Explore the best rated trails in North Branch, MN. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Soo Line Trail - Southern Route and Gandy Dancer Trail - Southern Section. With more than 77 trails covering 998 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 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 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...
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...
The Kane Meadows Trail is a multi-use path located in Blaine, Anoka County. The trail begins in Kane Meadows Park, a neighborhood park on the west side of I-35W that includes a playground, a...
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...
Minnetonka, a suburb of Minneapolis, boasts over 90 miles of bike-ped trails and counting. The trails range from regional trails such as the Lake Minnetonka LRT Regional Trail to smaller local...
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The Brown’s Creek State Trail, which opened in October 2014, is a 5.9-mile addition to Minnesota’s extensive Willard Munger State Trail system. The rail-trail stretches from the St. Croix riverfront...
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...
When complete, the Great Northern Greenway will provide a seamless non-motorized connection between north and northeast Minneapolis across the Mississippi River The trail passes through thriving,...
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...
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The Wilderness Trail is located along an active BNSF railway line in Coon Rapids, Minnesota. The trail connects users to the Bunker Hills Regional Park on the north side, while it meets the Sand Creek...
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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...
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The Mississippi River Regional Trail in Anoka County stretches over 19 miles along the the east side of the river. The trail crosses the county from north to south, running through the communities of...
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...
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...
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Rush Creek Regional Trail stretches 9.6 miles across forests and farmland, offering a convenient connection to some of Hennepin County’s most interesting parks. The path is smooth, wide and mostly...
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...
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,...
The Johnson Parkway Regional Trail is a long overdue offroad bike trail that is now an integral part of St. Paul's Grand Round. Most of the trail runs through residential areas of St. Paul's East...
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...
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...
Sections of the Dakota Rail Regional Trail, which extends westward from the Minneapolis suburbs situated along Lake Minnetonka, have been opening since June 2009. The trail occupies the former Dakota...
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The Willard Munger State Trail is a collection of three multiple use trails roughly stretching between the towns of Hinckley and Duluth. The three trail segments include the Hinckley–Duluth, Alex...
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 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 Rum River Regional Trail in Anoka, the trail stretches near three miles, including two-short on-road segments. The trail begins in the Akin Riverside Park, at the intersection with the Mississippi...
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 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 Soo Line Trail Southern Route is more popularly known as the Soo Line South ATV Trail. The converted rail-trail runs for 105.6 miles in Minnesota between Royalton and the Minnesota–Wisconsin state...
The Lake Minnetonka LRT Regional Trail begins in the vicinity of Eighth Avenue North in downtown Hopkins, just a few blocks north of the eastern endpoint of the Minnesota River Bluffs LRT Regional...
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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 West Medicine Lake is a 2.7-mile paved non-motorized pathway connecting two major regional trails: the Medicine Lake Regional Trail in Minneapolis and the Luce Line Trail in Plymouth. The trail...
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...
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,...
This trail runs along the southern perimeter of Battle Creek Regional Park, wandering through wetlands, grasslands and woodlands all within a two-mile span. The trail begins on Point Douglas Road,...
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...
Closure Notice: Beginning Oct.28, 2020 through Fall 2021, segments of this trail north and south of Upper Afton Road will be closed to allow for a regional sewer rehabilitation project. The Point...
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...
Minnetonka, a suburb of Minneapolis, boasts over 90 miles of bike-ped trails and counting. The trails range from regional trails such as the Lake Minnetonka LRT Regional Trail to smaller local...
A recent addition to the region's impressive network of bike trails, the Robert Piram Regional Trail runs from Harriet Island Regional Park to the Kaposia Landing Fields in South St. Paul. The highly...
Rush Creek Regional Trail stretches 9.6 miles across forests and farmland, offering a convenient connection to some of Hennepin County’s most interesting parks. The path is smooth, wide and mostly...
Lake Phalen Trail offers a 3-mile paved loop around a popular lake in St. Paul. The tree-dotted pathway offers views of the lake on one side and pleasant neighborhoods on the other. It is nestled...
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 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 Willard Munger State Trail is a collection of three multiple use trails roughly stretching between the towns of Hinckley and Duluth. The three trail segments include the Hinckley–Duluth, Alex...
The East Anoka County Regional Trail is a straight, flat bike path along Lexington Ave, used for recreation and commuting. The north end of the trail passes forests and fields. The trail provides...
The Hardwood Creek Regional Trail is actually two parallel trails running along US 61 in rural Washington County. The paved trail is open for biking, walking, running, and in-line skating, while 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...
The Brown’s Creek State Trail, which opened in October 2014, is a 5.9-mile addition to Minnesota’s extensive Willard Munger State Trail system. The rail-trail stretches from the St. Croix riverfront...
The Soo Line Trail Southern Route is more popularly known as the Soo Line South ATV Trail. The converted rail-trail runs for 105.6 miles in Minnesota between Royalton and the Minnesota–Wisconsin state...
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...
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...
The Indian Mounds Trail runs through the regional park located atop the Mississippi's eastern bluffs, with a fabulous view of Downtown St. Paul & the Mississippi River. This is one of the few places...
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...
Medicine Lake Regional Trail offers a plethora of experiences along its nearly 16-mile length. Kicking off in the Elm Creek Park Reserve in the north, the trail cuts a swath through the Maple Grove...
The Cherokee Trail connects two regional parks while providing some of the best views around of the Mighty Mississippi and downtown St. Paul. The wide asphalt trail begins on Plato Boulevard within...
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,...
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 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...
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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...
I’ve been using this trail across the Saint Croix River for 40 years and every time I have to stop in the middle and look north all the beautiful islands and sailboats moored in front of Hudson. The trail is next to I94 so you’ll have noise but it’s worth it.
We start from Gale Woods Farm and bike West to trail end at Babcock Avenue in Lester Prairie, where trail becomes ATV trail. Tried biking that unpaved part but it is full of the ballast rock from former railroad which made for bad ride. Trail section in Carver County has some bad pavement sections, but otherwise a smooth and flat trail. Near Lake Waconia a family has created a fantastic trail stop on their hobby farm with playground type equipment for the kids, animals to pet and feed, and benches to relax on. The best part is they have a refrigerator and freezer where you can buy a cold bottled water, popsicles, or Schwans ice cream bars for 50 cents to $1.00. We always stop to buy ice cream, pet the goats, cats, and miniature horses. Bring some nickles and you can buy corn to feed the animals. Stop in one of the towns along the trail to eat - we have a favorite in New Germany that has an outdoor patio and great pizza.
straight and wide. it ends up by kwik trip on the north end which is good and on us 61 which sucks. other reviews say the trail is smooth. it is not. st paul trails are generally poorly cared for. the cracks are occasionally filled with tar but not filler so the bumps remain. contacting the city is worthless. they simply reply that your email has been forwarded to the responsible department.
The trail path is in excellent condition, no bumps or potholes. The terrain is level, the path is straight. A nice trail to just ride and enjoy being outside and riding.
I chose to ride Elm Creek expecting a great ride. It was so beautiful. I TrueType enjoyed the nicely maintained paved paths thru woodlands, meadows, lakes, and low land areas. Would I go again? In a heart beat. Tom
We rode the full 70 miles from the southern end in Hinckley to the northern end in Duluth. We hit a perfect weather day with temperatures in the 60’s and low 70’s. In general the trail is slightly narrower than other rail trails we have ridden. The trail has many perpendicular cracks that can be big occasionally. That is more of an issue if you are riding a road bike with narrow (25cm or less) tires. If you are running on wider (lower pressure) tires it may not be an issue. Much of the hazards are marked with paint but a bridge within about 1 mile of the north end had a crack/dip hazard that could have been dangerous if we didn’t notice it. Most of the bridges had very smooth transitions which was nice. There are many street/driveway crossings which require you to slow down. In Moose Lake the trail ends abruptly and detours onto the road. It is not well marked on how to rejoin the trail which picks up about 1 mile down the road. We had to ask locals for directions to find our way. There are not many places along the trail to get a bite to eat. We were surprised to not see any wild life along the trail. All in all we enjoyed the trail but it is not as nice as some other rail trails we have ridden.
We rode the full 70 miles from the southern end in Hinckley to the northern end in Duluth. We hit a perfect weather day with temperatures in the 60’s and low 70’s. In general the trail is slightly narrower than other rail trails we have ridden. The trail has many perpendicular cracks that can be big occasionally. That is more of an issue if you are riding a road bike with narrow (25cm or less) tires. If you are running on wider (lower pressure) tires it may not be an issue. Much of the hazards are marked with paint but a bridge within about 1 mile of the north end had a crack/dip hazard that could have been dangerous if we didn’t notice it. Most of the bridges had very smooth transitions which was nice. There are many street/driveway crossings which require you to slow down. In Moose Lake the trail ends abruptly and detours onto the road. It is not well marked on how to rejoin the trail which picks up about 1 mile down the road. We had to ask locals for directions to find our way. There are not many places along the trail to get a bite to eat. We were surprised to not see any wild life along the trail. All in all we enjoyed the trail but it is not as nice as some other rail trails we have ridden.
Great trail for biking but watch for hidden driveways.
The whole family enjoyed this historic and scenic walk.
My young son and I biked this trail and it was a great ride.
It starts at the old Zephr train site and veers through the hills north of Stillwater.
The trail's incline is super deceptive. We biked about 5-6 miles out and thought we were going pretty slow, but we were slowly going up the hills in the area. On the way back it took us about half the time as we flew down the hills. We barely had to pedal most of it until we got back to the old train site.
During your ride/walk/run, there's plenty of spots to stop to take in the scenery as there's lots of creeks and foliage. The trail felt busy for a Sunday morning, but people are respective. This trail is definitely worth your time.
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