Luce Line Trail is a , shared-use path in

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 ...

, United States, that stretches from Cosmos to

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

. The trail system was built after 1995 when the Luce Line Railroad was abandoned west of Interstate 494. The previous line extended to Gluek. The multi-use trail has varying surface features, though it is primarily made up of crushed limestone or aggregate base, and the section from Cosmos to Cedar Mills is undeveloped, as are the sections from just west of Hutchinson to Winsted and east of

Plymouth Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west. Plymouth ...

. The trail is maintained by the

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, or Minnesota DNR, is the agency of the U.S. state of Minnesota charged with conserving and managing the state's natural resources. The agency maintains areas such as state parks, state forests, recre ...

west of Vicksburg Lane, where it is named Luce Line State Trail. East of Vicksburg Lane, it is maintained by the Three Rivers Park District and named Luce Line Regional Trail.

Route description

State trail

Western portion

The trail begins in Cosmos, by Thompson Lake. There is a parking lot, a campground, and facilities. It crosses MN 4 and MN 7, and will parallel MN 7 for . At this point, the trail leaves the town and is undeveloped with a natural surface. After , it reaches Cedar Mills and transforms into an aggregate surface. It becomes paved and goes by Otter Lake as it enters Hutchinson. It parallels the Crow River and passes under several bridges, including MN 15. It leaves town and crosses over MN 22 on a bridge. It passes under Minnesota Highway 7 again and continues east. It goes south of Swan Lake and into Silver Lake. It leaves Minnesota Highway 7 and continues northeast, and intersects several farm roads. Just west of Winsted, the trail turns south on a new section to avoid the Winsted Airport. The western segment ends at County Road 20. The western segment is long.

Eastern portion

After following Winsted streets, the trail passes south of Winsted Lake and a parking lot. It continues due east and passes by several roads. It goes by a parking lot at Vega Avenue. It enters

Watertown Watertown may refer to: Places in China In China, a water town is a type of ancient scenic town known for its waterways. Places in the United States *Watertown, Connecticut, a New England town **Watertown (CDP), Connecticut, the central village ...

, and crosses the Crow River. It leaves Watertown and goes by several lakes. It changes directions a few times and goes into the small hamlet of Lyndale in Independence. It crosses county roads 92, 110, and 19, south of Maple Plain. It enters the Lake Minnetonka area and passes by Stubbs Bay. Past this point, no snowmobiles are allowed. The scenery begins to be more suburban, and it crosses local roads. It passes under Brown Road and over Orono Orchard Road. It passes US 12 and the railroad tracks and Wayzata Boulevard on a restored bridge. It goes south, running parallel to US 12 for a while. It passes north of Wayzata, and tunnels under CSAH 101. It passes into Gleason Lake. This section ends at Vicksburg Lane. The eastern segment is long.

Regional trail

East of Vicksburg Lane, the trail is paved and known as the Luce Line Regional Trail. It is managed by the Three Rivers Park District. It passes south of Parkers Lake and has several spur trails serving the lake and the surrounding neighborhoods. It enters a tunnel under

I-494 Interstate 494 (I-494) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway making up part of a beltway of I-94, circling through the southern and western portions of the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area in Minnesota. The road is coupled with I- ...

, and goes by several industries afterward. It crosses Xenium Lane on a bridge and leaves the industrial area. It crosses several defunct railroad crossings. It crosses under MN 55 and turns slightly southeast. It enters the Medicine Lake area. Due to right-of-way issues, the trail narrows to about half its width. This happens for about , and then the trail goes over two boardwalks. It intersects the Medicine Lake Regional Trail, and parallels 13th Avenue. It goes under US 169. It leaves Plymouth Avenue and goes back to the railway tracks. It crosses Winnetka Avenue and turns south to avoid the Golden Valley Country Club. It turns east again, paralleling Country Club Drive and turns north on Douglas Drive. It crosses the

Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway (french: Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique) , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadi ...

tracks and crosses under MN 100 and avoids a pond by circling south. It goes by Schaper Park and goes into

Theodore Wirth Park Theodore Wirth Park is the regional park managed by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. The park land is shared by Minneapolis and the neighboring suburb of Golden Valley. Formally named Theodore Wirth Regional Park, it includes two golf ...

. It intersects several mountain bike trails, and ends at Theodore Wirth Parkway. The Three Rivers Park District regional trail segment is long.

History of the trail

The Electric Short Line Railway was a system that was built from 1917-1927. It extended from Minneapolis to Gluek, serving the small towns in between. The railway changed hands a few times before being abandoned throughout the late 1960s to early 1970s. The new trail was completed west of Plymouth after the line was abandoned. The trail was built after the railroad was dismantled in 1995. of the DNR Segment was paved in 2014, from Winsted to Hutchinson. The project cost $2.2 million, and is the longest paved section built at one time by the DNR. The DNR hopes to pave the entire trail east of Hutchinson.

References

{{Twin Cities Trails Bike paths in Minnesota Rail trails in Minnesota Shared-use paths in Minneapolis