Indian Mounds Regional Park
Indian Mounds Regional Park, Mounds Boulevard, Saint Paul, MN, USA
Sunrise to 11 pm
$
outdoor-adventures, run, playground
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Indian Mounds Regional Park makes for a very unique park visit, with very unique views of the Twin Cities.
This park is really a unique stop on any itinerary for the Twin Cities. There are a few different reasons why this particular park is so unique. The first is that it's the home to some very, very old Indian burial mounds. These Dakota burial mounds are located at the top of the bluff, and are roped off from the rest of the park. Of the 16 original mounds, only 6 now remain, and they are believed to be between 1,500 and 2,000 years old! It's really a wonderful outdoor space to visit, in order to teach your kiddos a bit of St. Paul history, which I think is so important. The park board and city urge all guests to the park to give these ancient mounds the respect they deserve, and stay out of these fenced-off areas.
The second reason this park is so unique is the view. These views are simply incredible. It's the first time I've really seen St. Paul from a high ground perspective. It was incredible. You can see a gorgeous view of the river, along with downtown St. Paul and the skyline. Interestingly, you can also see several different modes of transportation, including river barges, a busy train yard, the airport, and of course cars from above. My kids are particularly fascinated by trains, so they loved seeing all the trains from above. I know scenic overlooks sometimes don't get the respect they deserve from young ones, but my kids were captivated. The burial mounds also led to discussions about Native American history, and particularly that of St. Paul, so it was great to have a historical aspect to a park visit.
The playground, of course, was also a big hit, and the kids were happy to get their sillies out climbing, swinging, and sliding. The playground was modest, but with really high quality, new equipment. It was nice to see this park has not only the paved walk and scenic views, but also a little playground area for littles.
I highly recommend planning a little trip to this park for sunset, as the views are just beautiful.