Faribault · US

Cannon River Wilderness Area

Cannon River Wilderness Area is an 850-acre preserve of wooded river valley along the Cannon River in Rice County, Minnesota, stretching roughly five miles between Northfield and Faribault. A living remnant of the state's legendary Big Woods ecosystem, the park protects rare habitats including maple-basswood forest, calcareous fen, bluff prairie, and oak savanna — ecosystems that have vanished from the surrounding agricultural landscape. With about five miles of hiking and horseback trails, a rustic footbridge spanning the river, primitive campsites, and a canoe launch, the area rewards visitors with a genuine sense of wilderness just minutes from the Twin Cities metro. The 4.5-star rating from Google reviewers speaks to how rare and satisfying this kind of untamed landscape is in southern Minnesota's farmland.