Minnesota Valley State Recreation Area is located in Jordan, MN. It preserves a portion of the Minnesota River Valley, which is made up of floodplain marshes, wet meadows, fens, blufftop oak savanna, and lakes. These wetlands are home to an assortment of plants and wildlife. The trails here are multi-use and great for hiking, biking, mountain biking, cross-country skiing, horseback riding, and snowmobiling. There is also an area for picnicking, which has both an open and enclosed shelter, and a warming house in the winter.
When it comes to the trails, there is a paved portion that runs from Shakopee to Chaska and a natural surface portion that goes from Chaska to Belle Plaine. The website says that there is 47 miles for hiking, 9.5 miles of paved bike trail, 35 miles for mountain biking, and 30 miles of equestrian trail. In the winter, there is 30 miles open for snowmobiling.
All of this info came from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources website, so credit where credit is due. Click here to view the original source.
Accessibility of Facility
Parking
Parking in both areas I visited were on gravel pads. The one near the visitor center has about 10 spots. The one by the historical site could hold two cars.
Bathrooms
There were two vaulted toilets near the visitor center. They were standard vault toilets with enough space for mobility devices. It would be a tight squeeze for a wheelchair.
Getting to the trail
There are signs marking the trails, but none of them are marked with names. It was confusing to figure out which one I was on. I did use AllTrails, but the one I walked on wasn’t on there as something I could track. Three or four trails were at the visitor center. I didn’t explore the other parts of this SRA, which are in Belle Plaine and Chaska.
Trail Info
So, in all transparency, I don’t think I even got half of a mile in. Everything was closed due to the flooding (My assumption based on what I saw.) Things were wet, super muddy, or just plain under water–like I show above. There isn’t much I can say other than if you come here, check conditions beforehand (I didn’t obviously) and wear your bug spray (I also did not).
I did see a cardinal, a bunch of ground squirrels, and a small rafter of turkeys. One of the turkeys and a couple of ground squirrels had a death wish and decided to jump out in front of my car, however, there were no wildlife harmed on this trip.
As for my rating…I can’t accurately give it one. I didn’t walk enough of either trail to gain information. On the parts I did do, there were small inclines and I did have some shortness of breath but it wasn’t bad.
Be safe out there! REMEMBER YOUR MAPS AND PASSPORT STAMPS!! Seeyalaterbye <3
Also, if you feel called to help a sista out with her travels, check this out!
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