Explore the river

When the snow melts, cold spring waters trickle down our yards, driveways and gutters, ultimately swiftening our creeks, swelling our rivers and making our waterfalls roar. We suggest visiting two waterfalls — one famous, one not so much, during their spring peak:

• Minnehaha Falls, Minneapolis
• Vermillion Falls, Hastings

Enjoy the popping colors and buzzing pollinators in a few of our favorite metro prairies. Spanning from Elk River to North Minneapolis to Hastings, they're located in many of our favorite parks and natural areas. Learn more about these prairies that FMR has helped protect and restore:

• Grey Cloud Dunes SNA, Cottage Grove
• Sand Coulee SNA, Hastings
• Ole Olson Park, North Minneapolis
• Pine Bend Bluffs SNA, Inver Grove Heights
• River Oaks Park, Cottage Grove
• Spring Lake Park Preserve – Archery Trail, Rosemount
• William H. Houlton Conservation Area, Elk River (our largest prairie restoration yet)

While there are many tasty restaurants and dining options near the Mississippi, there are only a few right beside the Mississippi. Here are two favorite spots to grab a cocktail (or mocktail) and watch the river flow by:

• Red River Kitchen at City House, St. Paul
• Mississippi River Pub, Inver Grove Heights

Want to see the river wend its way through floodplain forest, past our Twin Cities or through bluff country? Check out these stunning river overlooks:

• Pine Bend Scientific and Natural Area, Inver Grove Heights
• River Oaks Park, Cottage Grove
• Wic̣aḣapi, St. Paul
• Ole Olson Park, Minneapolis

Over its entire journey from Itasca headwaters to the Gulf of Mexico, the Mississippi collects 7,000 tributaries. Here are two confluences you can visit in the metro where major rivers alter our Mississippi and make it the mighty river it is:

• Where the Minnesota River meets the Mississippi in St. Paul
• Where the St. Croix River meets the Mississippi in Hastings

If you've never paddled the Mississippi River, it can seem intimidating. The river is already pretty mighty by the time it reaches the metro. But with some caution and education, many local stretches are safe to canoe and kayak. Check out a few routes we love:

• From Otsego to the Mississippi and Elk River confluence
• From Minneapolis to St. Paul through the Mississippi River Gorge
• Around Lake Rebecca in Hastings
• A visit to Settler's Island through the Mississippi River's backchannels in Cottage Grove