murphy-hanrahan park reserve

This large reserve encompasses both rolling hills and prairies. It gets some visitors but is large enough that it is anything but crowded. Almost every time I have visited (which is fairly frequently), once I leave the parking lot I typically see less than a dozen people. It definitely doesn't feel like you are within the metro area. Bring your water if your are going to be there for a while as there are not a lot of options as the park reserve is fairly undeveloped.One parking lot on the north side of the park serves trailheads for cross country ski, hiking and mountain bike trails and is my favorite part of the park. Most folks can handle the less challenging hiking loops. The combination of trees and a lot of up and down on the trails make for a good test on both the ski and mountain bike trails. There are a number of loops so you can pick your level of challenge. If you are looking for something more suited to beginners, try Cleary Lake Park a few miles to the south on hwy 27Another lot further south serves hiking, horse and dog trails. This area has more prairies, is more open and is not as hilly. This portion of the park is even less crowded. There is a small lake access lot to the south but the lake is small and weedy and I have only seen an occasional canoe. You can make your visit as long as you wish. You can do a short hike or you can spend all day skiing ducking into the warming hut as needed. One full loop of the mountain biking trail (~11 miles) takes ~1 hour.

I have written about Murphy Hanrahan hiking in the past but felt compelled to write again after running into several people over the past few weeks who have gotten lost in the park. Yes, the park is stunning, particularly this time of year (fall). Yes, you will have hills to hike that have some loose rocks in places --- all worth it in my opinion... Let me just say that the trails in the park are VERY POORLY marked. I am a very good map reader but the trails are not marked properly. In the past two weeks we have been hiking in the park and we have run into 4 groups of people who have been lost and felt very disoriented. Not only are the trails poorly marked, but the numbering conventions must have been created by someone who didn't know what they were doing.It's scary to get lost in that park. I was there many years ago when we eventually saw the road and broke through the foliage to get onto the road. We plan to write to the 3 parks district so they can hopefully improve the labeling of trails. It truly is a stunning park and one that should be discovered by more people... but beware for now. Make sure you take a cell phone with you.I was happy to see the parking lot empty last night when we came out of the woods. Hopefully all hikers made their way out last night.

I had lived 10 years in the area before I discovered this park. That's the real shame here. The other shame is the number of woodticks on the trails that keep us out of the park in early spring. I have only used the park for hiking but to my understanding, it is fabulous for biking and cross crounty skiing.This park is a HUGE step out of the cities into beautiful, hilly terrain. It is absolutely stunning in the fall with the mixture of oak and maple trees. Birdwatching is fabulous! The combination of lakes/hills/and hills make it great for hikes of all lengths.I am a map reader but only the shorter trails near the entrance of the park are marked well. (and "well" is stretching it). You can grab a map on your way into the trails and work your way through but make sure you're paying close attention. The trails are not straight and it's easy lose your sense of direction because the trails wind this way and that. The first year we ended up missing a turn and found ourselves way on the east end of the park and we walked North until we broke out onto Burnsville Pkwy.Have fun, enjoy the beauty.

Any bike rider can tell you that Dakota County is unlike anywhere in the Twin Cities. Many sharp hills, all up and down. Murphy Hanrahan concentrates this, and adds snow. It is the most challenging area to cross country ski in the Cities.

There a few gems for bird watchers in this park. Got an excellent shot at a black-throated green warbler. Not overly crowded and the bike riders are very respectful.

Within two minutes of walking or biking here, you will feel like you're in the country. The single-track bike trail is one of the twin cities' best. Living a mile from this park is a huge plus for me.

A great place to moutain bike for all ages! The beginner course is good for kiddo's and as a little warm-up for us adults, while the intermediate is somewhat challenging, often uphill in nature and narrow. I haven't ridden the expert trail part yet as I need a more reliable bike to handle those conditions.