Really, I can't think of a way this trail could be improved. The path is smooth and it is paved all the way to Mayer. If you are riding out from the Twin Cities you can get to the trail by riding out on the Greenway then cut through Hopkins to the Lake Minnetonka Trail. From there you will need to NOT take the first tunnel you come to and go up to the street level, take a right (heading north). There is a nice wide sidewalk / bike trail. If you follow your nose you will come to a small bay bridge and about a 1/2 mile after the bridge a stop light. Left at the stop light will bring you into Wayzeta.

WARNING: The bridge and the 2 miles on either side of it are not very bike friendly. There are plenty of disappearing "bike lanes" and cars whipping past.

Wayzeta is a posh little lake town with plenty of nice places to stop and eat. Just outside of Wayzeta on the left hand side you'll see the entrance to the trail. From there on it is 20 miles of smooth riding. There are great lake views, gorgeous old lake homes and nice farms vistas and wooded stretches. We went all the way to Mayer and stopped at Uncle Ron's Smoke House for lunch. It is right on the trail and offers ice cream, sandwiches, sports drinks etc. There are plans to extend the trial further to the county line this year according to the owner.

Back to the Twin Cities will be an 80 round trip roughly depending from where you start.

This trail does not disappoint.

The two new bridges crossing busy roads in St. Boni are now open, so you can ride on a nice smooth paved trail all the way west to Mayer (except for a strange 1/2 mile dirt segment) which is an additional 8.5 miles. On the way you pass by the north shore of Lake Waconia and some cute little hobby farms. So far the trail head in Mayer is only a parking lot with a porta potty but it looks like more is in the works.

In St. Boni the city hall offices are open during the week, so there's a nice place to change with water fountains & toilet facilities. The trail heading east into Wayzata has quite a few intersections and there are usually many users to look out for. There are bathroom facilities in Wayzata at a park (right on Lake Minnetonka) but they were locked last time I visited (mid May). All in all this is a very nice trail that you can do a 45 mile out & back on.

The trail is smooth and flat with lots of great scenery. It would be nice if there was a couple of rest stops along the way. You have to watch for vehicle cross traffic and stubborn walkers between Wayzata and Spring Park (especially Crystal Bay area). I have encountered people that walk the trail and refuse to move over for passing traffic. Otherwise it's a great trail and recommend it to others.

The Dakota officially opened this June when a bridge segment was completed making it continuous. The scenery is pleasant--farm fields, wetlands, lakes, small towns & suburbia. There are virtually NO hills or inclines. Being new the pavement is still smooth. On weekends, it's crowded with walkers, bladers, runners & slow bikers. At the Wayzata end you can connect with the Luce Line Trail (which is not paved) by riding north on Ferndale about 1/2 mile. There are quite a few intersections you have to be careful for especially on the east end. Amenities are pretty sparse. I don't know why fancy kiosks are more important than shady benches, water, porta potties, etc.