Our group totaled 4 when we biked this trail. We didn't think it was so windy the morning we started out from Pipestone on the trail, but we found out quickly how a little wind could affect your ride! There is nothing to block the wind on this trail, but it's very beautiful none the less, & very well maintained too. We stopped when it became the "natural" trail & headed back to Pipestone. There is a slight grade going both ways, so even though we only did the 10 mile round trip, we were exhausted at the end! We had a really great time exploring the historical buildings of downtown Pipestone, eating at the famous Lange's Cafe, & walking around the beautiful trails of the Pipestone National Monument, which is definitely worth a visit!

We camped at Split Rock Creek State Park, about a 9 mile drive south of Pipestone. This is a very beautiful & well maintained park, & the staff was very friendly too! I would recommend reserving a spot before hand though as we showed up at 3 o'clock in the afternoon & took the one lone remaining spot! They have nice nature trails, a beach, & you can rent canoes & kayaks as well. My husband is into Geocaching, & this summer, the State Parks of Minnesota are promoting it. The one here was a continuous cache, where we had to find the clue to bring us to the next one, which eventually ended at the cache. At each one in the state, you can collect a little memento from this particular program. A very fun & recommended activity!

The 5 mile asphalt section was decent. A little boring scenery but I expected that. After that it claims to be a "natural surface", which I expected to be a dirt path, but the path was virtually non existent. Basically like riding thru a grass field. Needless to say, I didn't try this portion.