Minnesota trails · Old Pines Loop
A 8.8-mile out-and-back in Minnesota, with 251 ft of climbing. Reaches Medas Lake and other lake destinations. Managed by the U.S. Forest Service.
The climbing leans toward the first third: 50% of the ascent falls between mile 0.0 and mile 2.9. It gives back about 541 ft along the way, so it rolls rather than climbing steadily.
On August 31, 2026 — the day this page was generated — first light reaches this trailhead at 5:49 a.m., the sun rises at 6:21 a.m. and sets at 7:48 p.m., and the last usable light fades about 8:20 p.m. (CDT) — 13 h 27 min of daylight. At about 2.7 mph plus 30 minutes per 1,000 feet of climbing, the 17.6-mile round trip takes roughly 6 h 46 min, so leaving the trailhead at sunrise puts you back around 1:07 p.m. — 6 h 41 min before sunset.