Old School House Loop Trail
Photo: Joe Passe, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)- 0.5 mi
- round trip
- 79 ft
- climb
- 987 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Apr–Oct
- best months
Old School House Loop Trail is a short, easy hike on Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge in Minnesota, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The trail is an out-and-back route of about 1.1 miles, with a total elevation gain of 79 feet, and it starts and ends near 980 feet. The climb is steady, with the steepest stretch at about 0.4 miles in, and the high point reaches 987 feet. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station show July highs around 81°F with lows near 59°F, while winter highs stay in the low 20s. The trail makes an easy pairing with other short loops in the area. Beaver Lodge Loop Trail is about 0.1 mile away and Black Bear Loop Trail about 0.2 mile. Blue Hill Trail is roughly 0.8 mile off, and Santiago Fishing Access Trail is about 5.8 miles away.
Beaver Lodge Loop TrailHikingPhoto: Joe Passe, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)0.1 mi
Black Bear Loop TrailHikingPhoto: Joe Passe, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)0.2 mi
Blue Hill TrailHikingPhoto: Joe Passe, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)0.8 mi
Woodland TrailHikingPhoto: Joe Passe, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)1.2 mi- Santiago Fishing Access TrailHiking5.8 mi
- Great Northern TrailMountain biking8.5 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
- Beaver Lodge Loop TrailHiking · Next doorPhoto: Joe Passe, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
- Blue Hill TrailHiking · ~1 min drivePhoto: Joe Passe, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
- Black Bear Loop TrailHiking · Next doorPhoto: Joe Passe, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
West River Parkway TrailHiking · ~1h 19m drivePhoto: bjwhite66212, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)- Woodland TrailHiking · ~2 min drivePhoto: Joe Passe, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
- Lone Lake Mountain Bike TrailHiking · ~1h 14m drive
North Mississippi Park trailsHiking · ~1h 4m drivePhoto: Joe Passe, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
Woodlands LoopHiking · ~1h 12m drivePhoto: controltheweb from US, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- Lake TrailHiking · ~1h 13m drivePhoto: controltheweb from US, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
Grand Rounds National Scenic BywayHiking · ~1h 19m drivePhoto: Nick Ortloff from Minneapolis, MN, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
Best time to visit Old School House Loop Trail
Best months: April–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
22° / 4°
5 wet
Feb
27° / 8°
5 wet
Mar
40° / 21°
6 wet
Apr
56° / 33°
9 wet
May
69° / 45°
10 wet
Jun
77° / 55°
10 wet
Jul
81° / 59°
9 wet
Aug
79° / 57°
9 wet
Sep
72° / 49°
8 wet
Oct
57° / 36°
8 wet
Nov
40° / 24°
6 wet
Dec
27° / 11°
6 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Santiago 3 E, MN, 4.7 mi away at 1,010 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
