2020
Bike Trail Guide
Leaf River Recreational Trail • 4 miles
Sakatah Singing Hills State Trail • 39 miles
Wadena
Starts at Wadena’s Sunnybrook Park and connects to a bike route to make a loop of 10.5 miles.
Mankato to Faribault
Mi Gi Zi Trail • 14 miles Cass Lake
This loop around Pike Bay is easily accessible from the Heartland Trail. Near Cass Lake, where the trail intersects with County Road 76, connect to the Mi Gi Zi Trail by riding about a half mile east on a signed road route. Follow the trail counterclockwise around Pike Bay’s beautiful shores and the Chippewa National Forest and arrive at a trailhead north of Pike Bay after about ten miles. A signed bike route connects back to the Heartland Trail.
Minnesota River State Trail • 12 miles in three segments Ortonville, LeSueur, Granite Falls, Mankato
This paved trail is envisioned to connect Ortonville, MN with LeSueur via Granite Falls and Mankato as it follows the Minnesota River. Currently, three unconnected segments exist. In Ortonville, a 4.5-mile section links the city with Big Stone Lake National Wildlife Refuge starting at the Minnesota River headwaters at Riverside Park. After a very short paved segment the route runs on city roads for less than a mile and picks up again for the rest of the way at Mill Road. The route crosses the river three times, travels past 30-foot granite outcroppings and joins with roads inside the refuge. The next piece of three miles starts at the town of Milan and heads west to Milan Beach Resort on Lac Qui Parle Lake along Highway 40. The last segment of five miles takes off from the outskirts of Montevideo and travels south to the town of Wegdahl following Highway 15.
Okabena Lake Trail • 5.5 miles Worthington
This loop of road routes and paved trail around Okabena Lake connects eight city parks and crosses a bicycle bridge near Lakefront Park.
Rainy Lake Trail • 12 miles Rainy Lake to International Falls
The Rainy Lake Recreation Trail is a combination road route and paved stand alone trail. It starts near the Rainy Lake Visitor Bureau, follows the south shore of Rainy River and terminates at the Rainy Lake Visitor Center for Voyageurs National Park.
Rattlesnake Bluff Trail • 4 miles
Wacouta Township
This short, paved loop with some out and back connections starts at the Wacouta township hall and circles Grotes Pond. It’s worth exploring for its majestic views of Rattlesnake Bluff on the Mississippi River. This trail will become part of the Mississippi Blufflands State Trail, which is currently in the planning stages.
Minnesota Trails
Trestle bridge crossing over the Le Sueur River on the Red Jacket Trail. Jan Lasar photo
Red Jacket Trail • 12 miles Mankato
The Red Jacket trail between Mankato and Rapidan crosses over three railroad trestles, including historic Red Jacket Trestle, which is 80 feet high and 550 feet long and has great views of the Blue Earth River. It connects to Mankato’s city network of trails and the Minneopa Trail into Minneopa State Park.
ROCORI Trail • 5 miles Cold Spring
The paved Rockville-Cold Spring-Richmond (RoCoRi) Trail is a great ride through granite country in Southwest Stearns County. Currently completed: A 5-mile section between Cold Spring and Richmond.
Root River/Harmony-Preston Valley State Trail • 60 miles
Southeastern Minnesota’s Bluff Country
The Root River and Harmony-Preston Valley State Trail system in the heart of southeastern Minnesota’s bluff country. The Root River Trail runs from Fountain all the way through Lanesboro, Whalan, Peterson, Rushford and Houston for a total of 42 miles. The former rail bed follows the meandering Root River through spectacular limestone bluffs, picturesque farms and small towns. It is generally flat and level, except for short stretches on its eastern segment. At Isinours Junction it connects with the 18-mile-long Harmony-Preston Valley Trail, which connects the two communities for which it was named. The northern two thirds of this trail are built on abandoned railroad grade and are fairly flat. The southern segment leaves the constraints of the railroad bed and climbs to the rim of the valley with great views of the countryside. A connection of the Harmony-Preston Valley Trail south toward Niagara Cave and then the Iowa border is currently being worked on. On the Iowa side trail groups are working to connect the Trout Run and Prairie Farmer trails near Decorah to the Minnesota side to form an interstate trail network.
Saint James and Watline Trail • 9 miles St. James
The four-mile St. James Area Bike Trail circles Saint James Lake and connects to the 5-mile Watline Trail which takes you to Long Lake Wayside Park in southwestern Watonwan County. An extension of the trail south into Normsby is in the works.
This paved, abandoned railroad bed passes through cool, wooded areas as well as open, sun-drenched farm fields and connects the communities of Mankato, Madison Lake, Elysian, Waterville, Morristown, Warsaw and Faribault. Connections include the paved 12-mile Red Jacket trail between Mankato and Rapidan. (It crosses over three railroad trestles, including historic Red Jacket Trestle, which is 80 feet high and 550 feet long.) The North Minnesota River Trail brings cyclists from the Sakatah Trail through downtown Mankato into the Sibley City Park, where they can connect with the paved Minneopa Trail directly into Minneopa State Park. Also accessible is Mankato’s city bike trail system of over 50 miles. Future connections on the Faribault side include the Mill Towns Trail into Cannon Falls, where it connects to the Cannon Valley Trail into Red Wing.
Sleepy Eye Lake Bike Trail • 3 miles
Sleepy Eye
Ride this paved trail around Sleepy Eye Lake year-round. Access at Allison and Sportsmen’s Parks.
Starbuck Trail • 5 miles
Starbuck to Glacial Lakes State Park
Connects the city of Starbuck with Glacial Lakes State Park. Access a bike route around Lake Minnewaska from this trail.
Sunrise Prairie Trail • 15 miles
North Branch
The Sunrise Prairie Trail starts in North Branch. At the Washington/Chisago County line it connects with the Hardwood Creek Trail into Hugo.
Swedish Immigrant Trail • 6 miles
Lindstrom to Chisago City
When complete, the Swedish Immigrant Trail will connect the town of Wyoming on the Sunrise Prairie Trail to Interstate State Park and be about 20 miles long. Currently, some short segments exist: A three-mile paved section between Lindstrom and Chisago City, a 2-mile piece through Shafer and a 1.8-mile route traveling southwest from Interstate State Park.
Western Waterfront Trail • 5 miles
Duluth
At the end of the Willard Munger State Trail in Duluth, at Pulaski Street, you can access the Western Waterfront Trail. This packed gravel trail runs along the St. Louis River shoreline from the Spirit Lake Marina to near Fremont Street in Duluth’s Irving neighborhood.
Willard Munger State Trail • 70 miles Hinckley-Duluth
The 70-mile Hinckley-Duluth segment of the Willard Munger State Trail passes by Banning and Moose Lake State Parks and through the spectacular scenery of Jay Cooke State Park as it makes its way from Hinckley through Finlayson, Willow River, Moose Lake, Barnum, Mahtowa, Carlton and Duluth, where it terminates near the Lake Superior Zoo. Summer 2020 17
