Whether you are biking or walking along the river's shores, fishing in a floodplain lake, or boating its waters the new Mississippi River Companion is an excellent resource for finding rental bikes and mass transit options, biking and walking trails, boat landings, and many other recreational opportunities along one of the world's great rivers. Paul, to just south of Hastings, Minnesota. The map sections below start in the northern stretches and run south through the Twin Cities.
North of the Twin Cities the Mississippi River is designated as a state wild and scenic river. The river begins to slow among undeveloped islands as it approaches the Coon Rapids Dam.
Scenic views are still offered though the nature of the river slowly changes from wild to residential as one approaches Interstate Moving further south along the river brings one into more suburban stretches of the river, including neighborhoods and some industry. Discover the birthplace of Minneapolis at St.
Anthony Falls and the Stone Arch Bridge along with parks detailing the historic nature of this section of the river. Below the Falls the Mississippi carves a deep gorge with foot and bike trails paralleling the river on the bluff tops.
Other trails take the hiker through parks, such as Minnehaha Regional Park, home to a foot tall falls made famous in Longfellow's poem, "The Song of Hiawatha. The river continues south through the Mississippi River Gorge eventually reaching the confluence with the Minnesota River. Th confluence of these two great rivers is of special importance to the Dakota. Numerous historic locations dot this stretch of the river. Page Minneapolis and St.
