Explore the best rated trails in New Hope, MN. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Gandy Dancer Trail - Southern Section and Interlink Trail. With more than 63 trails covering 682 miles you’re bound to find a perfect trail for you. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
The St. Anthony Falls Heritage Trail is a 1.8-mile loop along the Minneapolis riverfront within the St. Anthony Falls National Register Historic District. Maps, finding aids, and the area’s...
Harriet Island Regional Park offers a beautiful recreational space along the Mississippi River in St. Paul, just across the river from downtown. A paved trail runs the length of the park spanning just...
Minnesota’s Hiawatha LRT Trail runs along a north-south route paralleling both Hiawatha Avenue and the Metro Transit Blue Line in Minneapolis. The trail connects downtown Minneapolis and the vibrant...
The Courthouse Loop Trail is one of several trails located in the Carver County city of Chaska. As the name suggests, the trail forms a loop around Courthouse Lake, which sits directly behind the...
The trail is named in honor of Bruce Frank Vento, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1977 until his death in 2000, representing Minnesota’s fourth congressional district. Vento is...
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The Gateway State Trail is an 18.3-mile-long segment of the Willard Munger State Trail that offers an urban link to the countryside. The western end of this paved trail begins on the north end of...
Beginning at the southern tip of the Crow-Hassan Park Reserve in Hanover, the Lake Independence Regional Trail spends most of its 15.9-mile span paralleling County Road 19, cutting a straight path...
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Shingle Creek Regional Trail branches out of the Rush Creek Regional Trail at Noble Parkway and tracks alongside the road heading south from Brooklyn Park through Brooklyn Center. Passing through...
The Cannon Valley Trail, which became a National Recreation Trail in 2018, links the southeastern Minnesota communities of Red Wing, Welch, and Cannon Falls along the former route of the Chicago Great...
The St. Paul Grand Round is a 26-mile route encircling Minnesota's capital. The loop was designed by Horace Cleveland, the landscape architect who also designed the Grand Rounds in neighboring...
The Sunrise Prairie Trail runs north-south atop an unused right-of-way along a Burlington Northern Railroad corridor, traversing residential neighborhoods in the towns and mostly farmland in its...
At the heart of Minneapolis’ world class trail system is the Grand Rounds Scenic Byway, a series of interconnected parks and parkways that loop around the city, acting as a key connector to the entire...
Nokomis-Minnesota River Regional Trail contributes 7 miles to the Twin Cities’ extensive network of regional trails. The paved path is 10-foot wide, providing room for a variety of trail users...
A quintessential part of St. Paul's extensive trails system, the Samuel H. Morgan Regional Trail offers a variety of sights and sounds along its nine-mile path, from gorgeous views of the Mississippi...
Crystal Lake Regional Trail connects two cities—Robbinsdale and Crystal—in the northwestern suburbs of Minneapolis. It also links to the Twin Lakes Regional Trail and the Grand Rounds Scenic Byway,...
Beaver Island Trail follows the route of an inactive railway that was originally part of a charter railroad of the Minneapolis and Northwestern Railway Company. Built in 1882, the railroad line...
The Great Northern Trail offers a paved north-south route across the city of Elk River on the fringe of the northwestern outskirts of Minneapolis. For nearly 5 miles, the rail-trail winds through the...
A segment of the Minnesota River Greenway, spanning just shy of 4 miles, opened in June 2017. The paved trail traces the southern bank of the Minnesota River in Burnsville. A good place to begin your...
Although only 1 mile long, the Dinkytown Greenway provides an important link in a biking network connecting Minneapolis and Saint Paul. The trail begins near TCF Bank Stadium and runs through the...
This paved trail links Minneapolis’s Warehouse District to both the Minnesota River Bluffs LRT Regional Trail and the Cedar Lake LRT Regional Trail in Hopkins. It also intersects the Kenilworth Trail...
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The 5.5-mile Midtown Greenway follows a former railroad corridor through the heart of south Minneapolis, heading due west from the Mississippi River to the neighborhood of West Calhoun in the scenic...
The Twin Lakes Regional Trail provides a conduit for both recreation and commuting between Brooklyn Center and Robbinsdale. This urban trail begins in the commercial area of Brooklyn Center, splitting...
The Rice Creek North Regional Trail serves multiple purposes: it’s a connector, running through the two counties (Anoka and Ramsey) and five cities: Lino Lakes, Circle Pines, Blaine, Shoreview and...
Beaver Island Trail follows the route of an inactive railway that was originally part of a charter railroad of the Minneapolis and Northwestern Railway Company. Built in 1882, the railroad line...
Nokomis-Minnesota River Regional Trail contributes 7 miles to the Twin Cities’ extensive network of regional trails. The paved path is 10-foot wide, providing room for a variety of trail users...
The Minnesota River Bluffs LRT Regional Trail runs southwest from the Minneapolis suburb of Hopkins to Carver Bluffs Parkway and Carver Creek Circle. The trail is over 19 miles in length and occupies...
As of spring 2016, bridge access to the Minnesota Valley State Trail was still closed at Memorial Park in Shako-pee until further notice. Check the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources website...
The trail is named in honor of Bruce Frank Vento, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1977 until his death in 2000, representing Minnesota’s fourth congressional district. Vento is...
The mighty Mississippi and Minnesota River are the two waterways connected by the River to River Greenway. (The project was formerly known by the less colorful moniker North Urban Regional Trail.)...
The Trout Brook Regional Trail offers nearly 2 miles of paved pathway in the northern suburbs of St. Paul. It's comprised of two disconnected sections with a short gap in the middle. The northern...
Nestled alongside Coon Creek, this two-lane asphalt trail runs between Northdale Boulevard and Coon Rapids Boulevard. The trail mostly travels within the wooded confines of two city parks: Erlander...
The Vermillion River Regional Greenway offers a beautiful, paved loop in the riverfront city of Hastings, which lies on the banks of the Mississippi in southeastern Minnesota. Highlights of the...
The Sunrise Prairie Trail runs north-south atop an unused right-of-way along a Burlington Northern Railroad corridor, traversing residential neighborhoods in the towns and mostly farmland in its...
The Luce Line Trail occupies the former railbed of the Electric Short Line Railroad, started in 1908. The tracks continued to be expanded into the late 1920s, when the rail line became known as the...
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This Mississippi River Regional Trail running through eastern Dakota County is a segment of a larger regional trail system that is itself part of the National Park Service’s Mississippi National River...
Opened in the summer of 2017, the Point Douglas Regional Trail offers a picturesque link along the Mississippi River between Prescott, WI, and Hastings, MN, on a former railroad called the Peanut...
Unlike its name would suggest, Nine Mile Creek is actually 15 miles from its headwaters at Minnetog Lake to the Minnesota River. This regional trail was constructed to meander alongside the creek as...
Harriet Island Regional Park offers a beautiful recreational space along the Mississippi River in St. Paul, just across the river from downtown. A paved trail runs the length of the park spanning just...
The Bassett Creek Regional Trail is envisioned as an important connector between French Regional Park and Theodore Wirth Regional Park through the cities of Plymouth, New Hope, Crystal and Golden...
The 47-mile Gandy Dancer State Trail: Southern Section, between St. Croix Falls and Danbury, commemorates gandy dancers, those hardworking section crews who manually restored the railroad tracks in...
The Vermillion River Regional Greenway offers a beautiful, paved loop in the riverfront city of Hastings, which lies on the banks of the Mississippi in southeastern Minnesota. Highlights of the...
The mighty Mississippi and Minnesota River are the two waterways connected by the River to River Greenway. (The project was formerly known by the less colorful moniker North Urban Regional Trail.)...
The Afton to Lakeland Trail links its namesake towns on the Minnesota side of the St. Croix River. The trail runs between Quinlan Avenue North/Eighth Street at Crocker Park in Lakeland and Pike Avenue...
The Twin Lakes Regional Trail provides a conduit for both recreation and commuting between Brooklyn Center and Robbinsdale. This urban trail begins in the commercial area of Brooklyn Center, splitting...
Minnehaha Trail connects two popular parks in the Twin Cities as it follows the course of the Mississippi River through a corridor that is a mix of woodland and open areas. At the trail’s southern...
The Central Anoka County Regional Trail runs through Anoka County in the suburbs of Minneapolis/Saint Paul. When completed, it will be 26 miles long. As of 2019, four sections have been built,...
The Big Rivers Regional Trail runs along the upper portion of what was originally a two-tiered section of railroad track built for one of the state’s oldest lines, the Minnesota Central Railroad. At...
The West River Parkway Trail, also known as the Mississippi River Gorge Regional Trail, extends between Plymouth Avenue North opposite Boom Island and Ford Parkway in Minnehaha Regional Park, where...
Nestled alongside Coon Creek, this two-lane asphalt trail runs between Northdale Boulevard and Coon Rapids Boulevard. The trail mostly travels within the wooded confines of two city parks: Erlander...
The Sunrise Prairie Trail runs north-south atop an unused right-of-way along a Burlington Northern Railroad corridor, traversing residential neighborhoods in the towns and mostly farmland in its...
The Rice Creek West Regional Trail travels the final four miles of the creek’s 46-mile journey to the Mississippi River. The trail connects the residents living along its length to creek’s rich...
The developing Swedish Immigrant Trail will one day span 22 miles from Taylors Falls on the banks of the St. Croix River to the central Minnesota town of Wyoming. The paved trail will run east-west...
Highway 96 Regional Trail parallels the roadway of the same name. The trail crosses Ramsey county, traveling west from White Bear Lake to New Brighton. The scenery alternates between residential and...
A quintessential part of St. Paul's extensive trails system, the Samuel H. Morgan Regional Trail offers a variety of sights and sounds along its nine-mile path, from gorgeous views of the Mississippi...
The Hudson to Lakeland/Afton Trail begins at Buckeye Street in Hudson, Wisconsin, not far from the eastern bank of the St. Croix River. The paved trail parallels 2nd Street, heading south through...
The Elm Creek Park Reserve is an outdoor lovers’ dream. At 4,900 acres, it’s the largest park in Hennepin County. The park provides enough amenities to keep people coming all year round. Cyclists...
The Interlink Trail connects the southern end of Wisconsin’s portion of the 47-mile Gandy Dancer Trail with Interstate Park in St. Croix Falls. Along the way, the Polk County Information Center offers...
Unlike its name would suggest, Nine Mile Creek is actually 15 miles from its headwaters at Minnetog Lake to the Minnesota River. This regional trail was constructed to meander alongside the creek as...
At the heart of Minneapolis’ world class trail system is the Grand Rounds Scenic Byway, a series of interconnected parks and parkways that loop around the city, acting as a key connector to the entire...
At one time, flour and grist mills dotted the Cannon River Valley. These mills formed the backbone industry for a number of towns. The Mill Towns State Trail seeks to honor this legacy with a planned...
The paved trail now goes into Lester Prairie and you can ride a mile or so in town on low traffic city streets. Also there are some nice rest stop areas and stores. One of my favorite MN trails to ride.
As others have stated, the trail is definitely neglected and very rough in some places but the scenery is beautiful. The most negative thing about the trail is that NO ONE has their dogs leashed. I passed SIX unleashed dogs. On a bike, it's not easy to get out of the way of a dog that may dart out- dangerous for me and the dog. Very disappointed in the dog owners sharing the trail.
This stretch is difficult for commuting due to competition with auto traffic on narrow stretches of the Parkway. I use inline skates and can’t simply clog a lane for miles. It’s surprisingly stark how little maintenance attention to non-motorized traffic this stretch has received. After crossing the Hiawatha bridge the paths are more recent. Separation from traffic improves, but pedestrian paths are a tangled.
I'm giving this trail a one-star rating for it's current stage of chaos. Avoid it if you can. This is an otherwise great trail; however, the southwest light rail project makes it next to impossible to enjoy. I would avoid this trail until the project is done AND until the western end of the trail is repaired, which has been in disrepair for years!
Great paved trails with rolling hills that present a good workout but are very doable. We spent a day here with our kids and they loved biking the trials.
Biked the Cannon Valley Trail and before going to the Cannon Falls trailhead, took the Mill Towns Trail to see what it was like. First part of trail is old and rough, and then you have to go on a dirt trail through a park and up a hill in class 5 rock before you get to the smooth, great trail by the fairgrounds. Wonderful ride that takes you past the beautiful waterfalls and dam at Lake Byllesby. Before the dam, if you go left, it's the Goodhue County park section of Lake Byllesby and the trail ends there. If you keep to the right, you cross the bridge and the dam and waterfalls from Lake Byllsbye are beautiful. Past the bridge you enter the Dakota County park section of the lake, and if you follow the path past the RV camping section, you get to the beach. Terrific beach with really nice bathrooms. Great trail - so glad we ventured off to bike it.
Trail is very well designed and maintained. Can’t wait until it is completed.
I've always loved this trail. I don't mind dropping $5 for a wheel pass if it's going straight into maintenance on the trail. Unfortunately, this trail is now in a pretty bad state of disrepair. There are great stretches, but there are sadly several terrible stretches. Most notably about three quarters of the way to Red Wing from Cannon Falls. One rut almost bounced me off my road bike. Please start spending some of that cash you collect!
This trail is not smooth... there are rocks, sticks, grass growing and the sticky black tar all in/on the trail! And you have to cross the railway which is not easy with skates! If you want to ride a bike I’m sure it would be no problem or if you really want a challenge while skating go for it, but I won’t be skating this trail again.. oh and it’s poorly marked so I had to turn around a couple times before I found the right direction
It’s a nice escape from the city, but with the view of it. I like that there are restrooms, water fountains and bathrooms. There is also a playground in the middle of the trail, if you’re a parent this is a good place to workout and have fun with your kids as well!
I did the ten mile from Danbury to Webster. The trail surface (pressed dirt and gravel) was fine for my touring bike tires, but would not work for thinner road bike tires. Like all rails-to-trails routes, the grade was very gradual, passing through a mixture of deciduous and pine forests. There were also a few larger lakes off to the side of the trail. But overall, this very straight trail was just a bit dull. The better part of the ride was returning to Danbury from Webster along Country Roads FF and F. These roads were well paved and had almost no traffic. The also afforded better views of the north woods country side.
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