The trail is separate from the adjacent multi-use bicycle path, taking hikers past sandy beaches, an oak savanna restoration project, and the floodplain forest.

The northern trailhead features a large boulder with a bronze tribute plague describing the scientific contributions of the trail's namesake, Newton Horace Winchell.

[20] Named in 1977 by the parks board after an area resident who promoted the spring, Harry Hajduk (pronounced "Hi-duck"), it was a popular drinking water source and featured access paths and a platform to fill jugs.

At this location, Winchell Trail splits off, taking hikers either down by the river or across the hilly restoration site with remnant prairie and oak savanna.

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board is considering enhancements, including closing unsustainable trails, restoring the landscape, and replacing interpretive-educational signs.

[3] The hiking path's southern terminus connects seamlessly to the shared-use, bicycle trail at West River Parkway and East 44th Street.

[3] The trail is named after Newton Horace Winchell, a Minnesota state geologist who surveyed the Minneapolis area in the 1870s and published many works about measurement of the glacial age.

The board may address inconsistent and worn railing and fencing, paved sections covered in soil and plant material, lack of natural surface trail alignment, and safety concerns.

[3] There are a number of undefined, non-designated natural surface paths besides the Winchell Trail in the area, but these were created by park users and are not considered sustainable.