Explore the best rated trails in Waseca, MN. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Cologne Community Trail and Batchelder Trail . With more than 42 trails covering 252 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.
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...
On the northwestern edge of Rochester, the 50th Avenue Bike Path runs across over two miles of rolling hills, an asphalt sidepath trail that follows the west side of the road as it passes through open...
Covering a residential section of northwestern Rochester, the West 55th Street Path helps connect neighborhood residents with the rest of Rochester's expansive trail network, including the lovely and...
The Bandel Road Path is an asphalt sidepath that runs primarily in a utility corridor along the side of Bandel Road in northern Rochester. The pathway provides an alternative option for cyclists to...
The Northern Link Trail provides a pleasant walking and biking experience in Faribault County. The hard surface trail forms a V-shape, starting at the Two Rivers Park parking area in the east and...
Closure notice: Beginning Tuesday, May 26, a 6 mile portion of the Sakatah Singing Hills State Trail will be closed for reconstruction. The portion of trail affected by this closure is from 5th St. NW...
The Straight River Trail forms a backwards L as it runs north-south through Faribault and then curves west. The paved trail begins at the Cannon River Reservoir, then travels through woodlands in Two...
The Douglas State Trail occupies the railbed of the former Chicago Great Western Railway corridor between the cities of Rochester and Pine Island. Several of the concrete obelisk railroad mile markers...
A suburban sidepath trail that runs along the western edge of Rochester, Minnesota, the West Circle Drive Bike Path provides an important link in the city's expanding trail network. The path runs...
One of Rochester's many suburban sidepath trails, the Overland Drive Trail runs along a roadside near the northern limits of the city. Passing over rolling hills and through the edges of residential...
A short neighborhood trail that runs through Summit Pointe Park in northwest Rochester, the Summit Pointe Trail provides a great outlet for cyclists and pedestrians to get some exercise and outdoor...
The Douglas-Cascade Trail extends 2 miles southeast towards downtown Rochester from the southern terminus of the Douglas State Trail. The paved trail, a portion of which follows the former Chicago...
The Cologne Community Trail meanders from the south to the north of the city of Cologne linking residents to important civic and recreational destinations in their community. The asphalt recreational...
The paved North Minnesota River Trail hugs its namesake river for much of its journey on the western end of Mankato. Along the way, it offers views of the river, limestone cliffs and the city. From...
Linking some of Rochester's most popular parks and recreation sites, the Cascade Creek Trail follows its namesake creek for over three miles, from Manorwoods Lake and Cascade Lake in the west, to the...
The Lincolnshire Trail is an asphalt pathway that shoots off from the longer Douglas State Trail, providing a short spur that gives cyclists and pedestrians access to the Lincolnshire-Arbor Glen...
The Ridge View Manor Trail is a short trail that branches off from the Douglas State Trail, connecting the popular recreation pathway with growing suburban developments in northwestern Rochester. The...
Largely constructed on a former rail corridor running north/south out of the city of Waseca, the Loon Lake Trail is a short but sweet trail that provides residents with off-road access to important...
The East 55th Street Path is an asphalt sidepath that runs along the side of 55th Street through a suburban stretch of northern Rochester, providing a key connection in the area's bike and pedestrian...
While the idea is to have a bike-ped loop around the city of New Ulm, on the ground there are two discrete off-street segments of trail. The first is 4.9 miles long, from 20th Street to Broadway,...
The Cologne Community Trail meanders from the south to the north of the city of Cologne linking residents to important civic and recreational destinations in their community. The asphalt recreational...
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Located in the low-lying woodlands in along Wolf Creek, this trail picks up across 11th Street from Todd Park and its paved bike trail. The trail winds through the riparian forests on lands once owned...
Although short, the River Bend Trail provides access to a recreational gem, the River Bend Nature Center, a 750-acre park with woodlands, prairie, rivers, and ponds. Along the way, the paved trail...
The Blazing Star State Trail is located in Albert Lea, near Minnesota’s southern border. The town is known as “The Land Between the Lakes,” and the trail begins on the northern shore of one of the...
The Douglas State Trail occupies the railbed of the former Chicago Great Western Railway corridor between the cities of Rochester and Pine Island. Several of the concrete obelisk railroad mile markers...
Offering nearly 10 miles of paved pathway through Rochester, the Zumbro South Trail serves as both an important transportation route and recreational destination. As the western end of the trail...
Offering a pleasant path along the southern side of Cascade Lake, the Cascade Lake Trail allows cyclists and pedestrians to explore the grounds around the lakeshore and Cascade Lake Park, home to a...
The Goodhue Pioneer State Trail is a work in progress as part of a planned 47-mile trail linking the cities of Red Wing, Goodhue, Zumbrota, Mazeppa, Bellechester, and Pine Island along an inactive...
The paved North Minnesota River Trail hugs its namesake river for much of its journey on the western end of Mankato. Along the way, it offers views of the river, limestone cliffs and the city. From...
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 Straight River Trail forms a backwards L as it runs north-south through Faribault and then curves west. The paved trail begins at the Cannon River Reservoir, then travels through woodlands in Two...
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 Ridge View Manor Trail is a short trail that branches off from the Douglas State Trail, connecting the popular recreation pathway with growing suburban developments in northwestern Rochester. The...
A short neighborhood trail that runs through Summit Pointe Park in northwest Rochester, the Summit Pointe Trail provides a great outlet for cyclists and pedestrians to get some exercise and outdoor...
Spanning over three miles along the side of Highway 52 as it runs through Rochester, the North Frontage Trail provides a space for cyclists and pedestrians alongside all the nearby automotive traffic....
Shooting Star State Trail, currently 19 miles long, is an 8-foot-wide asphalt path from LeRoy (east) to Rose Creek (west). It follows an unused railroad bed on Milwaukee Road, which once stretched...
Named after a Seneca Indian chief who lived in the area until the 1830s, the Red Jacket Trail runs along an old Milwaukee Road (formerly the Minnesota Railroad and the Central Railroad) right-of-way...
The Lincolnshire Trail is an asphalt pathway that shoots off from the longer Douglas State Trail, providing a short spur that gives cyclists and pedestrians access to the Lincolnshire-Arbor Glen...
The East 55th Street Path is an asphalt sidepath that runs along the side of 55th Street through a suburban stretch of northern Rochester, providing a key connection in the area's bike and pedestrian...
A suburban sidepath trail that runs along the western edge of Rochester, Minnesota, the West Circle Drive Bike Path provides an important link in the city's expanding trail network. The path runs...
Covering a residential section of northwestern Rochester, the West 55th Street Path helps connect neighborhood residents with the rest of Rochester's expansive trail network, including the lovely and...
A short neighborhood trail that runs through Summit Pointe Park in northwest Rochester, the Summit Pointe Trail provides a great outlet for cyclists and pedestrians to get some exercise and outdoor...
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 Minneopa Trail is part of Mankato's catalogue of trails including Red Jacket Trail, the South Route Trail, the North Minnesota River Trail and the nearly 40-mile Skatah Singing Hills State...
Shooting Star State Trail, currently 19 miles long, is an 8-foot-wide asphalt path from LeRoy (east) to Rose Creek (west). It follows an unused railroad bed on Milwaukee Road, which once stretched...
The paved North Minnesota River Trail hugs its namesake river for much of its journey on the western end of Mankato. Along the way, it offers views of the river, limestone cliffs and the city. From...
On the northwestern edge of Rochester, the 50th Avenue Bike Path runs across over two miles of rolling hills, an asphalt sidepath trail that follows the west side of the road as it passes through open...
The Goodhue Pioneer State Trail is a work in progress as part of a planned 47-mile trail linking the cities of Red Wing, Goodhue, Zumbrota, Mazeppa, Bellechester, and Pine Island along an inactive...
The Douglas-Cascade Trail extends 2 miles southeast towards downtown Rochester from the southern terminus of the Douglas State Trail. The paved trail, a portion of which follows the former Chicago...
The Straight River Trail forms a backwards L as it runs north-south through Faribault and then curves west. The paved trail begins at the Cannon River Reservoir, then travels through woodlands in Two...
Linking some of Rochester's most popular parks and recreation sites, the Cascade Creek Trail follows its namesake creek for over three miles, from Manorwoods Lake and Cascade Lake in the west, to the...
Closure notice: Beginning Tuesday, May 26, a 6 mile portion of the Sakatah Singing Hills State Trail will be closed for reconstruction. The portion of trail affected by this closure is from 5th St. NW...
Faribault is a city about half an hour south of Minneapolis-St. Paul, and the eastern endpoint of one of Minnesota's 40-mile Sakatah Singing Hills State Trail. In addition to the regional trails, the...
The Ridge View Manor Trail is a short trail that branches off from the Douglas State Trail, connecting the popular recreation pathway with growing suburban developments in northwestern Rochester. The...
The Cologne Community Trail meanders from the south to the north of the city of Cologne linking residents to important civic and recreational destinations in their community. The asphalt recreational...
The Northern Link Trail provides a pleasant walking and biking experience in Faribault County. The hard surface trail forms a V-shape, starting at the Two Rivers Park parking area in the east and...
Named after a Seneca Indian chief who lived in the area until the 1830s, the Red Jacket Trail runs along an old Milwaukee Road (formerly the Minnesota Railroad and the Central Railroad) right-of-way...
Largely constructed on a former rail corridor running north/south out of the city of Waseca, the Loon Lake Trail is a short but sweet trail that provides residents with off-road access to important...
The East 55th Street Path is an asphalt sidepath that runs along the side of 55th Street through a suburban stretch of northern Rochester, providing a key connection in the area's bike and pedestrian...
Although short, the River Bend Trail provides access to a recreational gem, the River Bend Nature Center, a 750-acre park with woodlands, prairie, rivers, and ponds. Along the way, the paved trail...
This trail wonders through tree tunnels, bridges over train tracks, grassy fields full of wildflowers and spotted several groups of deer. Many places along the route however have bad cracks and yes I worried about my spokes as did the 2014 reviewer. Was surprised to see the 2017 review said it was newly paved. Beautiful ride just watch the road.
Fun enough for a little trail linking some suburban communities. The section of the trail in Cologne itself is prettiest, with a nicr downtown and lake view.
My 14 year old daughter and I rode this trail from Mankato to Elysian and back. There are a few places where the trail was out in the open sun, but it was mostly shaded and in good shape. There were a few short patches close to Mankato where they appear to be resurfacing. It would be dirt or rock for about 20 feet or so. No big deal as the rest of the trail was in great shape. There are not a lot of services on this segment of the trail. A port-a-potty in Madison lake. No water until Elysian. It seems the trail was slightly uphill heading east. My daughter struggled a bit on the way to Elysian -- there was also a slight headwind. But the return trip was smooth sailing.
In Elysian there was a wonderful ice cream shop called Scoops right off of the trail. They had plenty of tables outside in the shade, good ice cream and there were other riders there to chat with. Highly recommend this stop!
One thing to note: the trail endpoint in Mankato doesn't have parking and we couldn't find the trail. Instead go to the first parking marker on the Mankato end which is about .5 miles from the actual endpoint.
We cycled from the Land of Memories Campground to the Mankato Family YMCA and started there. The first part of the trail passes through residential areas with a number of street crossings. The trail was rather narrow compared to other bike trails we have ridden. There are no mileage markers along the way.
The trail is shaded for most of the way and ends abruptly at Huffy Lane. There is no indication or sign that we had reached the end of the trail so we continued on the road for a couple of blocks to the small village of Rapidan. Not much there. The route towards Rapidan was a slight uphill grade so made for an easy ride back to Mankato. The trail is paved but could use a bit of maintenance in some sections. The trail was OK but nothing to rave about.
The day I went, it was not ridable west of Chaska.
We enjoyed our ride on the Cannon Valley Trail. Small fissures are clearly marked and are to be expected since maintenance depends on volunteers. Only wish underbrush could be cleared where the trail wends close to the river for better river views. We road round trip from Cannon Falls to Red Wing.
We parked at the trailhead parking lot on Lime Valley Road in Mankato. If you use the address 193 Lime Valley Road you’ll find the trailhead. We cycled to Madison Lake before turning around. We have hybrid bicycles. Total round trip about 19 miles.
The trail is under a canopy of trees for the most part with the first two miles or so being heavily shaded. This is quite a change for us who spend most of our time in the desert southwest! There has been recent trail work in the first mile. Two or three very, very small sections of the trail were being repaired and waiting to be repaved. We’re talking maybe a couple of 50’ sections now on dirt but very passable. There was one road crossing where the actual road (not the trail) was being resurfaced so you had to walk your bike across the street. Overall, the surface of the trail was pretty good. There were a couple of spots where there were cracks across the entire trail but was manageable. As a previous reviewer mentioned, there are no trail markers on this trail so the bike odometer comes in handy. No amenities on the trail. There were a couple of new housing developments springing up alongside the trail so you find locals walking or jogging in those areas. I would recommend this segment of the trail.
We stayed in Cedar Rapids on our way to Minnesota and had heard about the Cannon Valley Trail. We weren’t sure where to start and the condition of the trail so thought We’d leave a review. We started at Cedar Lake and headed south rewards Ely. In hind-site it would have been better to start at the Czech village where there is plenty of parking. It’s confusing to ride through town. The path to Ely was great and we had heard that the path to Solon was not good, but it has been recently redone and is in great shape. We road 18 miles out and back for 36 total. Very enjoyable ride. Also quite a few restaurants and brewpubs at Czech village(we stopped at Lion Brewery) and would give it a thumbs up too. If your going north you could probably park at Cedar Lake and go north but we didn’t complete that part. Will try that next time. It was a great find and enjoyed it all
I rode from Faribault to a few miles past Madison Lake. Great paved trail in pristine condition. There was HIGHWAY/ROAD closure by Elysian on the road parallel to the trail for a couple miles. BUT, the paved trail is in the trees and NOT on the road…so no problem for riding. I did start at 6am to beat the 97f heat. 63mile round trip.
Pavement is good and the view of Loon Lake is nice. Clear Lake trail is better if you're in the area but still had fun here.
I love this trail! Sure, it’s not perfectly paved, but I understand it must have been difficult to perform upkeep given the pandemic. Watch out for bumps and cracks and you’ll be alright! There are many gorgeous views and the trees lining the trail are beautiful.
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