September 20. 2012: Northern Mendota Heights Hike (Mendota Heights)

Join the hiking group for a hike around Valley Park and the surrounding trails in the northern section of Mendota Heights. After a portion of the township, Lilydale, incorporated as a village in 1951, Mendota Heights was incorporated as a village in 1956 and became a city in 1974. Mendota Heights evolved from Mendota Township. Until 1950, truck and dairy farms were the business of Mendota Township and then suburban sprawl caused the area to grow in population. The hike will proceed south to north and the turn-around point will be about one-half mile within the area of the old Fort Snelling Military Reservation, established in 1805, when Lieutenant Zebulon Pike bought the area from the Mdewakanton Dakota Indian tribe. The name "Mendota" is a French mispronunciation or misinterpretation of the Dakota word "Mdo-Te," which means the mouth of a river or a meeting of waters. The area of Mendota Heights and the rest of Dakota County was Indian territory until 1853. The hike starting place is very near the site of Frank Fischer’s store and the settlement of Fischerville in the 1930’s, which became a community hub. Dodd Road is named for Major Dodd, who oversaw the building of the road from St. Peter, Minnesota, in 1849.

Directions: Meet at the parking lot of the shopping center located on the southeastern corner of Highway 110 and Dodd Road. From the West: Take Highway 110 east from the Mendota Bridge area about two miles, just past the Mendakota Country Club, to Dodd Road and turn south (right) on Dodd Road. From the North: Take I-35E south across the Mississippi River to the interchange with Highway 110, take the off ramp, and turn east (left) at the stop light at the top of the ramp, proceed east to Dodd Road, and turn south (right) on Dodd Road. Immediately after turning onto Dodd Road, then turn east (left) just beyond the McDonald's. Park towards the back (north end) of the parking lot, away from the stores.

Map to the hike starting point: Highway 110 and Dodd Road, Mendota Heights, MN

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This page was last updated on August 31, 2012.