Paddling in Lebanon Hills Regional Park • Twin Cities Outdoors

Eagen/Dakota County • No fee

kayaks on a rack next to a lake — *Rental kayaks at Lebanon Hills’ Visitor Center*

What Makes Lebanon Hills Special

Lebanon Hills Regional Park is the one spot in the Twin Cities area that has a chain of lakes to paddle that are connected by portages.

At close to 2,000 acres, Lebanon Hills’ East section has 10 named lakes plus a handful of ponds. Paddling a canoe or kayak is possible on 7 of them, thanks to the interconnecting water trail. You can see the water trail on their summer map.

You can bring your own boat, or you can rent a canoe, kayak or stand-up paddleboard at the Visitor’s Center.

canoes and kayaks ready for rental next to Schulze Lake — *Schulze Lake is a great spot for beginning paddlers*

There are 2.6 miles of canoe route total—not including covering the same water twice for an out-and-back trip.

Rent a Boat or Bring Your Own

The rental facilities are at the Visitor’s Center, accessed from Cliff Road on the northeast side. If you start there on Schulze Lake, you’ll portage your boat over the hiking trail quite a ways to Portage Lake. From there you can do the loop through O’Brien and Cattail Lakes, or continue on to Jensen Lake and back.

If you have your own canoe, you can start at the carry-in launch on the west end of the park at Jensen Lake and head east. Paddle through the Ponds and into the Portage-O’Brien-Cattail loop for a nice half day trip.

woman standing at canoe portage — *The portages are well-marked and well-traveled*

An Urban Paddle-and-Portage Experience

This would be a great way to experience portaging before heading up to the Boundary Waters for a multi-day canoe trip, Or a great way to introduce children to portaging to see how they do before embarking on an ambitious trip.

We’ve had kids as young as junior high portaging canoes alone, and certainly could if they doubled up.

Even if you don’t plan for an out-of-town trip, Lebanon Hills provides a true paddle-and-portage experience that’s easily accessible. Give it a try!

canoe portage next to lake — *The portage between Cattail Lake and O’Brien Lake*

Twin Cities Paddling Guide

Published in 2020, our 52-page digital Paddling Guide is the easiest way to find local lakes and river trails in all seven counties of the Twin Cities metro area.

Click here for the details…

Sharon Brodin

Founder & Publisher of Twin Cities Outdoors at Brodin Press LLC

Sharon loves to hike, paddle, camp, snowshoe and cross country ski...and she bikes sometimes, too! Besides maintaining Twin Cities Outdoors and her other blog, Heaven and Nature, Sharon works on client writing and design projects.