By depuej in July, 2010
Just completed the round trip ride from Faribault to Manakato on my old Schwinn hardtail mountain bike, and it was still a very rough ride. Don't know that I would want to try it with a road bike. Great scenery and trail heads (especially at Elysian), but these attributes won't mean a thing if the entire trail is not resurfaced very soon. The next day I rode the Cannon Valley Trail from Cannon Falls to Red Wing. It had a $3.00 user few but would have paid much more than that because of the great condition of the surface. The state of Minnesota should consider user fees to get Sakatah into the condition it deserves.
By timbee in May, 2010
I've ridden the Sakatah Singing Hills Trail many times and wish it would be re-surfaced. Once you reach the western end on the outskirts of Mankato it's worth riding into town on the North Minnesota River Trail. It runs near the Minnesota River with some hills & curves (be careful for blind corners), then near some industrial areas and on into downtown Mankato.
Recently, they completed a very nice park/trailhead called Riverview Park which has great bathroom facilities, shelters, parking and some wonderful views of the river and city. It's well worth the additional 2.5 miles. There are also city trails and the Red Jacket Trail on the western edge of town which winds uphill towards the tiny town of Rapidan. On the way you cross a very high bridge above the Blue Earth River. Riverview Park would be a great starting point for exploring trails in & around the Mankato area. The only negative is poor signage; I guess they think everybody's a local & knows where the trails go.
By catmom in June, 2008
Heard a lot of good things about this trail, so I decided to check it out. The scenery is beautiful, and it's nice and flat for the most part, but this trail is in need of new asphalt. My husband and I ride road bikes, and the bumps were quite unsettling in some areas. This trail might be better on a mountain bike or hybrid, something with a little shock absorbing ablility. Otherwise, a great trail with cute little towns to stop in along the way.