Minnesota · A day worth getting out for.

Big lake.
River bluffs.

Walk from Minnehaha Falls to the Stone Arch Bridge, browse Stillwater's river town, drive the Great River Road around Lake Pepin, scramble among the glacial potholes at Taylors Falls, or spend a weekend on Lake Superior's North Shore. We’ve put the stops, routes and practical details together so your day out of Minneapolis is easier to plan.

Find your next day out
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Split Rock Lighthouse on top of its sheer rock cliff above a calm Lake Superior at dawn, with pale pink clouds behind
THE MINNESOTA COLLECTIONRiver towns. Waterfalls. Lake Superior.Split Rock Lighthouse, Lake Superior, Minnesota
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✓ No ads. No pop-ups.✓ A day that actually fits✓ Routes ready for your phone✓ Rules, fees & things to watch for✓ A weather backup plan✓ Best-time advice for every trip
Small price. A whole day of possibilities.

Where will your Minnesota day take you?

From the Mississippi to Lake Superior.
Guides from $4.
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The steel truss Stillwater Lift Bridge with its center span raised between two towers over the calm St. Croix River, wooded bluffs and town buildings behind under a clear blue skyRiver towns & state park
Minneapolis → William O'Brien State Park → Marine on St. Croix → Stillwater Main Street → Lift Bridge → Pioneer Park

Stillwater and the St. Croix River Valley

A St. Croix River day from the Twin Cities: a riverside walk in William O'Brien State Park, a deli lunch and a sawmill-ruin stroll in tiny Marine on St. Croix, then Stillwater's Main Street, a walk across the 1931 Lift Bridge to Wisconsin and the view from Pioneer Park, with the permits, parking and 2026–27 bridge work to plan around.

8–9 hour day·About 2–2½ hours of driving in total
Best: May to October; best mid-September to mid-October
$4 USD
The Stone Arch Bridge lit up at night, its golden arches and the downtown Minneapolis skyline reflected in the dark Mississippi RiverCity walking
Downtown Minneapolis → Minnehaha Falls → Mill City Museum → Stone Arch Bridge → St. Anthony Main → Bde Maka Ska → Lake Harriet

Minneapolis Riverfront, Falls and Lakes

A car-free summer day in Minneapolis: the 53-foot Minnehaha Falls by light rail in the morning, the flour-milling story at Mill City Museum, a walk across the 1883 Stone Arch Bridge to St. Anthony Main, then the E Line bus to the city lakes for an evening stroll from Bde Maka Ska to the Lake Harriet Bandshell.

11–12 hour walking day·No driving: about 6–7 miles on foot, with light rail and bus legs
Best: Late May to mid-September
$4 USD
A wide blue Lake Pepin under puffy white clouds, sailboats dotted across the water and wooded bluffs on the far shore, with a sandy driftwood beach in the foregroundRiver towns & bluff views
Minneapolis → Barn Bluff → Red Wing Main Street → Frontenac State Park → Lake City → Pepin, Wisconsin → Maiden Rock Bluff

Red Wing and Lake Pepin on the Great River Road

A loop around Lake Pepin from the Twin Cities: climb Barn Bluff above Red Wing, see the giant boot on Main Street, walk the bluff-top overlooks of Frontenac State Park, stroll Lake City's lakefront, then cross into Wisconsin for Laura Ingalls Wilder's Pepin, a lakeside dinner and an optional sunset walk on Maiden Rock Bluff.

10–11 hour day·About 4–4½ hours of driving in total
Best: May to October; best mid-September to mid-October
$4 USD
Looking down the rocky gorge of the St. Croix River from a cliff top, a white paddlewheel boat moored at a dock below, a highway bridge crossing the river and hills of orange and yellow autumn trees beyondGeology & river towns
Minneapolis → Interstate State Park potholes → Angel Hill, Taylors Falls → Interstate Park, Wisconsin → St. Croix Falls → Franconia Sculpture Park

Taylors Falls and the Dalles of the St. Croix

A day in the Dalles of the St. Croix from the Twin Cities: the glacial potholes in Minnesota's Interstate State Park, the 1850s Folsom House on Angel Hill in Taylors Falls, cliff-top trails in Wisconsin's own Interstate Park, the National Park Service visitor center in St. Croix Falls, and a prairie walk at Franconia on the way home, with the two state park passes and fall parking to plan around.

9–10 hour day·About 2–2½ hours of driving in total
Best: Late May to October; best mid-September to mid-October
$4 USD
Split Rock Lighthouse on top of its sheer rock cliff above a calm Lake Superior at dawn, with pale pink clouds behindWeekend getaway
Minneapolis → Duluth → Gooseberry Falls → Split Rock Lighthouse → Grand Marais → Temperance River → Tettegouche → Minneapolis

Duluth and the North Shore Weekend

A two-night weekend up Lake Superior's North Shore from the Twin Cities. Friday evening is Duluth: the Aerial Lift Bridge, ships in the canal and a walk on the Lakewalk. Saturday runs up Highway 61 to Gooseberry Falls and Split Rock Lighthouse, then on to the harbor village of Grand Marais for Artist's Point at golden hour. Sunday works back down the shore through the Temperance River gorge and Tettegouche's cliffs before the drive home.

2-night weekend·About 10–11 hours of driving in all: roughly 2½ hours to Duluth, 2½–3 hours up the shore with stops, and 4½–5 hours home from Grand Marais
Best: June to mid-October; best mid-September to early October
$5 USD

Every guide lists the date and time it was last updated and when the trip is best experienced, from a single week to all year. Each includes official links to verify roads, tides, hours, fees and closures for your travel date. Buy once and the guide is yours forever: read it online any time from your account, always in its latest version, or keep it offline in the Greg’s Guides app for iPhone and iPad, which updates it for you.

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No juggling a dozen tabs or guessing how much you can squeeze into a day. Get a realistic starting plan, then make the day your own.

  • No ads. Just your next great day.You’ll never see ads popping up in your face to ruin your experience. Our website, app and guides are ad-free, so you can focus on planning and enjoying your trip.
  • Your day, laid outA timed itinerary, worthwhile stops, and honest driving estimates.
  • Your route, readyA route overview plus Google Maps, Waze, and Apple Maps links. Open a route to use your app’s latest available road closures, detours and traffic information.
  • The details that save a headacheParking, park rules, seasonal closures, packing tips, and what to skip.
  • A plan for the unexpectedWeather alternatives and flexible stops when the day runs long.
  • Dated, seasonal and yours to keepEvery guide shows when it was last updated and when the trip is best experienced. You own your guide forever: read the latest version online any time, or keep it offline in our iPhone app.
GREG’S GUIDES IN EVERY GUIDE
One guide.
A better starting point.
01
Trip guideRead online or in the app
✓
02
Route overviewSchematic route map
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03
Navigation linksGoogle Maps · Waze · Apple Maps
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04
Offline in the appiPhone & iPad, no signal needed
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Guides in the app work offline. Navigation needs a connection or maps saved in your navigation app.

From “we should go somewhere” to out the door.

Your next good day in three steps.

01

Pick your escape

A relaxed beach day, a mountain outing, or a bigger coastal adventure. Choose what fits your time.

02

Get your guide

Pay once and read it online right away, or open it in the Greg’s Guides app to keep it on your phone.

03

Make a day of it

Check current conditions, open your route, and head out. Linger where you like. Skip what you don’t.

Good questions.

A few things
before you go.

What exactly am I buying?

A digital guide with a timed itinerary, stop-by-stop details, a schematic route map, navigation links and a plain-text plan. This is a self-guided plan; attraction admission, parking, food, and transport are separate. We update trips regularly, and you’ll always have access to the latest information: you own your guide forever, so you can read the latest version online any time or keep it up to date in the app.

Do I need an account?

No, but it’s worth having. Tell us your home city and we’ll unlock a free guide to a day trip, event or activity near you. Your account also keeps every guide you buy, so you can read it online any time and use it in the Greg’s Guides app.

Will it work on my phone?

Yes. Read it online in your phone’s browser: sign in to My account and open your guide. Or, as we recommend on iPhone and iPad, use the Greg’s Guides app: sign in with the same account and your guides are saved on your phone, so they work without cell service. Navigation links open in the relevant app or browser when supported.

Can I use the guide without cell service?

In the Greg’s Guides app, yes: your guides and route maps are saved on your phone. Reading online needs a connection. Guides don’t include offline road maps or turn-by-turn navigation, so save the area in your navigation app and prepare your route while connected.

Will my route include current closures and detours?

Route links open in Google Maps, Apple Maps or Waze, which calculate directions using their latest available road, traffic, closure and detour information. This information depends on your app, coverage and connection and may not include every restriction. Check official road alerts, review the route before leaving and obey posted closures. The guide’s route map is a saved overview.

Are these trips suitable for everyone?

Each preview tells you the time commitment and activities. Beach sand, stairs, steep paths, weather, and road access can affect suitability. Choose shorter options and check accessibility at the stops you want to visit.

How current is the information?

Each guide shows the date and time it was last updated and the time of year it is best experienced; some stops also note their own best season. Roads, services, prices, tides and rules can change, so every guide includes official sources to check before departure. Online, you always see the latest version, and the app updates the guides on your phone. You own your guide forever.

How do I get my guide after paying?

Stripe returns you to an order page with links to read each guide online as soon as payment is verified. Bookmark that page and reopen it any time for fresh links. Sign in or create a free account to keep your guides together and use them in the Greg’s Guides app. No subscription is required. Please keep the order link private.

Who is Greg?

I’m Greg Pasquariello, a software engineer living in the Pacific Northwest and the owner of Tecnicl LLC. I love a good day trip, and I host a lot of out-of-town visitors who want to know what they can do while they’re here. Greg’s Guides began as the plans I kept putting together for them. Now anyone can use them.

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