It’s Snowshoe Fun to Exercise Outdoors in Minnesota in January

Snowshoe anyone? There’s no place like Minnesota for Winter Fun!

Exercising in Minnesota in the winter is extra great since we carry around twice as much weight with all of our snow gear. What with boots, snow pants, scarves, mittens, hats, coat, three layers of sweaters, two pairs of socks, etc., walking into the backyard drops 2 pounds.

With that said, there are many activities that require more movement than that and are lots of fun.

One of those activities is snowshoeing.  I never really understood snowshoeing when I was a kid.  I thought you wore the snowshoes and could walk atop powdery drifts. That’s not so much it. What it is is more trudging along trails through the woods and your foot may not break through the snow. There is a good possibility that you will break through and get your leg stuck in the drift, snowshoe and all. And then you need to pull your snowshoe out except that it broke free from your foot so now you have to dig it out.

So you wanna go? It is a lot of fun and you do get some great exercise out of it! And it would be a fun experience to have as a family.

Where to Snowshoe in the Twin Cities

Here are some places to go snowshoeing (and rent snowshoes if you need them).

1. Three Rivers Parks
2. City of Minneapolis
3. Minnesota Landscape Arboretum
4. REI — Bloomington
5. Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge

Why Snowshoes May Be The Best Winter Sport Investment

It has occurred to me that the best time to go snowshoeing would be on snow days, when getting out to a park with a car may be difficult. However, put them on, and you can snowshoe anywhere before the plows come through. Investing in snowshoes for the family is quite a bit cheaper and more practical than skis. Moreover, snowshoes don’t require a special permit like skis, so, once the snow is plowed, your family can snowshoe spontaneously at any park with a snowy terrain.

In case you were wondering, modern snowshoes do NOT look like tennis rackets. The amazon affiliate link** below shows an example of a modern snowshoe and poles. 

Click here to buy on Amazon

**FFTC receives a small commission on items purchased through our affiliate links. If snowshoeing is going to be a once-a-year or less experience for you, you may be better off borrowing or renting shoes from one of the park programs.

Published January 26, 2015
by Gianna Kordatzky