Glacial Lakes State Trail | |
---|---|
Length | 22 mi (35 km) |
Location | Minnesota, USA |
Designation | Minnesota state trail |
Trailheads | Hawick Willmar |
Use | Biking, hiking, horseback riding, in-line skating, mountain biking, snowmobiling |
Elevation | |
Grade | Mostly level |
Hiking details | |
Trail difficulty | Easy |
Season | Year-round |
Sights | Glacial landforms |
Hazards | Severe weather |
Surface | Asphalt, grass |
Website | Glacial Lakes State Trail |
The Glacial Lakes State Trail is a multi-use recreational rail trail in south-central Minnesota, USA. Developed from a former Burlington Northern Railroad grade, it traverses a landscape of lakes and gently rolling hills formed 10,000 years ago during the last glacial period. [1] The trail currently extends 22 miles (35 km) from outside Willmar through the communities of Spicer, New London, and Hawick to the North Fork Crow River. Beyond that the undeveloped railbed is open for some recreational uses for another 22 miles (35 km) through the city of Richmond, but some of the original railroad bridges are closed. [2] The developed section is continuously paved, with parallel grass trackways or shoulders for horseback riding along the whole route. Bicyclists can connect to a 3-mile (4.8 km) roadside route to access Sibley State Park. [1]
Savanna Portage State Park is a state park of Minnesota, USA, established in 1961 to preserve the historic Savanna Portage, a difficult 6-mile (9.7 km) trail connecting the watersheds of the Mississippi River and Lake Superior. The portage trail crosses a drainage divide separating the West Savanna River, which drains to the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico, from the East Savanna River, which flows in an opposite direction to the Saint Louis River, Lake Superior and the Great Lakes, and the Saint Lawrence River to the Atlantic Ocean.
Interstate Park comprises two adjacent state parks on the Minnesota–Wisconsin border, both named Interstate State Park. They straddle the Dalles of the St. Croix River, a deep basalt gorge with glacial potholes and other rock formations. The Wisconsin park is 1,330 acres (538 ha) and the Minnesota park is 298 acres (121 ha). The towns of Taylors Falls, Minnesota and St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin are adjacent to the park. Interstate Park is within the Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway and the Ice Age National Scientific Reserve. The western terminus of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail is on the Wisconsin side. On the Minnesota side, two areas contain National Park Service rustic style buildings and structures that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Zippel Bay State Park is a state park in Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota in the United States. It is on the white sand beach shoreline of the Lake of the Woods, near the United States border with Canada. The park is open for year-round recreation including camping, hiking, fishing and cross-country skiing.
Frontenac State Park is a state park of Minnesota, United States, on the Mississippi River 10 miles (16 km) southeast of Red Wing. The park is notable both for its history and for its birdwatching opportunities. The centerpiece of the park is a 430-foot-high (130 m), 3-mile-long (4.8 km) steep limestone bluff overlooking Lake Pepin, a natural widening of the Mississippi. The bluff is variously called Garrard's Bluff or Point No-Point, the latter name coming from riverboat captains because of the optical illusion that it protruded into the Mississippi River. There is a natural limestone arch on the blufftop called In-Yan-Teopa, a Dakota name meaning "Rock With Opening". Park lands entirely surround the town of Frontenac, once a high-class resort at the end of the 19th century.
Fred Meijer White Pine Trail State Park is a 92-mile (148 km) long linear state park in the U.S. state of Michigan.
St. Croix State Park is a state park in Pine County, Minnesota, USA. The park follows the shore of the St. Croix River for 21 miles (34 km) and contains the last 7 miles (11 km) of the Kettle River. At 33,895 acres (13,717 ha) it is the largest Minnesota state park. It was developed as a Recreational Demonstration Area in the 1930s, and is one of the finest surviving properties of this type in the nation. 164 structures built by the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Works Progress Administration survive, the largest collection of New Deal projects in Minnesota. As a historic district they were listed on the National Register of Historic Places and proclaimed a National Historic Landmark in 1997.
Swatara State Park is a 3,515-acre (1,422 ha) Pennsylvania state park in Bethel, Swatara and Union Townships, Lebanon and Pine Grove Township, Schuylkill Counties in Pennsylvania in the United States. 8 miles (13 km) of Swatara Creek lie within the park's boundaries, which are roughly formed by Pennsylvania Route 443 to the north and Interstate 81 to the south. The park is in a valley in the ridge and valley region of Pennsylvania between Second Mountain (north) and Blue Mountain (south).
The Paul Bunyan State Trail is a multi-use recreational rail trail in north-central Minnesota, United States, running between the cities of Baxter/Brainerd and Bemidji. It is named after the giant lumberjack Paul Bunyan of American folklore.
Pinckney State Recreation Area is a Michigan state recreation area in Dexter, Sylvan and Lyndon Townships, Washtenaw County and Putnam and Unadilla Townships, Livingston County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The park is 11,000 acres (4,500 ha) and sits at an elevation of 922 feet (281 m). The park is connected to the nearby Waterloo State Recreation Area by the 35-mile (56 km) Waterloo–Pinckney Trail. Pinckney State Recreation Area is open for year-round recreation including hiking, fishing, swimming, hunting and a variety of winter sports.
The Gateway State Trail is a multi-use recreational rail trail in the U.S. state of Minnesota, running 18 miles (29 km) from Saint Paul to Pine Point Regional Park in Stillwater. It runs through urban landscapes of eastern Saint Paul in Ramsey County and rural farmland and forests in Washington County. It was designated a National Recreation Trail in 2002.
The Central Lakes State Trail is a paved recreational rail trail in central Minnesota, USA, running along a former Burlington Northern Railroad line. The trail is marked with mileposts every mile, corresponding with the mile markers of the former railroad line. Snowmobile use is allowed on the trail in winter, conditions permitting.
Agassiz Recreational Trail is a 53-mile (85 km), multi-use rail trail in northwest Minnesota, United States, between the towns of Crookston and Ulen. Hiking, bicycling, horseback riding, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling and ATV riding are allowed on the natural-surface trail. The trail is owned by Clay, Norman and Polk counties. Representatives from each county serving on a joint powers board operate the trail. The trail should not be confused with the Agassiz Interpretive Trail in Manitoba, Canada.
The Arrowhead State Trail is a recreational trail in the Arrowhead Region of northern Minnesota, USA, geared primarily for winter snowmobile use. It runs 135 miles (217 km) from an intersection with the Taconite State Trail 10 miles (16 km) west of Tower to an intersection with the Blue Ox Trail 3 miles (4.8 km) south of International Falls. In summer about 69 miles (111 km) are suitable for hiking, horseback riding, and mountain biking, while the northern section is blocked by areas of wetness and standing water.
The Casey Jones State Trail is a multi-use recreational rail trail in southwestern Minnesota, USA. Although it was one of the first Minnesota state trails to be established, it remains incomplete as three discontinuous sections. The trail is managed by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. It traverses the rolling morainal landscape of the Coteau des Prairies, passing cropland interspersed with wooded ravines, remnant tallgrass prairie, and wetlands. The trail is named after railroad engineer Casey Jones, who famously sacrificed his life to lessen the severity of a 1900 train crash in Mississippi. Jones had no connections to Minnesota; the trail was named for him as it was the first abandoned railroad grade acquired by the state. The railroad was key to bringing settlers to the area in the late 19th century and for shipping their agricultural products to market.
The North Shore State Trail is a multi-use recreational trail in the Arrowhead Region of Minnesota, United States. The 146-mile (235 km) unpaved trail passes through the largely undeveloped backcountry inland from the North Shore of Lake Superior, between the cities of Duluth and Grand Marais. It serves primarily as a winter snowmobile route, though the 70 miles (110 km) from the community of Finland to Grand Marais are suitable for hiking, horseback riding, and mountain biking in summer. In contrast, the southwestern half of the trail is interrupted by many areas of wetness or standing water. The North Shore State Trail was established by an act of the Minnesota Legislature in 1975.
The Gitchi-Gami State Trail is a multi-use recreational trail in development along the North Shore of Lake Superior in Minnesota, USA. Planned to extend 88 miles (142 km) from Two Harbors to Grand Marais, the trail currently comprises five unconnected segments. The route will be situated primarily along state-owned right-of-way for Minnesota State Highway 61, with deviations for greater scenic diversity. "Gitchi-Gami" is an anglicization of the name for Lake Superior in the Ojibwe language.
The Great River Ridge State Trail is a multi-use recreational rail trail in southeastern Minnesota, United States. It is planned to run 15 miles (24 km) from the city of Plainview through Elgin to Eyota on the former right-of-way of a branch line of the Chicago and North Western Railway. Currently the final two miles (3.2 km) leading into Eyota are incomplete, but the rest of the route is paved and, south of Elgin, includes a parallel unpaved trackway for horseback riders and snowmobiles. An extension providing access to Carley State Park is also planned.
The Heartland State Trail is a multi-use recreational rail trail in north-central Minnesota, USA. It runs 49 miles (79 km) between Park Rapids and Cass Lake, intersecting with the Paul Bunyan State Trail around Walker. The entire route is paved, with a parallel grass trackway along the southern half for horseback riding and mountain biking. The northern half of the trail has some parallel trackway for snowmobiles. A 4-mile (6.4 km) segment north of Walker traverses very hilly terrain to appeal to snowmobilers; other users can follow a marked alternate route on paved road shoulders.
Nancy Lake State Recreation Area is a 22,685 acres (9,180 ha) park near Willow in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough of Alaska. Founded on July 6, 1966 and set aside specifically for recreational use, the park is home to more than a hundred lakes as well as extensive wetlands. The landscape of the park was crafted in glacial retreats around 9,000 years ago, and around this same time the first inhabitants likely moved into the area. They were eventually followed by Russian exploration, and later increases in white settlement due to commerce and the presence of gold.
Minnesota Scenic Byways are a system of roads in the U.S. state of Minnesota which pass through areas of scenic, cultural, or recreational significance. There are currently 22 scenic byways in the system with a total length of 2,948 miles (4,744 km). Eight of these byways are also designated as National Scenic Byways, and the North Shore Scenic Drive is further designated as an All-American Road.