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TRIP DETAILS
LENGTH 5 miles
DIFFICULTY Easy and accessible for all abilities
DATE April 3, 2016
MAIN FEATURES Coon Rapids Dam, Bald eagles and accessibility for all abilities
Three Hikes in one week! I don’t know about you guys, but I’m pretty stoked that the weather has been so great! Today’s featured local hike is Coon Rapids Dam Regional Park in Brooklyn Park/Coon Rapids, MN. Today’s group hike was the largest I’ve ever led with 31.5 people (counting the humanized coconut). When I am leading a large group hike, I like to stay on a paved or wide trail just because it’s less of an impact on the environment and has lots of places to stop and re-group. This trail is also great for those who have mobility issues, are new to hiking or are walking with younger kids/strollers.
We started our 5 mile hike along the river at the parking lot on the Brooklyn Park side, headed down to the bridge, over 610 and back through the dam. We crossed the Mississippi twice and saw a few bald eagles overhead. Going down to the shoreline and later crossing over the dam were the highlights for the kids in our group, it was pretty cool to be able to see the water rushing close up.
The park was acquired by the Three Rivers Park system, re-dedicated in the Fall of 2015 and is truly a gem nestled in the suburbs of Coon Rapids and Brooklyn Park. Note: The BP side is run by the Three Rivers Park District and the CR side is run by Anoka County Parks. The only difference I really noticed is that the CR side will charge $5 for parking and the BP side does not. Happy Trails!
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