What do you do when you want to get away from the mundane daily walks through your neighborhood with your dog? Do you search up Google Maps and look for new areas, or do you ask people if they have any recommendations?

I’ve spent the last few years in Mankato doing the same thing, and decided to put together a list of my top places to take your dog for a more enjoyable walk. All of the following places are dog friendly, range from well trafficked to deserted, and offer new sights, sounds, and smells to enrich your walking experience. The following places are in no particular order, but I will break each place down with scores for traffic, garbage access, water access, rest spots, variety of trails, and restrooms.

Kasota Prairie

First up on the list, a new favorite of mine, Kasota Prairie. It is a relatively short drive from Mankato, filled with gravel back roads passing farm houses and horse stables. Kasota Prairie is relatively quiet, with very little traffic. The trail is well marked, and comprises of a small loop that is relatively flat near the trailhead, that then gets a little steep down towards the lake. The trail is a mix of grass, and dirt, with the occasional rocky area through the trees. There are multiple rest spots along the way if you’re okay with sitting on a nice rock, as there are no benches along the trail. A tree line surrounds the lake, but up near the trailhead you will find ample open fields for your dog to explore. The open fields offer little to no wind protection, and are out in the sun all day, so you and your dog should stay relatively dry and clean.

Kasota Prairie offers plenty of opportunities to see wildlife, as birds and other animals (beaver, deer, etc.) congregate around the water, an oxbow lake formed by the Minnesota River a little further west of Kasota Prairie. The water stays relatively clean in the late summer, opposed to some other bodies of water. If you are concerned with blue-green algae blooms, please check the local DNR service to see if they have any alerts out, though we have never had any issues. It should be noted that there are no trash cans or restrooms anywhere along the trail or trailhead, so you will need to pack out any garbage and poop you pick up.

• Traffic - 8/10 (Higher scores will mean they are less busy)

• Garbage Access - 0/10 (No garbage cans)

• Water Access - 7/10

• Rest Spots - 4/10

• Variety - 3/10 (One single loop with a couple of offshoot deer trails to explore)

• Restrooms - 0/10

Seven mile creek park

Of all of the places I’ll be mentioning, Seven Mile is easily my favorite. There are 11 different trails to do, all of varying difficulty and length. Whether you want to go for a leisurely stroll with your dog, or go on a steep hike, Seven Mile has you covered. There are plenty of garbage cans placed along the trails no matter which one you choose, so no need to pack out your dog’s poop or your garbage.

Except for a few of the trails along the ridges of the bluffs, most have ample access to water if you’re hiking at the lower elevations. The creek runs pretty dry towards the end of the summer, but spring and early summer offer quite a bit of water for your dog to play in and hydrate if necessary. The creek runs fresh water year round near the parking areas, and lots of vegetation tends to keep it clean and clear.

Seven Mile is easily the most trafficked place of all the trails I’ll be talking about, but some trails off the beaten path offer an escape from others if that’s what you’re looking for. Trail 10 and 11 are both great options, as I rarely encounter other people and their dogs, granted they are much steeper to get to, but completely flat up top. Because of the high traffic, there are TONS of new scents daily for your dog to explore, and plenty of opportunity to meet new people if your dog likes that.

Most trails consist of grass, dirt, sand, and pea rock, though there is one paved trail along the creek that spans the length of the parking areas. Trail 9 offers the most grass, as it runs along the edge of a cornfield on the northern edge of Seven Mile. Trail 8 is the rockiest, and the longest trail by far. There is a lot of wildlife since it’s a heavily forested area and with lots of water, so expect to see all things deer, squirrels, birds, and the occasional opossum and raccoon.

There are not a ton of benches to take a rest at along the trails further back, but there are quite a few near the parking lots if you would like to take a breather with your dog. Seven Mile also has two pavilions, a sand volleyball court, and two porta-potties at the farthest end of the parking lot (only one in the winter.)

Overall, Seven Mile Creek Park is my absolute favorite for the variety, and it is a truly gorgeous gem of a place no matter the season. Some spots along the trails do get a little muddy (especially near the trail head) but the elevated trails stay relatively dry and your dog will more than likely not need a bath afterwards.

• Traffic - 2/10 (Lots of traffic with people and dogs)

• Garbage Access - 9/10

• Water Access - 9/10

• Rest Spots - 7/10

• Variety - 10/10

• Restrooms - 7/10

Rasmussen Woods

Rasmussen Woods is the quickest drive of all the places, since it’s only a mile or two from downtown Mankato, located on the west side. There is tons of parking available, and a couple nice loops to check out. Most trails consist of dirt or grass, and are relatively flat. Some of the trails deeper in have some elevation gain, but nothing near what Seven Mile Creek Park has.

Since Rasmussen is so close to town, there is quite a bit of traffic, but weirdly enough, not as much as Seven Mile. This offers the same opportunity for new scents for your dog to explore on a daily basis, and an opportunity for positive interactions with others.

There is very little water access at Rasmussen (a small stream near the parking lot), so be prepared to bring a water bowl for your dog if you plan on being out there for long periods of time. There is also lots of wildlife out and about at Rasmussen, deers, squirrels, and birds a plenty.

Most of the trails are within the woods, but there are three open fields dispersed throughout that your dog can use to have a little more running room if desired. Garbage cans are located at the parking lot, along with a porta-potty during the warmer months.

The trails on the western edge of Rasmussen Woods offer a look back into the past as the trail goes above and below some dolomite cliffs, which make for a great view and rest spot. They overlook a mostly dry marsh area and make for a great spot to watch the sunset in the afternoon and relax with your pup. Overall, Rasmussen offers a great spot for a walk with your dog, with great views, moderate traffic, and all a short distance from downtown Mankato.

• Traffic - 5/10

• Garbage Access - 2/10

• Water Access - 1/10

• Rest Spots - 6/10

• Variety - 6/10

• Restrooms - 2/10 (seasonal)

sanger pit

Nestled in between Mount Kato and the Blue Earth River, Sanger Pit offers an extremely flat, wood chip and rock combination style trail built like that of a track, wrapping around what I have dubbed a “lake-sized pond.” You would be hard pressed to avoid water, as the pond is massive, and just west of the pond is the Blue Earth River. The water stays relatively clean in the summer surprisingly, and offers a lot of opportunities to see wildlife like birds, squirrels, geese, ducks, and beavers (there is a beaver dam on both the north and south ends of the pond.)

Like I mentioned, the trail around Sanger Pit is exceptionally flat, great for a day where you don’t feel like exerting yourself too heavily. I couldn’t find any numbers, but I believe the trail to be a mile and a half long loop, but don’t quote me on that. The southwest part of the trail also includes another trail that leads down to the river, with a nice beach that stretches on for quite a ways. (As of writing, 4/4/23, the river is massively flooded, and that beach does not exist.)

Sanger Pit does not have any restrooms available to use, and there is only one garbage can located in the main parking lot. Speaking of parking, there are technically two parking lots, the main one, comprised of gravel where the trash can is located, and then a little pull off a bit further north up the road. I typically park in the pull off so I have a better view of the entire place, but you are directly next to Highway 66, so be careful when getting your dog out of your vehicle.

Sanger Pit is not typically plowed in the winter time, so access to the main parking lot is incredibly limited, if not impossible at times (read: I have gotten stuck trying to get in and have had to shovel myself out.) They do eventually plow the parking lot, but it might be days or weeks after the initial snowfall.

Overall, it’s a great little spot when I just want to walk my dog and relax while enjoying a nice breeze and a down-tempo atmosphere. Traffic is relatively low, but you will often see people out fishing on the pond, hammocking along the west facing tree line, or just laying out along the beach enjoying the sunshine.

• Traffic - 4/10

• Garbage Access - 3/10

• Water Access - 10/10 (it’s literally everywhere)

• Rest Spots - 8/10 (along the beaches)

• Variety - 4/10

• Restrooms - 0/10

Red jacket trail park

Last but not least, Red Jacket Trail Park, a 6.3 mile long trail spanning all the way from downtown Mankato to Rapidan. The entire trail is paved from start to finish, and spans multiple different landscapes from open fields and houses, to massive bridges and thick woods. The main trailhead outside of Mankato offers great access to the Le Sueur River, and a nice little beach for your dog to play on.

Most of the trail south of the trailhead offers nice shade with the trees, and a very peaceful and quiet experience. Traffic can tend to be high, but is definitely much heavier towards the inner parts of town. Parking at the trailhead is plentiful, and there is lots of open space for your dog to run around and enjoy.

For such a well established trail, I would expect more garbage cans and benches, but they’re concentrated to the parking lot. There are a few benches scattered about the trail, but they are few and far between. Since this is the only paved trail on my list, it is thankfully wheelchair accessible at multiple points. You will often see people fishing, playing in the river, running, and biking, so be aware of your surroundings if your dog is spooked easily. The constant stream of people does allow for new smells every day, and opportunities for good interactions if your dog enjoys meeting new people and dogs.

The Red Jacket Trail is the spot I go to the least, but it truly has a lot going for it, and is definitely the most established trail. With more than enough environmental variety, there is plenty to see, smell, and experience with your dog while out and about. The outer edges of the trail towards Rapidan will have a lot more wildlife, though they seem to gather elsewhere, probably near the river. There are plenty of squirrels and birds along the trail, but I haven’t seen much else. It’s a great spot to go if you like a well maintained path to walk on, and don’t want to mess with steep hills and valleys.

• Traffic - 6/10 (on the south end)

• Garbage Access - 4/10 (could be better)

• Water Access - 3/10

• Rest Spots - 6/10 (mostly around trailheads)

• Variety - 7/10

• Restrooms - 5/10

With all of that said, I hope you can find your own personal favorite spot to take your dog for a walk, and I hope this post offered quite a great variety of options for you to choose from depending on what is best for you and your dog. If anyone is interested in having photos taken of their dog while out and about, I offer photo sessions where I capture your dog enjoying themselves as much as possible. I also sell prints of many of the places I have talked about here!

Otherwise, I hope to see you out there soon!