10 Things to Do in Minnesota This Summer

By Complete Travel Curation Team
April 9, 2024

10 Things to Do in Minnesota This Summer
Andrew.Parks
Tue, 04/09/2024 – 12:34




Preview Image

The maximum number of media items have been selected.

Cover Photo

4 media items remaining.

Body Components
Sort order Name Component type Language Operations
List: 10 Things to Do in Summer English
Author Block English

Post-Body Components
Sort order Name Component type Language Operations
Dynamic Related Content Block – Editorial Pages English
Contact Info Block English



Topics
Places
Seasons

Configure the meta tags below.

Use tokens to avoid redundant meta data and search engine penalization. For example, a ‘keyword’ value of “example” will be shown on all content using this configuration, whereas using the [node:field_keywords] automatically inserts the “keywords” values from the current entity (node, term, etc).

Browse available tokens.

Basic tags
Simple meta tags.

The text to display in the title bar of a visitor’s web browser when they view this page. This meta tag may also be used as the title of the page when a visitor bookmarks or favorites this page, or as the page title in a search engine result. It is common to append ‘[site:name]’ to the end of this, so the site’s name is automatically added. It is recommended that the title is no greater than 55 – 65 characters long, including spaces.

A brief and concise summary of the page’s content that is a maximum of 160 characters in length. The description meta tag may be used by search engines to display a snippet about the page in search results.

A brief and concise summary of the page’s content, preferably 150 characters or less. Where as the description meta tag may be used by search engines to display a snippet about the page in search results, the abstract tag may be used to archive a summary about the page. This meta tag is no longer supported by major search engines.


A comma-separated list of keywords about the page. This meta tag is no longer supported by most search engines.

Advanced
Meta tags that might not be needed by many sites.

Geo-spatial information in ‘latitude, longitude’ format, e.g. ‘50.167958, -97.133185’; see Wikipedia for details.


A location’s formal name.


A location’s two-letter international country code, with an optional two-letter region, e.g. ‘US-NH’ for New Hampshire in the USA.


Geo-spatial information in ‘latitude; longitude’ format, e.g. ‘50.167958; -97.133185’; see Wikipedia for details.


A link to the preferred page location or URL of the content of this page, to help eliminate duplicate content penalties from search engines.


DEPRECATED. Used to define this page’s language code. May be the two letter language code, e.g. “de” for German, or the two letter code with a dash and the two letter ISO country code, e.g. “de-AT” for German in Austria. Still used by Bing.

Robots
Provides search engines with specific directions for what to do when this page is indexed.


Use a number character as a textual snippet for this search result. “0” equals “nosnippet”. “-1” will let the search engine decide the most effective length.


Use a maximum of number seconds as a video snippet for videos on this page in search results. “0” will use a static a image. “-1” means there is no limit.


Set the maximum size of an image preview for this page in a search results.


Do not show this page in search results after the specified date


A brief URL, often created by a URL shortening service.


A comma-separated list of keywords about the page. This meta tag is used as an indicator in Google News.


Used for paginated content by providing URL with rel=’prev’ link.


Used for paginated content by providing URL with rel=’next’ link.


Highlight standout journalism on the web, especially for breaking news; used as an indicator in Google News. Warning: Don’t abuse it, to be used a maximum of 7 times per calendar week!


Define the author of a page.


An image associated with this page, for use as a thumbnail in social networks and other services. This will be able to extract the URL from an image field if the field is configured properly.


Describes the name and version number of the software or publishing tool used to create the page.


Used to indicate the URL that broke the story, and can link to either an internal URL or an external source. If the full URL is not known it is acceptable to use a partial URL or just the domain name.


Indicate to search engines and other page scrapers whether or not links should be followed. See the W3C specifications for further details. Note: this serves the same purpose as the HTTP header by the same name.


Details about intellectual property, such as copyright or trademarks; does not automatically protect the site’s content or intellectual property.


Sets a cookie on the visitor’s browser. Can be in either NAME=VALUE format, or a more verbose format including the path and expiration date; see the link for full details on the syntax.


The number of seconds to wait before refreshing the page. May also force redirect to another page using the format ‘5; url=https://example.com/’, which would be triggered after five seconds.


This meta tag communicates with Google. There are currently two directives supported: ‘nositelinkssearchbox’ to not to show the sitelinks search box, and ‘notranslate’ to ask Google not to offer a translation of the page. Both options may be added, just separate them with a comma. See meta tags that Google understands for further details.


Used to rate content for audience appropriateness. This tag has little known influence on search engine rankings, but can be used by browsers, browser extensions, and apps. The most common options are general, mature, restricted, 14 years, safe for kids. If you follow the RTA Documentation you should enter RTA-5042-1996-1400-1577-RTA


Tell search engines when to index the page again. Very few search engines support this tag, it is more useful to use an XML Sitemap file.


Used to control whether a browser caches a specific page locally. Not commonly used. Should be used in conjunction with the Pragma meta tag.


Control when the browser’s internal cache of the current page should expire. The date must to be an RFC-1123-compliant date string that is represented in Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), e.g. ‘Thu, 01 Sep 2016 00:12:56 GMT’. Set to ‘0’ to stop the page being cached entirely.


Used to control whether a browser caches a specific page locally. Not commonly used. Should be used in conjunction with the Cache-Control meta tag.

Open Graph
The Open Graph meta tags are used to control how Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn and other social networking sites interpret the site’s content.

The Facebook Sharing Debugger lets you preview how your content will look when it’s shared to Facebook and debug any issues with your Open Graph tags.


The word that appears before the content’s title in a sentence. The default ignores this value, the ‘Automatic’ value should be sufficient if this is actually needed.


A human-readable name for the site, e.g., IMDb.


The type of the content, e.g., movie.


Preferred page location or URL to help eliminate duplicate content for search engines, e.g., https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117500/.


The title of the content, e.g., The Rock.

A one to two sentence description of the content.


The URL of an video which should represent the content. For best results use a source that is at least 1200 x 630 pixels in size, but at least 600 x 316 pixels is a recommended minimum. Object types supported include video.episode, video.movie, video.other, and video.tv_show. Multiple values may be used, separated by a comma. Note: Tokens that return multiple values will be handled automatically.


The URL of an image which should represent the content. The image must be at least 200 x 200 pixels in size; 600 x 316 pixels is a recommended minimum size, and for best results use an image least 1200 x 630 pixels in size. Supports PNG, JPEG and GIF formats. Should not be used if og:image:url is used. Note: if multiple images are added many services (e.g. Facebook) will default to the largest image, not specifically the first one. Multiple values may be used, separated by a comma. Note: Tokens that return multiple values will be handled automatically. This will be able to extract the URL from an image field if the field is configured properly.


A alternative version of og:image and has exactly the same requirements; only one needs to be used. Multiple values may be used, separated by a comma. Note: Tokens that return multiple values will be handled automatically. This will be able to extract the URL from an image field if the field is configured properly.


The secure URL (HTTPS) of an video which should represent the content. Any URLs which start with “http://” will be converted to “https://”.


The secure URL (HTTPS) of an image which should represent the content. The image must be at least 200 x 200 pixels in size; 600 x 316 pixels is a recommended minimum size, and for best results use an image least 1200 x 630 pixels in size. Supports PNG, JPEG and GIF formats. Multiple values may be used, separated by a comma. Note: Tokens that return multiple values will be handled automatically. This will be able to extract the URL from an image field if the field is configured properly. Any URLs which start with “http://” will be converted to “https://”.


The type of video referenced above. Should be either video.episode, video.movie, video.other, and video.tv_show. Note: there should be one value for each video, and having more than there are videos may cause problems.


The type of image referenced above. Should be either ‘image/gif’ for a GIF image, ‘image/jpeg’ for a JPG/JPEG image, or ‘image/png’ for a PNG image. Note: there should be one value for each image, and having more than there are images may cause problems.


The width of the above image(s). Note: if both the unsecured and secured images are provided, they should both be the same size.


The height of the above video(s). Note: if both the unsecured and secured videos are provided, they should both be the same size.


The height of the above image(s). Note: if both the unsecured and secured images are provided, they should both be the same size.


The height of the above video(s). Note: if both the unsecured and secured videos are provided, they should both be the same size.


A description of what is in the image, not a caption. If the page specifies an og:image it should specify og:image:alt.


The date this content was last modified, with an optional time value. Needs to be in ISO 8601 format. Can be the same as the ‘Article modification date’ tag.


The length of the video in seconds


URLs to related content












The locale these tags are marked up in, must be in the format language_TERRITORY. Default is ‘en_US’.


Other locales this content is available in, must be in the format language_TERRITORY, e.g. ‘fr_FR’. Multiple values may be used, separated by a comma. Note: Tokens that return multiple values will be handled automatically.


Links an article to an author’s Facebook profile, should be either URLs to the author’s profile page or their Facebook profile IDs. Multiple values may be used, separated by a comma. Note: Tokens that return multiple values will be handled automatically.


Links an article to a publisher’s Facebook page.


The primary section of this website the content belongs to.


Appropriate keywords for this content. Multiple values may be used, separated by a comma. Note: Tokens that return multiple values will be handled automatically.


The date this content was published on, with an optional time value. Needs to be in ISO 8601 format.


The date this content was last modified, with an optional time value. Needs to be in ISO 8601 format.


The date this content will expire, with an optional time value. Needs to be in ISO 8601 format.


Links a book to an author’s Facebook profile, should be either URLs to the author’s profile page or their Facebook profile IDs. Multiple values may be used, separated by a comma. Note: Tokens that return multiple values will be handled automatically.


The Book’s ISBN


The date the book was released.


Appropriate keywords for this content. Multiple values may be used, separated by a comma. Note: Tokens that return multiple values will be handled automatically.


The URL to an audio file that complements this object.


The secure URL to an audio file that complements this object. All ‘http://’ URLs will automatically be converted to ‘https://’. Any URLs which start with “http://” will be converted to “https://”.


The MIME type of the audio file. Examples include ‘application/mp3’ for an MP3 file.


The first name of the person who’s Profile page this is.


The person’s last name.


Any of Facebook’s gender values should be allowed, the initial two being ‘male’ and ‘female’.


Links to the Facebook profiles for actor(s) that appear in the video. Multiple values may be used, separated by a comma. Note: Tokens that return multiple values will be handled automatically.


A pseudonym / alias of this person.


The roles of the actor(s). Multiple values may be used, separated by a comma. Note: Tokens that return multiple values will be handled automatically.


Links to the Facebook profiles for director(s) that worked on the video. Multiple values may be used, separated by a comma. Note: Tokens that return multiple values will be handled automatically.


The TV show this series belongs to.


The date the video was released.


Tag words associated with this video. Multiple values may be used, separated by a comma. Note: Tokens that return multiple values will be handled automatically.


Links to the Facebook profiles for scriptwriter(s) for the video. Multiple values may be used, separated by a comma. Note: Tokens that return multiple values will be handled automatically.

facebook
A set of meta tags specially for controlling advanced functionality with Facebook.

The Facebook Sharing Debugger lets you preview how your content will look when it’s shared to Facebook and debug any issues with your Open Graph tags.


A comma-separated list of Facebook user IDs of people who are considered administrators or moderators of this page.


Facebook Instant Articles claim URL token.


A comma-separated list of Facebook Platform Application IDs applicable for this site.

Twitter Cards
A set of meta tags specially for controlling the summaries displayed when content is shared on Twitter.

Notes:

  • no other fields are required for a Summary card
  • Photo card requires the ‘image’ field
  • Media player card requires the ‘title’, ‘description’, ‘media player URL’, ‘media player width’, ‘media player height’ and ‘image’ fields,
  • Summary Card with Large Image card requires the ‘Summary’ field and the ‘image’ field,
  • Gallery Card requires all the ‘Gallery Image’ fields,
  • App Card requires the ‘iPhone app ID’ field, the ‘iPad app ID’ field and the ‘Google Play app ID’ field,
  • Product Card requires the ‘description’ field, the ‘image’ field, the ‘Label 1’ field, the ‘Data 1’ field, the ‘Label 2’ field and the ‘Data 2’ field.

The @username for the website, which will be displayed in the Card’s footer; must include the @ symbol.


The page’s title, which should be concise; it will be truncated at 70 characters by Twitter. This field is required unless this the ‘type’ field is set to ‘photo’.


A description that concisely summarizes the content of the page, as appropriate for presentation within a Tweet. Do not re-use the title text as the description, or use this field to describe the general services provided by the website. The string will be truncated, by Twitter, at the word to 200 characters.


The numerical Twitter account ID for the website, which will be displayed in the Card’s footer.


The numerical Twitter account ID for the content creator / author for this page.


The @username for the content creator / author for this page, including the @ symbol.


By default Twitter tracks visitors when a tweet is embedded on a page using the official APIs. Setting this to ‘on’ will stop Twitter from tracking visitors.


The permalink / canonical URL of the current page.


The URL to a unique image representing the content of the page. Do not use a generic image such as your website logo, author photo, or other image that spans multiple pages. Images larger than 120x120px will be resized and cropped square based on longest dimension. Images smaller than 60x60px will not be shown. If the ‘type’ is set to Photo then the image must be at least 280x150px. This will be able to extract the URL from an image field if the field is configured properly.


The width of the image being linked to, in pixels.


The height of the image being linked to, in pixels.


The alternative text of the image being linked to. Limited to 420 characters.


A URL to the image representing the first photo in your gallery. This will be able to extract the URL from an image field if the field is configured properly.


A URL to the image representing the second photo in your gallery. This will be able to extract the URL from an image field if the field is configured properly.


A URL to the image representing the third photo in your gallery. This will be able to extract the URL from an image field if the field is configured properly.


A URL to the image representing the fourth photo in your gallery. This will be able to extract the URL from an image field if the field is configured properly.


If your application is not available in the US App Store, you must set this value to the two-letter country code for the App Store that contains your application.


The name of the iPhone app.


The iPhone app’s custom URL scheme (must include “://” after the scheme name).


String value, should be the numeric representation of your iPhone app’s ID in the App Store.


The name of the iPad app.


String value, should be the numeric representation of your iPad app’s ID in the App Store.


The iPad app’s custom URL scheme (must include “://” after the scheme name).


The name of the app in the Google Play app store.


Your app ID in the Google Play Store (i.e. “com.android.app”).


The Google Play app’s custom URL scheme (must include “://” after the scheme name).


The full URL for loading a media player, specifically an iframe for an embedded video rather than the URL to a page that contains a player. Required when using the Player Card type.


The width of the media player iframe, in pixels. Required when using the Player Card type.


The height of the media player iframe, in pixels. Required when using the Player Card type.


The full URL for an MP4 video (h.264) or audio (AAC) stream, takes precedence over the other media player field.


The MIME type for the media contained in the stream URL, as defined by RFC 4337.


This field expects a string, and you can specify values for labels such as price, items in stock, sizes, etc.


This field expects a string, and allows you to specify the types of data you want to offer (price, country, etc.).


This field expects a string, and you can specify values for labels such as price, items in stock, sizes, etc.


This field expects a string, and allows you to specify the types of data you want to offer (price, country, etc.).

Alternative language links (hreflang)
These meta tags are designed to point visitors to versions of the current page in other languages.

This should point to the version of the page that is for the main or primary locale, e.g. the original version of an article that is translated into other languages.
















Revision information

Revisions are required.

Briefly describe the changes you have made.

Summer in Minnesota is a special time — something locals and intrepid travelers look forward to every year. Find out where to go and stay, and what to see and do, in our guide to the perfect Minnesota summer.

Get help from the experts to plan your trip

Want to know the best spots in Minnesota? How about tips on how to make the most of your time in a specific city? Our Minnesota experts can answer your questions, offer advice, or plan the perfect Minnesota trip for you. For free.

Stay up to date with our Minnesota newsletter

Sign Up

Plan your trip with our free travel guides

Order Now

Things to Do
List
Maynard’s
6Smith
Birch’s on the Lake Brewhouse & Supperclub
Sea Salt Eatery
Angry Trout Cafe
Ernie’s on Gull Lake
Boat House
W.A. Frost & Company
Saint Paul Brewing
Cardamom
Aster Cafe
The Market at Malcolm Yards
Forager Brewery
Rustic Roots Winery
Lakeview Drive Inn
Tip Top Dairy Bar
Sebastian Joe’s Ice Cream – Linden Hills
Sebastian Joe’s Ice Cream – Lowry Hill
Nelson’s Ice Cream – Stillwater
Nelson’s Ice Cream – St. Paul
Adele’s Frozen Custard
Cup and Cone
Historic Moorhead Dairy Queen
Flapdoodles Ice Cream South
Flapdoodles Ice Cream North
Red Barn Farm of Northfield
Pleasant Grove Pizza Farm
Itasca State Park
Tettegouche State Park
Grand Portage State Park
Cascade River State Park
Judge C R Magney State Park
Jay Cooke State Park
Maplewood State Park
Split Rock Lighthouse State Park
Interstate State Park
Glendalough State Park
Minneopa State Park
Blue Mounds State Park
Lake Vermilion – Soudan Underground Mine State Park
Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
Voyageurs National Park
Afton State Park
William O’Brien State Park
Mesabi Trail
Root River State Trail
Paul Bunyan State Trail
Central Lakes State Trail
Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area
Minneapolis Sculpture Garden
Franconia Sculpture Park
Nyberg Sculpture Park
New York Mills Regional Cultural Center
Park Point Recreation Area
Phalen Regional Park
Zippel Bay State Park
Caitlin Hannah



  1. Dine Outside

    A packed outdoor patio at Birch's on the Lake Brewhouse & Supperclub

    Outdoor dining at Birch’s on the Lake

    / Paul Vincent




    Dine Outside

    From pizza farms to lakeside patios, there are plenty of places to dine outside in Minnesota.

    It’s nearly impossible to not find a park near you. Order takeout from your favorite restaurant or pack a picnic and spread out a blanket in one of our many green spaces.

    Ernie's on Gull

    Ernie’s on Gull


    Ernie’s on Gull

    Some popular spots to dine by the water — an absolute must every summer — are Maynards, 6Smith, Birch’s on the Lake, Sea Salt Eatery, Pimento on the Lake, Angry Trout Cafe, Ernie’s on Gull, Zorbaz, and Boat House.

    Other places where you’ll find a lively patio include W.A. Frost, Saint Paul Brewing, Cardamom, Aster Cafe, The Bungalow Club, Italian Eatery, The Market at Malcolm Yards, Forager Brewery, and Rustic Roots Winery.  

    Lake View Drive Inn

    Lake View Drive Inn


    Head upstairs to the roof at Brit’s Pub, Gai Noi, Graze Provisions & Libations, LynLake Brewery, Louis Ristorante & Bar, Grandma’s Canal Park, The Scarlet Bar at the St. James Hotel, Kathy’s Pub, or Gunflint Tavern in Grand Marais.

    If you would like a classic drive-in experience, visit The Drive-In in Taylor’s Falls, Minnetonka Drive In, Lakeview Drive Inn in Winona, Peppermint Twist in Delano, Tip Top Dairy Bar in Osakis, Val’s Rapid Serv in St. Cloud, and more.  

    A family enjoys dinner at Red Barn pizza farm

    A family enjoys dinner at Red Barn pizza farm 

    / Paul Vincent


    For something sweet, get a scoop or two at a popular ice cream shop. Some fan favorites include Sebastian Joe’s, Grand Ole Creamery , Nelson’s Ice Cream, Adele’s Frozen Custard , Cup and Cone, Moorhead Dairy Queen, Flapdoodles, Love Creamery and more. 

    Visit a farm for… pizza? It’s true! Minnesota is home to several popular pizza farms where you can pack your picnic blanket, utensils, beverages, and enjoy a piping hot pizza topped with the freshest ingredients around. Some popular spots are Red Barn Farm, DreamAcres , Pleasant Grove Farms, Two Pony Gardens, and more. 



  2. Go Camping

    A couple sits by a campfire at North Shore Camping Co in Beaver Bay

    North Shore Camping Co 

    / Paul Vincent




    Go Camping

    Sleeping under the stars, campfires, s’mores, and getaways with your friends and family are quintessential summer activities. In Minnesota, there are plenty of ways to camp in a tent, cabin, RV, or unique glamping opportunities like yurts. Find a remote spot to camp, pack your pup at these dog-friendly campsites or find a new recipe to try.

    Learn more about camping in Minnesota.  



  3. Visit a State Park

    Family viewing bison herd at Blue Mounds State Park

    Observe roaming bison herds at Minneopa and Blue Mounds State Parks / Roy Son




    Visit a State Park

    Minnesota has 65 state parks to explore, and they are scattered throughout the state. Some must-sees include the headwaters of the Mississippi River at Itasca State Park, waterfalls at Tettegouche, Grand Portage, Cascade River, Judge C.R. Magney, Nerstrand Big Woods, the swinging bridge at Jay Cooke, majestic views at Maplewood, Split Rock Lighthouse, Interstate, and more.

    Other unique experiences are surrey bike rentals at Glendalough State Park, bison viewing at Minneopa or Blue Mounds, and the underground mine tours at Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine. Its popular tours are offered daily from Memorial Day through the end of September, and Fridays and Saturdays through the third weekend in October.   

    Accessibility wise, many state parks offer electric, all-terrain track chairs that can be used on designated trails. These chairs can help visitors explore new areas that are not suitable for regular wheelchairs. 



  4. Catch a Concert

    Concert stage at dusk

    WE Fest in Detroit Lakes is America’s biggest country music and camping festival

    / Keith Griner




    Catch a Concert

    Minnesota has some legendary music festivals in the metro area, and larger festivals throughout the state that combine music and camping for every type of fan. Lakes Jam in Brainerd and WE FEST cater to the country-rock crowd with headlining artists like Jelly Roll, Tyler Hubbard, Eric Church, and Live.

    Over in Minneapolis, Basilica Block Party is back after a brief hiatus with more than 20 bands in Boom Island Park, including the Goo Goo Dolls, Counting Crows, The Fray and NEEDTOBREATHE. New this year, the Minnesota Yacht Club Festival on Harriet Island features Gwen Stefani, Alanis Morissette, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and local bands like Hippo Campus, Soul Asylum and Gully Boys.

    Learn more about music in Minnesota. 



  5. Visit a Fair or Festival

    Minnesota State Fair's Corn Roast stand

    Minnesota State Fair’s iconic Corn Roast stand 

    / Paul Vincent




    Visit a Fair or Festival

    Summer is festival season in Minnesota. From iconic events like the Minnesota State Fair to memorable local events like food truck festivals, county fairs, and music festivals, there’s always something happening in the summer.

    Celebrate some of your favorite foods at Kolacky Days, Rhubarb Festival, Bean Hole Days, Potato Days, Blueberry/Art Festival, Minnesota Garlic Festival, and more.

    Some other can’t-miss events happening this season are Taste of Minnesota, the seven-week (!) Minnesota Renaissance Festival, Como Park Japanese Obon Festival, All Pints North, Twin Cities Jazz Festival, and more.  



  6. Take a Road Trip

    Paul Bunyan and Babe in Bemidji

    Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox stand guard in Bemidji 

    / Paul Vincent




    Take a Road Trip

    Hit the highway for an epic summer road trip on one of Minnesota’s many scenic byways, including the famous Great River Road. Snag a selfie at one of Minnesota’s many memorable roadside attractions like the world’s largest otter, turkey, and many statues of our favorite lumberjack, Paul Bunyan.

    Stop at a drive-in for a burger or a frozen treat or stop in one of these towns to see their charming main streets. Plan a kid-friendly road trip from Minneapolis/St. Paul to one of these spots.   



  7. Go Stargazing

    Voyageurs National Park starry night

    Voyageurs National Park, International Falls

    / Erik Fremstad




    Go Stargazing

    Minnesota’s great outdoors are amazing places for stargazing. Two International Dark Sky Parks — Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Voyageurs — offer exceptional viewing ops due to their open spaces and low light pollution.

    You don’t have to travel far from the Twin Cities to see the stars at spots like Afton State Park, William O’Brien State Park, and more. The Northern Lights can also be seen at various times during the summer; here are some of the best places to see this incredible natural phenomenon in Minnesota.  



  8. Tackle a Bike Trail

    Biking along the Prairie River on the Mesabi Trail

    Biking along the Prairie River 

    / Mesabi Trail




    Tackle a Bike Trail

    From the nation’s best urban trails in the Twin Cities to rural rail-trails through lush forest or wild prairie, Minnesota’s 4,000+ miles of paved trails are a cyclist’s dream. Many bike trails are along former railroad beds, offering secluded, scenic biking. Some of the longest paved trails include the Mesabi Trail, Root River, and the Paul Bunyan and Central Lakes state trails.  

    Minnesota is also home to a variety of mountain bike trails from lift-served downhill trails in Duluth, to the legendary red dirt at Cuyuna, you’ll find outstanding mountain bike trails across Minnesota. 



  9. Stroll Through a Sculpture Park

    Nyberg Sculpture Park, Vining

    Nyberg Sculpture Park

    / Kvidt Creative




    Stroll Through a Sculpture Park

    From Instagram-worthy murals to epic sculpture parks, Minnesota is full of exceptional public art. The Minneapolis Sculpture Garden at Walker Art Center is arguably the most famous due to Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen’s iconic “Spoonbridge and Cherry” structure and other interesting pieces.

    Travel about one hour northeast to Franconia Sculpture Park, a 43-acre outdoor sculpture park with an active artist residency and community arts programming. In Otter Tail County, the Nyberg Sculpture Park in Vining has whimsical structures made of scrap metal like a watermelon, square knot, alien, and more. Find more of his sculptures at the nearby New York Mills Sculpture Park.   



  10. Live That Lake Life

    Person kayaking the Chain of Lakes in Minneapolis

    Kayak the picturesque Chain of Lakes in Minneapolis

    / Paul Vincent




    Live That Lake Life

    Summer in Minnesota means lake time. With 11,842 to choose from, there are endless places to get out on the water. Canoe, kayak, or paddleboard on the lake or rent one with the city’s paddle share or parks programs. Plan a resort getaway, rent a houseboat or a cabin to stay near the water.

    Drop a line and fish for walleye, bass, pike, panfish, and more with our guide. If you would rather relax on the beach, visit Park Point in Duluth, Detroit Lakes Public Beach, Phalen Regional Park Beach in St. Paul, Zippel Bay State Park on Lake of the Woods, and more.  

    Find more free things to do and check things off our bucket list.  

all-other

A packed Bar Lurcat patio in the summer

A packed Bar Lurcat patio in the summer

/ Krivit Photography, courtesy of Meet Minneapolis


Summer

A packed Bar Lurcat patio in the summer

This article: 10 Things to Do in Minnesota This Summer has been curated from our friends at Explore Minnesota and the original in it's entirety can be found here: https://www.exploreminnesota.com/things-to-do-in-minnesota-this-summer