--- type: guide title: "Lake Day Trips From the Twin Cities, Sorted by Drive Time" description: "The best lake day trips from Minneapolis and St. Paul, grouped by drive time: under 30 minutes, 30 to 60, one to two hours and two to three hours." category: "Destinations" updated: 2026-10-01 url: https://www.minnelakes.org/guides/lake-day-trips-from-twin-cities --- # Lake Day Trips From the Twin Cities, Sorted by Drive Time ## Key Takeaways - Under 30 minutes gets you city lakes, Minnetonka's east end and White Bear. Good water, but shared with a lot of people. - The 30 to 60 minute band is the sweet spot: Square Lake, Big Marine, Waconia and the Chisago chain. - One to two hours reaches Mille Lacs, Lake Pepin and the Annandale and Spicer lakes. - Two to three hours puts Brainerd, Cuyuna, Alexandria and Duluth in range, but they are long days. - A state park vehicle permit is $7 a day or $35 a year in 2026, and county park reserves often charge their own entry or parking fee. If you have one day and a tank of gas, the best return on driving is the 30 to 60 minute band: Square Lake, Big Marine, Waconia and the Chisago chain are noticeably less crowded than the city lakes and need no planning. Go farther and you get bigger water, Mille Lacs and Pepin at up to two hours, then Brainerd, Alexandria and Duluth at the edge of what is reasonable in a day. Drive times here are approximate, measured from the downtown core in ordinary traffic; your side of the metro can shift a lake by a full band. Lake sizes are from Minnesota DNR data, verified in 2026. ## The table | Drive time | Lake | Where | Size | Best for | |---|---|---|---|---| | Under 30 min | Harriet, Bde Maka Ska, Cedar, Nokomis | Minneapolis | 164-424 acres | Beaches, paddling, walking | | Under 30 min | Phalen | St. Paul | 198 acres | Guarded beach, paddling | | Under 30 min | Medicine | Plymouth | 924 acres | Regional park beach, fishing | | Under 30 min | White Bear | White Bear Lake | 2,428 acres | Boating, sailing, beaches | | Under 30 min | Minnetonka (east bays) | Wayzata, Excelsior | 14,206 acres | Boating, lakeside towns | | 30-60 min | Lake Elmo | Lake Elmo | 257 acres | Clear, deep water; park reserve | | 30-60 min | Square | North of Stillwater | 203 acres | Clear-water swimming | | 30-60 min | Big Marine | Scandia area | 1,799 acres | Park reserve beach, fishing | | 30-60 min | Forest | Forest Lake | 2,271 acres | Boating, bass and muskie | | 30-60 min | Chisago and Green | Chisago City, Lindstrom | 944 and 1,809 acres | Small-town chain, panfish | | 30-60 min | Waconia | Waconia | 3,080 acres | Walleye, muskie, island park | | 30-60 min | Independence | Maple Plain | 832 acres | Baker Park beach and camping | | 30-60 min | Lake St. Croix | Stillwater to Afton | 8,393 acres | River-lake boating, bluffs | | 1-2 hours | Clearwater | Annandale | 3,187 acres | Boating, bass, walleye | | 1-2 hours | Pepin | Lake City | 12,299 acres | Sailing, bluff scenery | | 1-2 hours | Pokegama | Pine City | 1,521 acres | Easy I-35 fishing stop | | 1-2 hours | Mille Lacs | Onamia, Isle, Garrison | 128,250 acres | Walleye launch trips, beaches | | 1-2 hours | Green | Spicer | 5,569 acres | Clear water, sand, walleye | | 2-3 hours | Osakis | Osakis | 6,389 acres | Walleye and panfish | | 2-3 hours | Carlos and the Alexandria chain | Alexandria | 2,605 acres (Carlos) | State park beach, boating | | 2-3 hours | Gull | Nisswa | 10,010 acres | Resorts, boating | | 2-3 hours | Cuyuna mine lakes | Crosby | Small, very deep | Paddling, clarity | | 2-3 hours | Lake Superior | Duluth | Inland sea | Shoreline, ships, cold dips | ## Under 30 minutes The city lakes are covered in detail in our guide to the [best lakes near Minneapolis and St. Paul](https://www.minnelakes.org/guides/best-lakes-near-minneapolis-st-paul). The short version is that Harriet is the best all-rounder, Cedar the quietest swim and Phalen the pick in St. Paul. **Medicine Lake** in Plymouth is the largest lake close in on the west side and has a Three Rivers regional park with a beach and boat launch. **White Bear** and the east end of **Minnetonka** are close enough for an after-work boat ride from much of the metro, though getting to Minnetonka's western bays pushes past half an hour. The trade-off in this band is people. Parking fills by late morning on a hot Saturday, and launch ramps on Minnetonka and White Bear back up. ## 30 to 60 minutes This is where a day trip starts to feel like leaving town. - **Square Lake** is the clear-water swim. It is small, spring-fed in character and popular with scuba divers as well as swimmers. Washington County runs the park and beach, and charges a vehicle fee. - **Lake Elmo** is only 257 acres but 140 feet deep. Lake Elmo Park Reserve surrounds part of it with trails and a separate swimming facility. - **Big Marine** has a newer county park reserve with a beach and a good launch, and enough acreage that it does not feel pinched. - **Lake Waconia**, at about 3,100 acres, is one of the largest lakes in the metro after Minnetonka. It fishes well for walleye (16-inch minimum in 2026) and [muskellunge](https://www.minnelakes.org/fish/muskellunge), and Coney Island of the West, a county park on an island, is reachable only by boat. - **Lake Independence** has Baker Park Reserve, with a large beach, rentals and a 203-site campground that books 120 days ahead through Three Rivers. - **The Chisago chain** (Chisago, Green, North Center, South Lindstrom) offers bluegill and bass fishing with small-town main streets a block from the water. - **Lake St. Croix** at Stillwater, Bayport or Afton State Park is the choice for scenery. It is border water with Wisconsin, with its own fishing rules. ## One to two hours **Mille Lacs** is the headline. Father Hennepin State Park near Isle has a long sand beach and is the simplest day-use stop; Mille Lacs Kathio is the larger, wooded park at the lake's outlet. To fish without your own boat, book a half-day launch out of one of the resorts. Read the current regulations first, since Mille Lacs rules are set annually. In 2026 the walleye limit from May 9 was three fish over 17 inches with one over 20, and there was a nighttime fishing closure through August. **Lake Pepin** is a natural widening of the Mississippi below Red Wing, about 12,300 acres between tall wooded bluffs. Lake City has a marina and public waterfront, and Frontenac State Park gives the high view. It is a sailing lake and a walleye and sauger fishery, with river current and commercial barge traffic to respect. **Annandale and the Wright County lakes** (Clearwater, Sylvia, Pulaski, Buffalo) are an hour northwest and make an easy boating day. **Green Lake** at Spicer, around two hours west, is a big, clear, sandy-bottomed lake with public beaches. **Pokegama** at Pine City is the quick stop off I-35. ## Two to three hours These are real commitments. Leave by 7 a.m. - **Alexandria and Osakis:** straight up I-94. Lake Carlos State Park is the easiest target, with a beach and launch. Details in the [Alexandria lakes guide](https://www.minnelakes.org/guides/best-lakes-near-alexandria). - **Brainerd Lakes:** Gull Lake and Nisswa for a boat rental and lunch, or the Cuyuna mine lakes at Crosby for paddling in startlingly clear water. See the [Brainerd guide](https://www.minnelakes.org/guides/best-lakes-brainerd-lakes-area). - **Duluth:** Park Point, Canal Park and the first North Shore state parks. The lake will be cold in any month. See [lakes near Duluth](https://www.minnelakes.org/guides/best-lakes-near-duluth-north-shore). Southbound traffic on Highway 169, Highway 10 and I-35 is heavy on summer Sunday afternoons. Either head home by early afternoon or stay for dinner and drive late. ## Practical notes - **Fees.** State parks: $7 daily or $35 annual vehicle permit in 2026, per the [Minnesota DNR](https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/fees.html). County park reserves in Washington, Carver and other counties generally charge their own daily or annual vehicle fee. City beaches are usually free. - **Water quality.** Shallow metro lakes are more prone to algae in August. Check for advisories and read our guide to [blue-green algae](https://www.minnelakes.org/guides/blue-green-algae-minnesota-lakes). - **Boats.** Zebra mussels are in Minnetonka, White Bear, Mille Lacs and many others. Drain everything and pull the plug before leaving the landing; it is the law. - **Packing.** See [what to pack for a lake day](https://www.minnelakes.org/guides/what-to-pack-minnesota-lake-day). ## Bottom line - Best effort-to-reward ratio: Square Lake, Big Marine or Waconia, all under an hour. - Best full-day trip: Mille Lacs or Lake Pepin, with a state park as your base. - For anything over two hours, pick one lake and leave early. Use [lakes near me](https://www.minnelakes.org/near-me) or the [trip planner](https://www.minnelakes.org/tools/trip-planner) to find options from your side of the metro. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is the clearest lake close to the Twin Cities? Square Lake in Washington County, north of Stillwater, is well known locally for clear water and has a county park beach. Lake Elmo, also in Washington County, is small but 140 feet deep and clear as well. Both are under an hour from most of the metro. ### What is the best lake day trip from Minneapolis for swimming? For a short drive, Square Lake or Lake Elmo Park Reserve in Washington County. For a full day, the sandy state park beaches at Mille Lacs or Lake Carlos, or a clear mine lake at Cuyuna if your group is made up of strong swimmers. Check for beach closures before leaving. ### How long does it take to drive to Mille Lacs from the Twin Cities? The south shore near Onamia and Isle is roughly an hour and a half to an hour and 45 minutes from downtown Minneapolis in normal traffic. Friday afternoon and Sunday evening traffic on Highway 169 can add considerably to that. ### Can I do Brainerd or Duluth as a day trip? Yes, both are a little over two hours each way, and plenty of people do it. It makes for a long day, so leave early, pick one lake rather than several, and avoid returning late on a summer Sunday when southbound traffic is heaviest. ### Do I need a permit to visit a lake in a Minnesota state park for the day? Yes. Any vehicle entering a state park needs a permit, which costs $7 for one day or $35 for a year in 2026. The annual permit is good for 12 months from purchase and covers every state park and recreation area. --- *Source: [MinneLakes.org](https://www.minnelakes.org/guides/lake-day-trips-from-twin-cities)*