Mount Gilboa is recognized as the highest named “point of natural land” in Hennepin County, standing 1,017 feet above sea level. It is located at 44.84023, -93.36716, within the Hyland Lake Park Reserve in Bloomington, Minnesota.
The highest “surveyed elevation” in Hennepin County is slightly higher, at 1,130 feet above sea level. This point lies at 44.91980, -93.45980, in a suburban neighborhood of Hopkins, situated south of Highway 7 and between Woodhill Road and Interstate 494.
Mount Gilboa is a glacial moraine, formed by an accumulation of unconsolidated glacial debris, known as till, transported and deposited by ancient glaciers during the last Ice Age.
While it is likely that the indigenous peoples of this area originally named the hill, the present name, Mount Gilboa, appears to have been given by early settlers. These settlers named it after Mount Gilboa, a mountain range in Israel mentioned in the Old Testament.
Today, Mount Gilboa is best known for its ski slope and attracts 'high pointers' as well as hikers who are interested in hill climbing.
The trail to the top of Mount Gilboa, which is included on a komoot ready-made route, is seasonally closed for the skiing season.