St. Louis Park: Trails, Nature, and History

St. Louis Park can be explored through a range of distinct, specific interests: a paved regional trail runs through the city, Westwood Hills Nature Center brings together wetlands, woodlands, and restored prairie, and a historic depot building stands in Jorvig Park. There are also water attractions and ice rinks at the Rec Center. This mix offers practical guidance when looking for a vacation rental: first consider whether trails, nature, water, or local history should be the focus of your stay.

A named trail and regional bike routes

The North Cedar Lake Regional Trail is 4.4 miles long, paved, begins in Hopkins, and runs through St. Louis Park. It is also connected to trails around Cedar Lake in Minneapolis. In addition, regional bike routes managed by the Three Rivers Park District run through St. Louis Park. This provides two useful ways to find your bearings: the named trail, with its length, surface, and starting point, and the regional bike route network. If you like to plan your trip around a specific route or regional bike routes, you can take these differences into account when looking for a vacation rental. This helps distinguish a preference for access to a particular trail from a more general interest in the regional bike route network.

Water attractions and ice rinks

The Rec Center is home to the Recreation Outdoor Center (ROC), the outdoor Aquatic Park, and two indoor ice rinks. The Aquatic Park has four-story water slides, a zero-entry pool, and a 12-foot-deep diving pool. These features offer different ways to plan your day: the water slides, pool entry, and diving pool depth are each distinct features; the indoor ice rinks offer a different kind of recreation. When planning a trip together, this specific distinction is more helpful than a general idea of “activities”: you can consider whether water attractions or ice skating better suit your preferred itinerary.

Westwood Hills in every season

Westwood Hills Nature Center covers 160 acres of wetlands, woodlands, and restored prairie. These three landscape types give the nature area different characteristics and set it apart from the offerings at the Rec Center. Its trails are open every day, year-round, from sunrise to sunset. This means a visit to nature is not limited to a particular season, although the daily visiting hours follow the daylight. If you prefer to plan your trip around a natural landscape rather than a single recreational activity, the Nature Center offers a clear focus.

A historic touch in Jorvig Park

The St. Louis Park Historical Society’s historic depot building is located in Jorvig Park. If history is one of your travel interests, you can include this place as a focus of your itinerary. The contrast between a historic building, a natural area with several habitats, and the range of offerings at the Rec Center helps distinguish the city’s different facets.

Plan your stay around your interests

When choosing a vacation rental in St. Louis Park, it can help to first think about the kind of day you want: Should a named route, a nature area with varied landscapes, or a recreational activity take center stage? The places described here reflect different interests, not just one way to shape your stay. Trails offer a route to follow, Westwood Hills is all about nature, and the Rec Center offers water attractions and ice skating; the depot adds a historic touch.

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View the broader travel guide: Hennepin.