Quick Answer
Some of the best places for stroller walks in the Twin Cities include the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, Lake Harriet, Como Park, and Nine Mile Creek Regional Trail. Each offers paved or mostly paved routes, beautiful scenery, and enough flexibility for a short outing or a longer walk during nap time.
This was originally Published on June 14, 2025 and updated July 28, 2026
As a local mom and photographer, I have spent more than 15 years exploring parks and trails around Minneapolis and St. Paul with children, clients, and a camera. Some of the best places for stroller walks offer more than a smooth path. They give you shade, reasonably easy parking, access to restrooms, and somewhere pleasant to stop when your baby wakes up hungry five minutes after leaving the house.
Whether you are newly postpartum, meeting another mom for coffee, or trying to stretch a stroller nap a little longer, these four Twin Cities walks are beautiful, practical, and easy to return to.
Table of Contents
Minnesota Landscape Arboretum
The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum is one of the prettiest places to spend a morning outside with a baby. The gardens change throughout the year, so even a familiar route can feel different from one visit to the next.
For a stroller walk, look for the Three-Mile Walk rather than the Three-Mile Drive. Walking is not permitted on the drive itself. The Three-Mile Walk was designed to meet ADA standards and travels mainly over paved paths and brick walkways, with a few short gravel sections.
Tips for Parents
Starting near the Oswald Visitor Center gives you convenient access to restrooms, the café, water-filling stations, and a lactation pod. Many of the garden paths close to the visitor center are also paved, so you do not need to commit to the full three miles.
Check current admission and ticket requirements before leaving home, especially on weekends when parking may reach capacity.
Professional photography sessions require a separate Arboretum permit or photographer membership. Because the Arboretum charges for photography access, that permit is not included in my standard creative fee.
Why Parents Like It
The Arboretum works especially well when you want your walk to feel like a small outing rather than another loop around the neighborhood. You can walk for twenty minutes, stop near the gardens, have lunch, or stay for most of the morning.
It is also a lovely place for family photographs because there is so much variety within a relatively small area, from structured gardens to open fields and tree-lined paths.
Lake Harriet
Lake Harriet is one of the most straightforward places for stroller walks in Minneapolis. The walking path around the lake is 2.75 miles and mostly flat, but you can easily turn around early if your baby has other plans.
There is enough activity around the lake that you do not feel isolated, but it rarely feels as hectic as walking through a busy shopping area or downtown neighborhood.
Tips for Parents
The bandshell area is a practical place to begin because you will be near restrooms, a playground, benches, picnic areas, and seasonal food. There are several places to access the trail, so where you park can depend on whether you want to complete the entire loop or take a shorter walk.
Parking can become more difficult during concerts, warm evenings, and busy summer weekends. A weekday morning is usually a simpler choice when you are managing a stroller, diaper bag, and possibly a baby who has already changed their mind about the outing.
Why Parents Like It
Lake Harriet gives you a clear route without making the walk feel repetitive. The lake views change as you move, there are plenty of places to stop, and you are likely to pass other parents doing exactly what you are doing.
It is also a location I regularly consider for family photography. The water, trees, pathways, and bandshell area give us several options without requiring families to walk a long distance between photographs.
Como Regional Park
Como Park is a good choice when you want flexibility. The park has 2.3 miles of paved trails, along with Como Lake, open green space, a playground, the zoo, and the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory.
You can take a simple walk around part of the park or turn the morning into a longer visit. During colder or less predictable weather, ending inside the Conservatory can make the trip feel much more worthwhile.
Tips for Parents
Bring your own stroller. Como Zoo and Conservatory offer wheelchair and scooter rentals, but stroller rentals are not currently available.
Admission to the zoo and conservatory is free, although voluntary donations are appreciated. Hours change seasonally, so check the current schedule before planning to go inside.
Como can become very busy during summer weekends, school breaks, and special events. Earlier weekday mornings are usually easier for parking and navigating the paths.
Why Parents Like It
Como gives you options when you do not know how long your baby will tolerate being out. You can walk near the lake, stop at the playground with an older sibling, visit a few animals, or warm up inside the Conservatory.
It is especially useful for families with children of different ages because the stroller walk does not need to be the only activity.
Nine Mile Creek Regional Trail
Nine Mile Creek Regional Trail runs through Hopkins, Minnetonka, Edina, and Richfield. The entire trail is more than 15 miles long, so this is not a route most parents will complete during one casual stroller walk. Instead, choose a section and an access point before leaving home.
The trail includes several miles of paved pathway and more than a mile of wooden boardwalk through wetlands and wooded areas. It feels more removed from the city than many paved suburban trails, even though you are never particularly far from surrounding neighborhoods.
Tips for Parents
Official parking and trail access are available at several locations, including Hopkins Valley Park, Walnut Ridge Park, Bredesen Park, and Fred Richards Park. Check the trail map before choosing your starting point because restrooms and other facilities are not available at every entrance.
This is a shared walking and biking trail, so stay to the right and listen for cyclists approaching from behind. The long, uninterrupted sections can be especially helpful for babies who nap best when the stroller keeps moving.
I have not personally walked every section of this trail, so this recommendation also comes from other local parents and clients who appreciate its wide path, wooded scenery, and quieter feel.
Why Parents Like It
Nine Mile Creek is a strong choice when you want fewer crowds and more distance. You can meet a friend and walk side by side, listen to a podcast, or simply keep moving without circling the same small park several times.
The boardwalk sections also make it feel more interesting than a standard paved neighborhood path.
How to Choose the Right Stroller Walk
The best location depends on what you need that day.
Choose the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum when you want gardens, facilities, and a destination that can fill most of the morning.
Choose Lake Harriet when you want a clear lake loop with plenty of activity and convenient places to stop.
Choose Como Park when you have an older child with you or want an indoor backup plan.
Choose Nine Mile Creek when your priority is a longer, quieter walk with fewer built-in distractions.
It is also worth checking trail conditions, attraction hours, admission requirements, and seasonal closures before leaving home. Minnesota weather has a way of changing an otherwise simple plan.
Frequently Asked Questions About Places for Stroller Walks in the Twin Cities
What should I look for in places for stroller walks?
The best places for stroller walks have a smooth path, manageable hills, safe road crossings, and convenient parking. Restrooms, benches, shade, and nearby food can also make a walk with a baby much easier, although not every trail offers all of these amenities.
Do I need an all-terrain stroller?
A standard stroller should work well at Lake Harriet, Como Park, and along most sections of Nine Mile Creek Regional Trail. The Arboretum’s Three-Mile Walk is mainly paved or brick but includes a few short gravel sections, so a stroller with larger wheels may be more comfortable.
Which places for stroller walks are best for a short outing?
Como Park and Lake Harriet are both easy to adapt. You can walk for fifteen or twenty minutes and turn around without feeling as though you need to complete the entire route.
Which trail is best for a long stroller nap?
Nine Mile Creek Regional Trail offers the most uninterrupted distance. Lake Harriet’s 2.75-mile loop is another good option when you want a clear beginning and end to your walk.
A Walk Can Be Enough
A stroller walk does not need to become an event. Sometimes you simply need to leave the house, move your body, and look at something beyond the same four walls.
These places for stroller walks in the Twin Cities give parents somewhere to go on beautiful mornings, difficult afternoons, and all the ordinary days in between. You may walk the entire route, or you may make it ten minutes before someone needs to eat. Both still count.
Some of my favorite family and motherhood photographs also begin with walking. Parents settle in, children have something to do, and no one needs to stand perfectly still. Learn more about my Twin Cities family photography sessions or contact me to begin planning your own outdoor session.
Michele Quattrin of mQn Photography is a Minneapolis family photographer who documents motherhood, babies, and families with a timeless, honest style. With 15 years of experience and a background in photojournalism, she is especially drawn to the real moments that make early newborn sessions so meaningful. Her approach is gentle, polished, and natural, which makes her a great fit for Fresh 48 photography at hospitals like The Mother Baby Center at Children’s Minneapolis. Michele serves families across Minneapolis, Edina, and the Twin Cities, creating images that feel both heartfelt and refined. Learn more about Michele here.
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