Lake Crosby Slot Canyon

Dogs Leashed

Features Birding · Fall Colors · Geological Significance · Lake · Waterfall · Wildflowers

This park can be very crowded on weekends and holidays, with limited parking and lots of people around. If you want to see the slot canyon without too many other people in the alcove, consider visiting it on a weekday morning.

In the Spring or after a recent rain, you may have to wade in the stream to reach the alcove. Sandals or easily dried shoes would be helpful at these times.

This well defined social (use) trail runs between Crosby Farm Regional Park's main parking lot at the end of Crosby Farm Road and the smaller parking lot at the intersection of Shepard Rd W and Elway St. It's a pleasant walk in its own right but it's claim to fame has to be access to a small slot canyon in the bluffs northwest of Lake Crosby.

Starting from the main parking lot, go about 0.25 mi toward Lake Crosby on the main paved trail, then turn left (northwest) on to a well-defined dirt singletrack social trail running along the base of the bluff.

In about 0.6 mi, you'll come to an obvious opening in the bluff slope - it's the only such opening/deep gully along the entire face of the bluff. Enter the opening (it may be icy in winter) and walk about 50 feet between narrow walls to a deadend in an alcove.

In Spring there may be a waterfall pouring into the alcove; this is less likely in summer or Fall if it's been a dry year. In winter, a frozen waterfall is likely here. In a particularly wet, cold winter, there has been enough waterfall ice here to tempt (very experienced) ice climbers.

A stream carved this short, shallow slot canyon in the sandstone forming the bluffs here along the Mississippi River. It's not nearly as dramatic as those found in the U.S. Southwest, but it's pretty unique for Minnesota.

Either return to the main parking lot or continue to the lot at Elway and Shepard, then return via the main trail around the southeast side of Lake Crosby.