Creek sections to choose from. They are all great ~ you'll want to come back to try the all!
Grays Bay (at Lake Minnetonka) to St. Louis Park - Beautiful nature filled area with fewer homes/more marsh. Lots of deer. Full sun/little shade much of the way. This section has several areas of class one rapids and is the most challenging section of the creek. 2.5 hour casual paddling trip. Best done over 50 cfs and before August as it can get too weedy for an easy paddle.
St. Louis Park - Beautiful SLP and some Edina backyards, lovely marshlands surrounding Methodist Hospital and Meadowbrook Golf Course are all highlights. Egrets, blue herons and bald eagles are frequent sightings as you pass through Meadowbrook Lake in the golf course. There is one section that you will be required to get out and walk through short areas (easily) when the flow is very low. A few areas of rapids when the water is high. Fairly sunny for the first and last half, good shade after the lake in the middle section. This section can take 2.5 - 3 hours, depending on the creek's flow.
Edina to Minneapolis/Lyndale Ave. - You will spend the first part of this paddle leisurely enjoying the views of some beautiful, normally hidden, back yards. You'll go under picturesque bridges, through tunnels and wind through parks. This is an easy section when the flow is medium to low. This will be about 2.5 hours with a lower creek flow with both sun and shade. If the water is running very fast, this section may be unavailable.
Minneapolis - This section is Minneapolis all the way. You'll start near the western Mpls. border and kayak until the mandatory exit point before Minnehaha Falls. Here you will kayak through trees and away from the homes. You will kayak along Minnehaha Parkway, under 35W and through a portion of Lake Hiawatha and Hiawatha Golf Course. This is a surprisingly quiet section of the creek where you will completely forget you are in the heart of the city. The Minneapolis only route is sun and dappled shade. With average flow rate, this section will take you 2.5-3 hours.
Combined Minneapolis/Edina - If the creek flow is fast (but not too fast) the Minneapolis and Edina sections are combined into one route. You will start in Edina and end at Lake Hiawatha. The best of both! The creek in this area is narrow so fast reaction times are necessary and tipping out of your kayak is possible. In the fast water situation, this section is NOT recommended for the younger or older age groups.