The Lake Wobegon Trail are two paved recreational

rail trail A rail trail is a shared-use path on railway right of way. Rail trails are typically constructed after a railway has been abandoned and the track has been removed, but may also share the right of way with active railways, light rail, or streetcar ...

s in central

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

, named after the fictional Lake Wobegon in Garrison Keillor's "

Prairie Home Companion Prairies are ecosystems considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and a composition of grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the ...

". Each trail is marked with mileposts every , corresponding with the mile markers of the former railroad lines. Snowmobile use is allowed on the trail in winter, conditions permitting.

Main trail

The main trail is a trail along a former

Burlington Northern Railroad The Burlington Northern Railroad was a United States-based railroad company formed from a Mergers and acquisitions, merger of four major U.S. railroads. Burlington Northern operated between 1970 and 1996. Its historical lineage begins in the e ...

line, beginning near milepost 81 in

St. Joseph Joseph (; el, Ἰωσήφ, translit=Ioséph) was a 1st-century Jewish man of Nazareth who, according to the canonical Gospels, was married to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and was the legal father of Jesus. The Gospels also name some brothers ...

and ending near milepost 130 in Osakis. This trail runs parallel to I-94. The trail passes through the cities of Avon, Albany, Freeport, Melrose, Sauk Centre, and West Union. Beyond Osakis, the trail continues as the Central Lakes Trail. These two trails form a continuous trail from St. Joseph to

Fergus Falls Fergus Falls is a city in and the county seat of Otter Tail County, Minnesota, Otter Tail County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 14,119 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. History The falls from which the city gets par ...

. The extension trail intersects near milepost 97 of the main trail in Albany.

Extension trail

The extension trail is a trail along a former

Soo Line Railroad The Soo Line Railroad is the primary United States railroad subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway , one of seven U.S. Class I railroads, controlled through the Soo Line Corporation. Although it is named for the Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sa ...

line, beginning near milepost 131 in Albany passing through Albany, Krain and Holding Townships and ending northeast of

Holdingford Holdingford is a city in Stearns County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 708 at the 2010 census. It claims to be "The Gateway to Lake Wobegon", the fictional central Minnesota town created by author Garrison Keillor. Holdingford ...

at approx. milepost 143.5, passing through Holdingford. This bicycle trail continues beyond milepost 143.5 as the Soo Line Trail, crossing the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...

at the

Blanchard Dam Blanchard Dam is a dam across the Mississippi River, in Bellevue Township and Swan River Township, Morrison County, near the city of Royalton, Minnesota. Blanchard is a hydroelectric station owned and operated by Minnesota Power. The dam sits s ...

, changing from asphalt to gravel at U.S. 10 south of Little Falls, and extending to Onamia. The Soo Line Trail traverses

Morrison County Morrison County is a county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 34,010. Its county seat is Little Falls. Camp Ripley Military Reservation occupies a significant area in north-central Morrison County. His ...

and Mille Lacs County. The extension is home to the longest covered bridge in Minnesota, located near Holdingford.

Saintly Seven

The Saintly Seven is a completed 7 mile extension to bring the trail from St. Joseph all the way into

Waite Park Waite Park is a city in Stearns County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 8,341 at the 2020 census. It is part of the St. Cloud Metropolitan Statistical Area. History Waite Park was incorporated in 1893. The city was named for He ...

and Saint Cloud. The extension allows commuters in St. Cloud a way to safely navigate some of the busier roads, as well as allowing a connection to the wider Wobegon and Mississippi trails. The extension is compared to the Minneapolis Greenway.

Events

Running

Lake Wobegon Trail Marathon The Lake Wobegon Trail Marathon is a 26.2 mile foot race from Holdingford, Minnesota, to St. Joseph, Minnesota, on a paved trail called the Lake Wobegon Trail. The course is USATF-certified, making it a qualifying race for the Boston Marathon. ...

- An annual marathon that takes place along the trail in the Spring. The race runs from Holdingford High School to St. Joseph. There were 339 finishers in 2015. *Holdingford Daze 5k - An annual 5k that occurs the Saturday morning of Holdingford daze. The run is a fundraiser for the Holdingford Husker's cross country team. Participants are bussed out to a spot along the trail and then run back to the town to finish at the Holdingford trailhead.

Biking

*Caramel Roll Ride - Ride that occurs the 2nd Saturday in June *Lady Slipper Nature Ride - Ride that occurs the 3rd Saturday in June *Caramel Apple Ride - Ride that occurs the 1st Saturday after labor Day

External links

Lake Wobegon Trails

References

{{Minnesota hiking trails Rail trails in Minnesota Burlington Northern Railroad Soo Line Railroad National Recreation Trails in Minnesota Protected areas of Stearns County, Minnesota Protected areas of Todd County, Minnesota