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Minnehaha Trail is a paved, multi-use trail in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, that connects Minnehaha Regional Park and Fort Snelling State Park – two of the most popular recreation destinations in the Twin Cities metro area. The trail is considered a segment of a longer, loosely connected bicycle route system along the Mississippi River. Users of Minnehaha Trail traverse under a forest canopy. The trail received local recognition for its natural beauty, but it was criticized for its worn pavement and lack of signage.
It is difficult for users to properly identify Minnehaha Trail due to the vast network of multi-use paths in the area, errors by digital mapping services, and lack of signage. Some mapping services incorrectly label Minnehaha Trail as the " Minnesota Valley State Trail," which does not reach Fort Snelling State Park.
A separate bicycle trail that begins from its northernmost point near Coldwater Spring follows closely alongside Highway 55, allowing a user to travel under the highway near Tower Avenue and Bloomington Road or to reach the parking lots of the upper portion of Fort Snelling State Park and its historic structures. Some mapping services identify this separate route as the "Fort Snelling State Trail" and some users conflate it with the Minnehaha Trail. Other maps label the bike trail closest to Highway 55 as the "Hiawatha MDOT Trail."
A steep, unlabeled multi-use trail near the historic fort structure connects the upper and lower portions of Fort Snelling State Park, allowing for connection to multiple trails and routes. From the upper portion of the park near a chapel, trail users can gain access to the Big Rivers Regional Trail.
Google Maps: Minnehaha Trail
Map and Guide: Fort Snelling State Park
U.S. Bicycle Route 45 map (p. 47)
{{Coord, 44, 53, 46, N, 93, 11, 35, W, display=title Rail trails in Minnesota Regional parks in Minnesota Hiking trails in Minnesota Mississippi Gorge Mississippi National River and Recreation Area National Recreation Trails in Minnesota Parks in Minneapolis Protected areas of Hennepin County, Minnesota Bike paths in Minnesota Shared-use paths in Minneapolis
Route description
The , or round trip, Minnehaha Trail connects adjacent Minnehaha Regional Park and Fort Snelling State Park. Despite the large number of visitors each park receives, Minnehaha Trail is described as lightly trafficked. Beginning at its southern end in Fort Snelling State Park near the Thomas C. Savage Visitor Center, the trail is a gentle climb of through a thick forest with occasional views of the Mississippi River gorge. Once reaching Minnehaha Regional Park near an off-leash dog park, users may connect to park trails or the regional Grand Rounds trail system. From the southern trail end, users may connect seamlessly to Snelling Lake Trail.Other trails
It is difficult for users to properly identify Minnehaha Trail due to the vast network of multi-use paths in the area, errors by digital mapping services, and lack of signage. Some mapping services incorrectly label Minnehaha Trail as the " Minnesota Valley State Trail," which does not reach Fort Snelling State Park.
A separate bicycle trail that begins from its northernmost point near Coldwater Spring follows closely alongside Highway 55, allowing a user to travel under the highway near Tower Avenue and Bloomington Road or to reach the parking lots of the upper portion of Fort Snelling State Park and its historic structures. Some mapping services identify this separate route as the "Fort Snelling State Trail" and some users conflate it with the Minnehaha Trail. Other maps label the bike trail closest to Highway 55 as the "Hiawatha MDOT Trail."
A steep, unlabeled multi-use trail near the historic fort structure connects the upper and lower portions of Fort Snelling State Park, allowing for connection to multiple trails and routes. From the upper portion of the park near a chapel, trail users can gain access to the Big Rivers Regional Trail.
Bicycle route network
Minnehaha Trail is included as a segment of the Mississippi River Trail, or MRT, which is a bicycle route loosely connecting of pre-existing roads and trails in Minnesota into a signed course. The Mississippi River Trail portion in Minnesota is also known as U.S. Bicycle Route 45. A few worn "MRT" signs are visible on Minnehaha Trail, but the area is known for inadequate signage.Recognition and criticism
Minneapolis alternative newspaper ''City Pages
''City Pages'' was an alternative newspaper serving the Minneapolis–St. Paul metropolitan area. It featured news, film, theatre and restaurant reviews and music criticism, available free every Wednesday. It ceased publication in 2020 due to a ...
'' recognized Minnehaha Trail as the region's best bicycle route in 2012:When it comes to bike trails, the Twin Cities suffers from an embarrassment of riches. But for our money, the most beautiful stretch has to be the Minnehaha Trail, which runs from Minnehaha Park through Fort Snelling State Park…. The bike path runs under a lush canopy of trees, beneath the bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River, and feels like a genuine escape from the city.However, in 2016, Minnehaha Trail was described as “badly in need of a makeover” as some stretches were nearly too bumpy and difficult to traverse on a bicycle.
See also
*List of shared-use paths in Minneapolis
Minneapolis is often considered one of the top biking and walking cities in the United States due to its vast network of trails and dedicated pedestrian areas. In 2020, Walk Score rated Minneapolis as 13th highest among cities over 200,000 people. ...
* Mississippi National River and Recreation Area
* United States Bicycle Route System
References
External links
Google Maps: Minnehaha Trail
Map and Guide: Fort Snelling State Park
U.S. Bicycle Route 45 map (p. 47)
{{Coord, 44, 53, 46, N, 93, 11, 35, W, display=title Rail trails in Minnesota Regional parks in Minnesota Hiking trails in Minnesota Mississippi Gorge Mississippi National River and Recreation Area National Recreation Trails in Minnesota Parks in Minneapolis Protected areas of Hennepin County, Minnesota Bike paths in Minnesota Shared-use paths in Minneapolis