Best walking routes in Saint Paul

6 routes ranked on sights, efficiency, hills & length — real foot distance and elevation.

3.5 scoreHills 2/107.8 kmBest Jun–Aug
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Ranked routes

Same score for every walk. Click a card to expand details on the map.

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#1
Viewpoint

One Hour in Saint Paul: A Short Walk

1 hour

6 stops2.2 km1 h 5 min

2.2 kmdistance1 h 5 minwith stops6stops+20 mgain
3.5 sights7.8 efficiency0.3 hills9.2 length
Open in Google Maps ↗
Stops & elevation
Walking only 30 min+ up to 2 h 45 min insides+20 m climb along route
  1. Rice Park
  2. Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
  3. Landmark Center
  4. Palace Theatre
  5. Minnesota History Center
  6. Minnesota State Capitol
238–261 m

Photo: ViewpointMcGhieverCC BY-SA 4.0

5.1/10
#2
Viewpoint

Self-Guided Walking Tour of Saint Paul

Walking tour

11 stops7.3 km2 h 40 min

7.3 kmdistance2 h 40 minwith stops11stops+89 mgain
3.1 sights7.7 efficiency1.5 hills3.7 length
Open in Google Maps ↗
Stops & elevation
Walking only 1 h 35 min+ up to 4 h 5 min insides+89 m climb along route
  1. Smith Avenue High Bridge
  2. Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
  3. Landmark Center
  4. Rice Park
  5. Palace Theatre
  6. Fitzgerald Theater
  7. Minnesota State Capitol
  8. Minnesota History Center
  9. Cathedral of Saint Paul, National Shrine of the Apostle Paul
  10. James J. Hill House
  11. Frank B. Kellogg House
208–288 m

Photo: ViewpointMcGhieverCC BY-SA 4.0

4.2/10
#3
Viewpoint

Saint Paul Loop Walk from Rice Park

Loop

11 stops11.0 km3 h 35 min~173 m stairs

11.0 kmdistance3 h 35 minwith stops11stops+103 mgain~173 mstairs
2.3 sights7.8 efficiency1.7 hills0.0 length
Open in Google Maps ↗
Stops & elevation
Walking only 2 h 25 min+ up to 3 h 40 min insides+103 m climb along route
  1. Rice Park
  2. Wabasha Street Caves
  3. First Cathedral of Saint Paul
  4. Minnesota Children's Museum
  5. Cathedral of Saint Paul, National Shrine of the Apostle Paul
  6. Frank B. Kellogg House
  7. James J. Hill House
  8. Science Museum of Minnesota
  9. Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
  10. Landmark Center
  11. Schubert Club
208–288 m

Photo: ViewpointAlexiusHoratiusCC BY-SA 3.0

3.3/10
#4
Viewpoint

Saint Paul Museum Walk

Museums

9 stops7.8 km2 h 25 min

7.8 kmdistance2 h 25 minwith stops9stops+88 mgain
2.2 sights7.4 efficiency1.5 hills0.0 length
Open in Google Maps ↗
Stops & elevation
Walking only 1 h 45 min+ up to 6 h 20 min insides+88 m climb along route
  1. Minnesota Museum of American Art
  2. Minnesota Children's Museum
  3. Schubert Club
  4. Science Museum of Minnesota
  5. James J. Hill House
  6. Minnesota History Center
  7. Hmong Cultural Center Museum
  8. Minnesota State Capitol
  9. Jackson Street Roundhouse
221–278 m

Photo: ViewpointMcGhieverCC BY-SA 3.0

3.1/10
#5
Viewpoint

Hidden Gems of Saint Paul: Off-the-Beaten-Path Walk

Hidden gems

10 stops9.9 km3 h

9.9 kmdistance3 hwith stops10stops+118 mgain
1.3 sights7.7 efficiency2.0 hills0.0 length
Open in Google Maps ↗
Stops & elevation
Walking only 2 h 10 min+ up to 3 h 45 min insides+118 m climb along route
  1. Smith Avenue High Bridge
  2. Wabasha Street Caves
  3. First Cathedral of Saint Paul
  4. Minnesota Museum of American Art
  5. Science Museum of Minnesota
  6. Schubert Club
  7. Palace Theatre
  8. Fitzgerald Theater
  9. Hmong Cultural Center Museum
  10. Jackson Street Roundhouse
208–266 m

Photo: ViewpointElkman at English WikipediaCC BY-SA 3.0

2.7/10
#6
Viewpoint

Easy Hidden Gems Walk in Saint Paul

Hidden gems

7 stops8.7 km2 h 30 min

8.7 kmdistance2 h 30 minwith stops7stops+119 mgain
1.2 sights7.7 efficiency2.0 hills0.0 length
Open in Google Maps ↗
Stops & elevation
Walking only 1 h 55 min+ up to 1 h 40 min insides+119 m climb along route
  1. Smith Avenue High Bridge
  2. Wabasha Street Caves
  3. First Cathedral of Saint Paul
  4. Minnesota Children's Museum
  5. Fitzgerald Theater
  6. Hmong Cultural Center Museum
  7. Jackson Street Roundhouse
208–266 m

Photo: ViewpointMcGhieverCC BY-SA 4.0

2.7/10

Hills: higher = steeper along the walk. Stairs (when shown): metres of mapped stairways near the route — approximate, not a step countvisit times are estimates.

Saint Paul walking stats

From the 6 rated routes54 stops total19 unique places.

Most climbEasy Hidden Gems Walk in Saint Paul+119 m along route
Most stops / kmOne Hour in Saint Paul: A Short Walk2.8 stops per km
Least climbOne Hour in Saint Paul: A Short Walk+20 m along route
Most stairsSaint Paul Loop Walk from Rice Park~173 m mapped stairways (approx., not step count)
Longest / shortest11.0 km2.2 kmSaint Paul Loop Walk from Rice Park / One Hour in Saint Paul: A Short Walk
Places on routes19unique stop ids
How we score. Same formula for every route: Sights 50% (how notable the stops are)Efficiency 25% (less backtracking between stops)Hills 10% (how steep the walk is)Length fit 15% (distance vs the kind of walk). Stairs stay a fact in metres, not a quality bar. Avg score in the hero is the mean across all ranked walks.

Saint Paul FAQ

Short answers from this city’s data.

Best first-visit walk?
One Hour in Saint Paul: A Short Walk (2.2 km, 1 h 5 min with stops) ranks #1 here.
Best months to walk Saint Paul?
Jun–Aug are usually the nicest months for walking.
Shortest walk?
One Hour in Saint Paul: A Short Walk2.2 km, walking 30 min.
One hour in Saint Paul?
One Hour in Saint Paul: A Short Walk: walking 30 min, with stops 1 h 5 min, 6 stops.
One-day plan?
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Stairs and hills?
Hills is 10% of the score (higher = steeper along the walk). Stairs are not scored — when shown, they are metres of mapped stairways near the route (approximate; not a step count). Example: stairways ≈ 0 m.
Can I change stops?
Yes — open in Maps, edit, then paste into Lineo for a cleaner order.