Richard T. Anderson Conservatory Overlook Trail

Richard T. Anderson Conservatory is 20 minutes from Minneapolis and offers trails that wander up and around hills, along prairie-laden ridges, through a big woods forest and into sedge meadows, providing an amazing amount of diversity in a short hike. The 1.2-mile Overlook Trail takes you through some of the best parts of this park. Toddlers will love climbing the initial hill that overlooks the trees with views across the Minnesota River and Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge. It’s just steep enough and full of sandy big steps and tree roots to keep kids engaged while not being overly exhausting. And scattered throughout the park are several small creek crossings which provide great splashing opportunities.