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Rail Trails in Minnesota
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Cannon Valley Trail — Red Wing/Cannon Falls Area Glacial Lakes State Trail — Willmar/Richmond Area Heartland State Trail — Park Rapids/Walker Area Lake Wobegon Trail — Sauk Centre/Avon Area Paul Bunyan State Trail — Brainerd/Baxter to Bemidji Root River State Trail — Rushford/Fountain Area Sakatah Singing Hills State Trail — Fairbault/Mankato Area Willard Munger State Trail — Hinckley/Duluth Area |
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Minnesota has 56 wonderful rail trails totaling 1,288 miles, and 38 more trail projects in the planning stage with a potential of 612 more miles. Most of them are maintained by the state and do not require trail passes. Some, however, were developed by private groups and you must pay a fee and be in possession of a pass while riding on them. The Cannon Valley Trail is one of these. All of the trails we have ridden on are either paved or have very smooth, hard-packed sandstone surfaces. We think the people in Minnesota are so very fortunate to have state leaders who see the value of reclaiming abandoned railroad beds and turning them into multipurpose trails for the pleasure of the people. They can be enjoyed by young and old, and even by the handicapped. Most of the ones we have been on are level enough and the surface smooth enough for wheelchairs. We are told that people enjoy these trails in the winter to cross-country ski. Some of them permit snowmobiling. Check out the Rails-To-Trails' TrailLink.com, and search for a list of all the rail trails in Minnesota. This is your best resource for additional information. |