Sports

Sporting Goods

• REI - Bloomington, MN - I-494 and Lyndale
  The second oldest in the chain of co-ops. Flagship store, complete with own climbing wall. Buy or rent almost any outdoor equipment.
• Midwest Mountaineering - Minneapolis, MN - 309 Cedar Ave. South Minneapolis
  Local store with long history of outfitting. Occupies an entire block near the west bank. More high-end then REI. Small boulderin wall in the basement.
• Grand Performance, St. Paul, MN - Grand Ave. Prior, Mac-Groveland
  Caters to the active local racing community. Sponsors the leading local race team.
• Flanders, Lyndale, South of Lake, Erik's Bike Shop (several)
• Gander Mountain - Several. Caters more to the hunting, fishing and camping crowd.
• Gear Running Store - 44th and France, Pmls/Edina Border

Bicycling  

• Minneapolis has the country’s oldest devoted bikeway.  Extensive network of paved bike trails.  Maps available in multiple bike shops.  
• Gateway Trail - State Capital to the NE suburbs.  Can connect with bike lanes to Stillwater. 
• Minneapolis trails - Connects downtown MPLS, Hopkins, the Lakes district.
• www.biketcbc.org -Organized rides throughout the metro nearly every day.

Canoe/Kayak

• Lake Superior- Believe it or not we are blessed to be about 2 ? hours from perhaps the most spectacular sea kayaking experience short of Alaska or the West Coast. From the North Shore to the Apostle Islands, kayakers can spend months at a time paddling the largest freshwater lake in North America, and never get complacent.  Just email  jmkirven@yahoo.com with questions.  He is always looking for someone to paddle with.
• Whitewater Kayaking- Yes, Minnesota has whitewater, and it even has some of the craziest creeks around. Most of the North Shore rivers run high and insane in the spring and well-experienced kayakers try to navigate them. For those less willing to die trying, the St. Louis, Kettle and Vermillion rivers all hold class III-IV rapids for most of the year, and Wisconsin even holds world class slalom events on many of its great rivers. Just email  jmkirven@yahoo.com with questions.  He is always looking for someone to paddle with.
• Boundary Waters – A mere 5 hours north of the twin cities is the nations largest and most popular wilderness area, the BWCA. Paddle, portage and fish to your hearts content. The call of the loon and the howl of the wolf  make this trip worth any hardship. It is an absolute must during your stay in Minnesota. Permits available at www.bwcaw.org.

Fishing

• Spin Casting
  Who can come to Minnesota and not fish?  Well if you are a fisherman/woman this is a great place.  Believe it or not, there are many lakes around the metro area that are full of bass, walleye, northern pike, and even muskie.  Many of the city lakes have fishing piers where kids can catch sunnies and bluegill.  There are even a few lakes that are stocked with trout.  The “Twin Cities Fishing Guide” by Sybil Smith gives you information such as lake depths, location of piers, boat access points, and species of fish most commonly caught.  It’s handy when you want to explore lakes that are outside of your neighborhood.  Of course there are other lakes to fish in Minnesota- the boundary waters, Lake Mille Lacs, and Lake of the Woods to name some of them.  You can also try some of the rivers.  The Mississippi River believe it or not offers some of the best smallmouth bass fishing in the country.   
• Fly Fishing
  How about fly-fishing?  Well this isn’t Montana of Colorado, but the area does offer excellent fly-fishing opportunities.  Southeast Minnesota is the main trout fishery in the state- the closest stream is about an hour away.  The Whitewater area is popular and has the added attraction of being relatively mosquito-free.  A lot of Twin Cities trout fishermen head east to Wisconsin.  There are several streams close to the border that have excellent numbers of trout eager to take a fly.  The Minnesota early trout season begins Jan 1^st so wear fleece under those waders!  When the trout season ends take your fly rod to the lake or the Mississippi.  Bass on the fly is something every fly fisherman should try.  If you have questions about where to spin or fly fish there are lots of residents who can offer helpful information.

  Boat sports

• Land of 10,000 lakes.  If you want to do it on or in the water, it is available.  Water-skiing was invented in Lake Pepin, south of the Twin Cities.
• Lake Minnetonka—West of the cities.  Playground for big, fast powerboats, party barges, and active sail racing in Wayzata yacht club.  Several local marinas do have boats for rent.
• Lake Nokomis—MPLS.  Swimming beaches in the summer.  More family friendly than the other lakes.  Former VA chief sited sailing his homemade boat here.
• St. Croix—East of the Cities.  Avoid during 4^th of July weekend, because of the crowds.
• Brainerd lakes—3 hours north of the twin cities.  Cabins are available for rent.  Discover why half the city’s population leaves the city on the weekend.  Winter is a mecca for snowmobiling.

Running  

• National running magazine ranked MSP as #2 running city behind Boulder, CO.  Extensive network of trails. 
• Lake Calhoun - Run, check out local singles scene, all in one.
• River Road - Great scenery year round.
• Twin Cities Marathon - Early October.  Most beautiful urban marathon in America