Rail-Trail
State: MN Length: 1.50 miles Surface: Crushed Stone
One of the first state trails authorized by Minnesota when state trail legislation was passed in the 1960s, the Casey Jones State Trail consists of three separate segments. The rail-trail is named for the engineer immortalized in the "Ballad or Casey Jones." In 1900 in Mississippi, the engineer "died at the throttle" when the train he was conducting collided with another train. As for the trail itself, it courses through a much different landscape in America's heartland, passing remnants of tallgrass prairie and through wooded draws amid a sea of agricultural land. The unpaved Lake Wilson segment runs for 1.5 miles, the shortest segment, between County Highway 26 at State Route 30 and Railroad Street in the small community of Wilson. East of Woodstock at trail's end, you can hook up with the Woodstock to Pipestone segment beginning at County Line Avenue. Also visit the Currie Loop at Lake Shetek.
State: MN Length: 13 miles Surface: Asphalt, Crushed Stone
One of the first state trails authorized by Minnesota when state trail legislation was passed in the 1960s, the Casey Jones State Trail consists of three separate segments. The rail-trail is named for the engineer immortalized in the "Ballad or Casey Jones." In 1900 in Mississippi, the engineer "died at the throttle" when the train he was conducting collided with another train. As for the trail itself, it courses through a much different landscape in America's heartland, passing remnants of tallgrass prairie and through wooded draws amid a sea of agricultural land. The Pipestone to Woodstock segment is the longest at 13 miles. The trail is paved between Pipestone and County Road 16. From CR 16 to the Pipestone/Murray county line, the trail has a natural surface. In Pipestone, the Pipestone National Monument is a site of interest. East of Woodstock at trail's end, you can hook up with the Lake Wilson segment beginning along State Route 30 at County Highway 26. Also visit the Currie Loop at Lake Shetek.
State: IA Length: 4.70 miles Surface: Gravel
The Ed Winkel Memorial Trail runs for nearly 5 miles from the small town of Sibley in Osceola County, Iowa to just west of the unincorporated community of Allendorf. Offering a hint at much of Iowa's landscape, the trail travels exclusively through pristine farmland as it makes its way between the two quaint towns. The gravel trail occupies the right-of-way of a former Chicago and Northwestern railroad line, which was railbanked upon the initiation of abandonment proceedings in 1988. Although the Ed Winkel Memorial Trail might seem fairly unremarkable, the trail has the potential to be the western end of a longer 37 mile trail extending east to the town of Superior in Dickinson County. In fact, the contiguous rail line was purchased by the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation from Union Pacific in 2009 with the entire corridor intact. The future trail would incorporate the Ed Winkel Memorial Trail, run from the current terminus at Allendorf east through the towns of Ocheyedan, Harris, Lake Park and Montgomery, and enter the small city of Spirit Lake in the Iowa Great Lakes region. In Spirit Lake, the proposed trail would turn north and either incorporate or run adjacent to the existing Great Lakes Spine Trail as it skirts the northern edge of East Okoboji Lake. Then the trail would turn south, passing through more farmland before ending in the tiny town of Superior. For now, that rail-trail is just a dream. In the meantime, get on your bike, horse or snowmobile, walk or run, or strap on your skis and enjoy the Ed Winkel Memorial Trail's 5 mile route while you dream of what might be in the future.
State: SD Length: 29.90 miles Surface: Asphalt, Gravel
The Sioux Falls Bike Trails include more than 20 miles of paved, multi-use paths that link many of the city's parks and green spaces. The trail system is enclosed by Interstate 90 in the north, 57 Street in the south, Westward Ho Park in the west (with another short segment by Skunk Creek Legacy) and Rotary Park on the east.