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Bicycling around the Twin Cities

An expanding web of trails takes bicyclists from Minneapolis and St. Paul into the lake-filled countryside.

From Wayzata, the Dakota Rail Trail passes many ponds, wetlands and bays.

For decades, the scenic bicycle trails around Minneapolis’ Chain of Lakes have drawn people from the suburbs into the city. Now, it’s the city folks’ turn to visit.

Hundreds of people daily already are riding the new Dakota Rail Trail, which takes bicyclists past a chain of ponds, wetlands and bays on the north shore of Lake Minnetonka, through some of its toniest villages.

The newest is the Luce Line Regional Trail, which passes two swimming beaches and a sea of cattails on its way from Theodore Wirth Park to the Luce Line State Trail. It’s the last link in a 48-mile chain of five trails between the Mississippi River in south Minneapolis and the rural town of Winsted.

Bicyclists also can ride east from the Lake Minnetonka town of Excelsior, once the last stop on the Twin City Rapid Transit Co. streetcar line, to the easternmost stop on White Bear Lake, nearly to the St. Croix River. On the way, they’ll use five trails, a university transitway and city parkways.

Trails go right up to Fort Snelling, the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, the Guthrie and Target Field, the Twins’ new stadium. Most big festivals, such as the three arts fairs held in Minneapolis on the second weekend of August, are on or near trails, so bicyclists get a free pass around congestion.

People have caught on to the convenience; in 2010, Bicycling magazine called Minneapolis America's Best Bike City, dethroning Portland, Ore.

When we rode the new Dakota Rail Trail, however, we were out for scenery. As we passed Tanager Lake at Mile 2, a rider coming from the other end let us know what we were in for, shouting to his friends, “This trail is freakin’ gorgeous!’’

We started on Wayzata’s Lake Street, passing James J. Hill’s 1906 railroad depot just as the restored steamboat Minnehaha, once part of the streetcar line, blew its whistle and headed back to Excelsior.

A Three Rivers Parks District kiosk marks the trailhead next to the city beach, and from there, the trail winds around Shaver Park and follows County Road 15 before ducking into a landscape of lily pads and lakes.

In the village of Minnetonka Beach, we passed the tennis courts and golf course of the exclusive Lafayette Club, founded in 1899 on the peninsula where James J. Hill built the luxurious Hotel Lafayette in 1882; when it burned in 1897, Hill sold the lakeshore to the club’s founders.

Princely houses lined both sides of the peninsula, separated only by a street and our trail, and we wondered what their occupants thought about inner-city riffraff like us riding through. More bays created a peninsula in Spring Park, from which we rode on to Mound.

On the way, we passed the classic Minnetonka Drive-In, butting right up to the trail, and we made a mental note to eat there on the way back. But at the end of the trail in St. Bonifacius, we saw the inviting patio of the St. Boni Bistro and had lunch there instead.

Bicyclists on Minneapolis' Cedar Lake Trail.

Minneapolis' Cedar Lake Commuter Trail takes bicyclists to and from downtown.

It was 1:30 p.m. but all the tables were full, and friendly owner Bob Dobihal, who visited our table, said it’s even busier on sunny days. Dobihal said he’d been eagerly awaiting the trail, though not everyone in St. Bonifacius had grasped the business it would bring: “The mayor thought I was crazy,’’ he said.

And when I joked about inner-city folk riding through the fancy lake villages, he confirmed my suspicions: “Oh, they didn’t want you,’’ he said seriously.

On the way back, we stopped to investigate a small sign advertising Big Stone Mini Golf and Sculpture Garden, which turned out to be delightfully creative, with thickets of polished logs studding one hole and a giant art bowl catching balls at another.

A towering patch of sunflowers separated the course from a goat yard, and heirloom chickens scratched in the dirt near the office, which also sells organic homemade jams.

We made plans to return so we could play and look around more. There was no way we would have discovered the course if we hadn’t been on a bike trail; actually, there was no way we would have been that far from the city, period.

Another day, a friend and I revisited the Luce Line, the first Twin Cities bike trail, and we found ourselves way out in Watertown. That state trail is remarkably rural and leafy, considering it starts in the second-ring suburb of Plymouth.

From my first ride in the early 1980s, I remembered many houses; this time, we barely saw any, no doubt because trees along the trail have had a long time to grow. We did see a lot of sumac, which means the trail will show nice fall color from September, and we counted two raspberry-pickers.

On the west end, we saw egrets, herons and what looked like a black mink running across the trail; just east of Watertown, the Luce Line passes Oak Lake, so big that it had whitecaps on the day we rode by.

The trail also is straight, flat as a pancake and protected from wind — the round-trip from Plymouth to Watertown was the easiest 38 miles I’ve ever ridden.

The new Luce Line Regional Trail, which connects the Plymouth trailhead to Wirth Park on the Minneapolis border, is a mixed bag. It passes industrial plants and office parks, but it also crosses an ocean of cattails on two wooden bridges, dips into a shady woods and puts overheated bicyclists within half a mile of swimming beaches on Medicine and Parkers lakes.

In St. Paul, the Gateway State Trail starts in the shadow of Interstate 35 and immediately passes a small lake, unseen by any motorist. Even in the city, the trail is shady and quiet.

On the two-lane Cedar Lake Commuter Trail, the exit to the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, on the edge of downtown Minneapolis, takes bicyclists past Spring Lake. Who’s ever heard of Spring Lake, much less seen it? I have, now. It's lovely.

You can’t see most of these places in a car, nor would most people choose to. But from a bicycle, they’re a revelation – new and interesting things right in our front yard, but seen through the back door.

Trip Tips: Bicycling around the Twin Cities

Maps: Three Rivers Parks District has done a fine job putting kiosks with maps along its routes in the western Minneapolis suburbs. For a copy of its handy "Guide to Parks & Trails,'' call 763-559-9000 or pick one up at the Depot Coffeehouse in Hopkins, at the southeast corner of Excelsior Boulevard and Minnesota 169.

In North St. Paul, a giant snowman greets bicyclists on the Gateway State Trail.

The Minnesota Bike Atlas ($19.95, Twin Cities Bicycling Club and Hostelling International) , available at bike shops and bookstores, includes a CD of maps that can be printed out. Its tours use a combination of trails, streets and roads.

A Hudson's Twin Cities Street Atlas or similar map will help locate parking areas and ways to form loops.

Staying safe: Even on off-road trails, bicyclists need to wear helmets: You're much more likely to fall on your head by locking wheels with another bike or by stopping suddenly than you are to be hit by a vehicle.

Motorists, especially in cities, are increasingly likely to stop at bicycle crossings. But be watchful when a driver motions you to cross; other cars, obscured by the stopped car, may not stop.

Trail conditions: All of the trails are paved except for the Luce Line and the two LRT trails. Those have a surface of finely crushed limestone that is fine for touring bikes, although the dust tends to coat bicycle chains and bags.

Renting a bike: If you're visiting or don't have a bike, you can rent one by the hour or day from 60 Nice Ride Minnesota kiosks in Minneapolis. Use a credit card to buy a subscription ($5 per day, $30 per month, $60 per year); after that, the first half hour always is free, and the next half hour is $1.50.

2010 events: Sept. 12, St. Paul Classic Bike Tour along the Mississippi, lakes Como and Phalen and St. Paul parkways, from the University of St. Thomas. Sept. 19, Minneapolis Bike Tour on the Grand Rounds.

Trails in the western Minneapolis suburbs

Dakota Rail Regional Trail: This 13½-mile trail starts from the city beach in Wayzata and heads straight through the bays of Lake Minnetonka to the exurb of St. Bonifacius, where there's a pavilion and a hilly little bike park that children adore.

In Wayzata, there's parking on Lake Street and at the beach, and many bicyclists park across from Shaver Park on Peavey Lane. There are many places to eat and snack; Caribou Coffee and Ben & Jerry's on Lake Street are popular with bicyclists.

In Spring Park, the Minnetonka Drive In serves burgers, onion rings and root-beer floats. In Mound, there's a Carbone's that serves hoagies and pizza and has patio tables. In St. Bonifacius, St. Boni Bistro is popular for its tasty gyros and BLT and also servers salads, burgers and breakfast, all with organic, free-range ingredients. It's open until 2 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday.

In Mound, be very careful when crossing County Road 110, where cars come roaring around a corner.

Luce Line State Trail: This is the granddaddy of metro bike trails. Named for Col. William Luce and his son E. D. Luce, who founded the Electric Short Line Railroad Company in 1908, it starts in Plymouth and runs 29 miles west to Winsted. It continues another 15 miles to Hutchinson on a gravel path suitable only for mountain bikes.

Three Rivers Parks District bicycle trails encircle Lake Minnetonka.

It's wonderfully leafy and rural, taking bicyclists over and under highways on bridges and culverts and passing many wetlands and lakes. The 19 miles from Plymouth to Watertown are straight and flat.

There's no source of water or food, though. In Watertown, Marketplace Foods has a nice selection of drinks and snacks. Luce Line Lodge Bar & Grill is across the street.

The trail can be reached in Plymouth from Parkers Lake Park, just west of I-494 off County Road 6, or by heading south on Vicksburg Lane to the trailhead parking lot (turn at the Cimarron Ponds sign). From I-394/U.S. 12 in Wayzata, take Gleason Lake Drive north to Vicksburg Lane.

The state trail now is connected to Theodore Wirth Park and the Grand Rounds in Minneapolis by the paved, nine-mile Luce Line Regional Trail. The eastern trailhead is just north of Minnesota 55/Olson Memorial Highway and Wirth Parkway, just south of the park's Par 3 Golf Course (park half a mile farther at the main golf course).

The trail twists and turns, so pay attention. After passing Golden Valley Golf and Country Club, turn instead of passing Calvary Lutheran Church. There's a fork after the Plymouth industrial/office park; turn left there (although there's a swimming beach on Medicine Lake .4 miles to the right) and also at the next unmarked fork.

Just before the regional trail connects to the state trail at Vicksburg Lane, it runs parallel to Parkers Lake, which has a swimming beach on the opposite side.

Lake Minnetonka LRT Regional Trail: Formerly known as the Southwest LRT northern corridor, this 15-mile trail goes through the town of Excelsior, which has many places to eat and shop (see Cruising around Excelsior), and on to Victoria, with access to Carver Park Reserve. The trailhead is in Hopkins on the west side of Eighth Avenue, just north of Main Street, not far from the Depot Coffeehouse.

Minnesota River Bluffs LRT Regional Trail: Formerly known as the Southwest LRT southern corridor, this trail heads 11½ miles to Chanhassen, descending to the Minnesota River valley through Minnetonka nd Eden Prairie. The trailhead is at the Depot Coffeehouse in Hopkins, at the southeast corner of Excelsior Boulevard and Minnesota 169.

The trails also connect to many regional trails in Three Rivers Park District. For a guide to parks and trails, call 763-559-9000.

Connecting trails from Minneapolis

The very popular 5½-mile Midtown Greenway, operated by a nonprofit coalition, cuts across south Minneapolis from the Mississippi River to Lake Calhoun. It is paved and uses an above-street railroad trestle from the river through the Seward neighborhood, paralleling 27th Street.

A bicyclist on the North Cedar Lake Trail.

A bicyclist passes under a highway on the North Cedar Lake Trail in St. Louis Park.

West of Hiawatha Avenue, it uses a below-street trench that parallels 29th Street. Bicyclists heading for the Metrodome and downtown can leave the Greenway at its bridge over Hiawatha and ride on a paved path along the light-rail train route.

On the Greenway, across from the Midtown Global Market at Chicago Avenue, the Freewheel Midtown Bike Center fixes and rents bicycles and also has showers, water and bathrooms.

The city-owned Cedar Lake Commuter Trail runs 7¾ miles between downtown Minneapolis (Glenwood and Royalston avenues, across from Lee's Liquor Lounge and a block from the new Twins stadium) and the Depot Coffeehouse in Hopkins, where the LRT trails start.

It follows the north side of Cedar Lake and turns into the Three Rivers Parks District's the North Cedar Lake Regional Trail at Highway 100.

From the Spring Lake exit of the Cedar Lake Commuter Trail, it's ½ mile to the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden; there's a sign for the trail spur just down the street (park for $3.50 at the sculpture garden or for free farther up Kenwood Parkway, which also has a signed entry to the trail).

Between the Kenwood and Spring Lake exits (1.1. miles from downtown), next to the city demolition-debris yard, there's a spiral ramp to an overpass from which there's a two-mile, well-marked connecting route to the Luce Line Regional Trail in Wirth Park.

The signs stop at the Glenwood Avenue entry to the park; from Glenwood, turn north onto Theodore Wirth Parkway and watch for the trailhead just north of Highway 55. It's shown on a draft of a Minneapolis bike-trail map.

The well-marked Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway (see below) also connects to Wirth Park, following the west side of Cedar Lake and coming from Lake Calhoun via Dean Parkway, under the Midtown Greenway.

The trails around Cedar Lake can be confusing. On the lake's south end, the Midtown Greenway turns into the Three Rivers Parks District's four-mile Cedar Lake Regional Trail, and bicyclists can continue on to the Depot Coffeehouse in Hopkins.

On the east side of Cedar Lake, the city-owned, 1½-mile Kenilworth Trail connects the North Cedar Lake Regional Trail and the Midtown Greenway, which a sign at the end of the Kenilworth calls the "29th Street Commuter Greenway.'' Bicyclists coming from Minneapolis will see a sign marking the Kenilworth, but there's no sign for bicyclists coming from Hopkins.

On the east end of the Midtown Greenway, at the Mississippi River, bicyclists can connect to St. Paul's parkways. To reach the Gateway State Trail (see below), ride north along the Grand Rounds to the Franklin Bridge. Cross and follow 27th Avenue S.E. across University Avenue to 4th Street S.E., just east of the new University of Minnesota stadium.

Just to the north, the University of Minnesota Transitway for buses and bicycles makes for an easy ride to the State Fairgrounds. From there, follow Como Avenue to the southeast corner of Lake Como. From there, it's a three-mile ride on Wheelock Parkway to connect with the Gateway State Trail, three blocks east of I-35 (this is not the trailhead; you'll have to carry bikes up a dirt path to the overpass).

To connect to Mississippi River bike trails in St. Paul and the Big Rivers loop (see below), bicyclists head south from the Midtown Greenway on the Grand Rounds.

Trails through St. Paul and to the eastern suburbs

Gateway State Trail: This paved, 18-mile trail from St. Paul to Pine Point Park in Stillwater Township is very popular with in-line skaters, runners and walkers as well as bicyclists.

A bicyclist passes Oak Lake on the Luce Line.

On the Luce Line State Trail, a bicyclist passes Oak Lake near Watertown.

The western trailhead starts from Cayuga Avenue and I-35E (from the Pennsylvania Avenue exit just north of downtown, head .4 mile north). There's shaded street parking on Cayuga next to a small park.

The often-shady trail passes ponds, wetlands and Phalen Park. At Mile 7, bicyclists pass the giant snowman in North St. Paul (across from the high school, whose teams are the Polars). There's a Holiday station there, and a half-mile farther, a Dairy Queen and Burger King; that's the last chance for food.

Many people park at Mile 8.5 in the trail lot at the southeast corner of Hadley Avenue and Minnesota 36 in Oakdale. There's a porta-potty and water fountain. From there, the trail heads north for nearly 10 miles of non-stop country scenery. At the end, Pine Point Park has bathrooms, water and picnic tables.

The Gateway Trail Association keeps track of detours and developments.

From Pine Point Park, it's only four miles to Washington County's Square Lake Park, which is one of the Twin Cities' best swimming lakes. Ride north on Norell Avenue, then east on Square Lake Trail. It has a bathhouse and concessions stand.

Another popular destination is the St. Croix River village of Marine on St. Croix. From Square Lake, head north on St. Paul Avenue/County Road 7, then east on Nason Hill Road/County Road 7. Warning: The ride back starts with a very steep hill.

Big Rivers Regional Trail loop: This short Dakota County trail, which follows the east side of the confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers from the Mendota Bridge to Lilydale, allows bicyclists to ride a 22-mile loop that is very scenic and also passes Minnesota's most pivotal historic sites.

Minnehaha Park makes a good starting point. See the famous falls, then ride south from the west side of the park, past the old Princess Depot, to a paved trail that descends the bluff to the floodplain of Fort Snelling State Park. (On a hot day, start in the park and take a dip in Snelling Lake after riding.)

Ride (or walk) up the short but steep hill toward Historic Fort Snelling and cross the river on the bike/walkway of the Mendota Bridge. In Mendota, you'll pass St. Peter's Church, built in 1853 and the oldest in Minnesota, and be within a block of the Sibley House Historic Site. Head north on the Big Rivers Trail, which has lovely views of the river valley.

Keep riding to Harriet Island Regional Park and cross the Wabasha Bridge to downtown St. Paul (see alternate route, below). Turn left onto Kellogg Boulevard and go past the Science Museum of Minnesota and Minnesota History Center to John Ireland Boulevard. Ride up the hill past the Cathedral of St. Paul to the James J. Hill House.

Take Summit Avenue, which has a wide bike lane, back to the Mississippi River. Turn south and return to Minnehaha Park on Ford Parkway. In the park, Sea Salt Eatery is a very popular place to eat or have a beer.

Alternate route: If you don't want to ride through downtown on city streets after crossing the Wabasha Bridge, turn right immediately and ride down Second Street to Jackson, at river level.

Turn right onto Shepard Road and follow Samuel Morgan Regional Trail along the river past sculptures and fountains in front of the Joseph's Pointe at Upper Landing homes.

At I-35, use the underpass to cross. On the other side, continue riding along Shepard Road/Mississippi River Boulevard to Ford Parkway or turn into Crosby Farm Regional Park, which turns into Hidden Falls Regional Park. Ride up the steep hill to Mississippi Boulevard and on to Ford Parkway. For a similar route that avoids the hill, see below.

Mississippi River Trail loop. The first signs of this developing 3,000-mile trail have appeared around downtown St. Paul on previously unnamed stretches of bike trail.

For an 18-mile loop, park at the north end of Hidden Falls Regional Park in St. Paul, just north of the Highway 5 and Mississippi River Boulevard. Head south through that park and Crosby Farm to I-35. Cross I-35 with the underpass. At Randolph, turn toward the river on the Samuel Morgan Regional Trail.

At Jackson Street, use city streets to cross the Wabasha Bridge or continue along the Lower Landing to watch the barge and tugboat traffic and return at the Childs turnoff (this adds three miles to the route).

Across the Wabasha Bridge, continue on the Big Rivers route (see above). On the west end of the Mendota Bridge, ride between the officer quarters and fort to steps that lead to the Highway 5 bridge. Cross, turn left and ride to the north gate of Hidden Falls.

The Grand Rounds in Minneapolis

Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway: This beautiful loop around Minneapolis follows the Chain of Lakes, the Mississippi River, Minnehaha Creek and parkways. It's officially 50 miles, but only 33½ miles if riders don't circle lakes or go down both sides of the river.

To ride a 24-mile northern loop, use the Midtown Greenway to cut across the city and head north along the west shore of Cedar Lake and through Theodore Wirth Park.

On the east side of the Mississippi, the official route continues to Stinson Parkway; it's more scenic to head south on Marshall Street to Boom Island, Nicollet Island and St. Anthony Main, crossing the river again on the Stone Arch Bridge.

To ride a 17-mile southern loop, use the Midtown Greenway to cut across the city and ride along the Mississippi, through Minnehaha Park and past lakes Nokomis, Harriet and Calhoun.

The route is well-marked, with maps posted at numerous kiosks. Free maps are available at the Longfellow House in Minnehaha Park and at rec centers and refectories along the route.

For details on riding the Grand Rounds, see Biking in Minneapolis.

Last updated on June 29, 2010

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