while not every trail is dog-friendly, most are.
Interested in walking your dog? Here is my list of the 5 best dog-friendly hiking trails in the state of Minnesota:
Best Dog Friendly Hiking Trails Near Me
Read on to find out more about each of these trails and why my pup and I enjoy them so much.
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Banning State Park is located about an hour and 15 minutes north of the Twin Cities metro area and is one of my favorite state parks in Minnesota. The park has 17 miles of trails with many excellent trails, including the Hell’s Gate trail, otherwise blue on the banks of the Achen River.
Hell’s Gate Trail is the most difficult trail in Bing State Park. So for those who don’t care about climbing, as a trail becomes more of a suggestion than a marked trail through the woods, this may not be the trail for you. In this case, I recommend the Barrier Trail along with the Bluff Trail to get to Wolf Creek Falls. But for those dog-human couples who are up for a little more adventure, the Hell’s Gate Trail is a fun afternoon adventure.
You can access the Hell’s Gate Trail from either the Wolf Creek Falls area or the southern end of the Curry Loop Trail. Anyway, the first steps are pretty easy to follow. But as you approach the middle of the road, the road will become more rocky.
At this point, you can choose your route and crawl over some rocks and rock ledges. Some routes are easier than others, so come back and try again if you find a route you’re not comfortable with. The trail is often very busy (especially on summer weekends), so you can always see others tackling the trail ahead of you.
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Although a 6-foot (or shorter) leash is required to walk your dog in the MN state park, you will need a longer leash for this section. Or a person walking along with a sailing partner to hold some sections together. Smaller dogs may need a little help getting up and jumping over the obstacles of this stroller. But there is one place I keep on hand using a 40# dog harness to help her hang up or down as we go.
Does this trail sound challenging for you and your pup? Then check out some of the other trails in Bing State Park. We discuss other trails in Minnesota’s amazing hiking destinations in the following blog posts:
Located on Minnesota’s border with Canada in Grand Portage State Park, the Middle Falls Trail offers beautiful views of Lake Superior as well as a chance to see two waterfalls. The Middle Falls destination is a lollipop loop that drops onto the Middle Falls Trail. But before you start your hike to Middle Falls, I highly recommend checking out High Falls, located near the start of the Middle Falls trail.
High Falls is the tallest waterfall in Minnesota, dropping 120 feet as the waters flow into Upper Lagoon on the Pigeon River. The trail to High Falls is handicap accessible, but there are significant amounts of stairs that overlook the actual falls.
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After you’ve had enough time admiring the scenic High Falls, start the much more spectacular Middle Falls trail. The Mid Fall Trail is approximately 3.5 miles round trip (4.5 miles round trip from the Visitor Center).
The trail begins with a climb to great views of Lake Superior and the surrounding forest. The trail is not left unheeded.
The trail is relatively well maintained but narrow in sections. And it gets a little bigger as you move away from the lakeshore and closer to Middle Falls.
Middle Falls is deeper than High Falls. You can walk right down to the rapids and almost to the rocks on the Canadian side.
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Overall, this trail has a more remote feel than most trails in Minnesota State Parks. Depending on the time of year you visit, this can be a great way to enjoy privacy and quiet with your pup. We were happy when heavy snow fell during our November 2019 trip to the North Shore.3. Follow the Eagle Mountain
Eagle Mountain is the highest elevation in Minnesota, at 2,301 feet. The summit is located in the Water Canoe Area (BWCA) and can be accessed via a 3.5 mile (one way) hike for a nice 7 mile round trip.
Access to the trail, located on the north side of FR170, requires some dirt/gravel driving. But it also means being further from the popular Hwy 61 along the North Shore, this desert road sees less foot traffic than the public highways along the x – The North Shore.
Since this trail falls within the BWCA, it will be permitted. If you are going to an appointment, you can use the personal exit. Instructions and permits can be found at the trailhead and ahead.
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The tracks themselves are nice and rough, with lots of tree roots and rocks in them. You pass some idyllic lakes as if you were meandering through a forest.
And when you reach the top of Mount Aquila, there are some amazing views. The current sum is surrounded by trees, so he doesn’t see much in that place. But you can take a photo with the panel placed in the upper position. Then retrace your steps to your car.
Perhaps one of the most photographed hikes on the Super Trail (SHT), the Bear Loop and Bean Lake is a popular SHT day hike. The hike is about 7 miles round trip if you start from the high road.
This is another rough road with lots of tree roots around and more to navigate. So wear good shoes and keep your pace. Although this outfit is rough and has a remote feel, it can be a very busy track on summer weekends.
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The trail is well marked with the light blue signs of the Superior Trail. Even so, when you go through the rocks, where the road is not so worn, you can look down on the fire painted on the rock itself or on the nearest tree. This makes it easy to navigate the SHT brand.
As you drive through the woods, there are a few glimpses of Lake Superior, and then the woods to the west. Eventually you will come to a beautiful view of Bean Lake.
Continue on the trail and you will have the opportunity to hike up to the Bear Lake Campground to stay on the shore of Bear Lake. It might be warm enough that you can even swim in this lake.
Then, just past the bear camp lake, you will come to the hide of both lakes. Be sure to take a classic photo of yourself at this vantage point before heading back to your car.
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For our final selection of Minnesota tours for this post, we’re changing the year and highlighting a location in southern Minnesota. Located approximately 40 minutes from Rochester, MN, Whitewater State Park offers several challenging dog-friendly trails.
We recommend hiking this entire state park, but if you want to pick just one, consider the Coyote Point Trail. This trail starts just behind the visitor center.
First crossing of the Whitewater River using a stone/concrete slab bridge. It then enters the forest to climb steadily upwards to reach beautiful views of the Whitewater River Valley.
When you reach Coyote Point, the trail becomes rocky and narrow. Use with caution. There is also a short scale in this region. If your dog is too big to help you up the stairs easily, consider running this reverse puller so your dog can climb the stairs instead.
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Once you’ve used up all the views, from Coyote Point Trail and Coyote Point, you have four options:
Whatever you choose, you’re sure to enjoy your outing at Whitewater State Park. Looking for more hikes in southern Minnesota? Check out our front page on 5 Great Dog-Friendly State Parks in Southeast Minnesota.
And a great plus for hiking in many parks in southern Minnesota is the distinct lack of mosquitoes. Beaver Creek Valley SP, Forestville/Mystery Caves SP, Frontenac SP, River Bluffs SP, John A. Latsch SP, and Whitewater SP all include minor mosquitoes.
Why do you ask? According to MPR News, you can thank the absence of moles from millions of years ago. The last mass that originated in Minnesota lost this area, so they are not natural in this lake
