The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum is a 1200 acre facility located in Chaska, Minnesota an easy 13-mile drive from the DoubleTree hotel. The level of exertion required on this visit can range from hiking the miles of trails to taking the three-mile drive in your vehicle (our favorite). The three-mile drive has parking along the route which allows you to explore many sites along the way. These include the wildflower gardens, shrubs, wild grass, the Dahlia Garden (which should be in bloom in September), and the Bee and Pollinator Discovery Center. If you’re a photographer, you can easily spend a great deal of time here.
There is also a short walk from the Visitor Center through the Terrace Garden. Along with viewing the flowers there are also 4 very nice waterfalls.
After you leave the Arboretum proper, it’s a very short drive to the University of Minnesota AppleHouse. The AppleHouse features a wide variety of apples, jams, jellies and other gifts for sale. One of our favorite apples is the Honey Crisp, developed by the University of Minnesota.
Back to Extra Fare – Self-Guided Tours.