Mississippi National River & Recreation Area

This 72-mile corridor protects the Mississippi River as it runs through Minneapolis and St. Paul, past St. Anthony Falls (the river's only major natural waterfall), the Stone Arch Bridge, the mills that once made Minneapolis the flour capital of the world, Fort Snelling, and Minnehaha Falls.

Watch Minnehaha's 53-foot cascade, bike the riverfront paths, and visit the mill district; young kids can earn a Junior Ranger badge. For a challenge, bike or paddle long stretches of the urban river corridor, from the falls to the quiet wooded reaches downstream.