Find the top rated bike trails in Rochester, whether you're looking for an easy short bike trail or a long bike trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a bike trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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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...
Named in the memory of Arianna Celeste Macnamara, a 7-year old girl who was tragically killed when she was struck by a car while crossing a nearby intersection, the Arianna Celeste Macnamara Memorial...
The Essex Park Trail is a short, paved trail that connects neighborhoods in northern Rochester with the verdant grounds of Essex Park, home to playgrounds and plenty of open recreation space. 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...
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...
Along much of its route, the Root River State Trail follows the winding course of its namesake river for 42 miles through the Minnesota towns of Fountain, Lanesboro, Whalan, Peterson, Rushford, and...
The Foster-Arend Trail helps connect residents in northern Rochester with the rest of the city's network of trails and bike paths, and leads into Foster-Arend Park, a popular local park that offers...
Stretching for over five miles along the south fork of the Zumbro River, the Zumbro North Trail acts as part of the backbone of the city of Rochester's fantastic network of trails and bike paths,...
This multiuse trail is named in honor of a man who worked to make sure Rochester residents had safe places to walk and cycle. John Wellner was the city's infrastructure manager for 18 years, during...
The Southern Woods Trail is a short, paved trail that runs through a pretty section of suburban southern Rochester. The trail starts in the north where the 48th Street Bike Path crosses over Willow...
The Valleyhigh Road Bike Path is a paved asphalt sidepath trail that provides a short connection between several paths in Rochester's system of multi-use trails. The western end marks the beginning of...
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...
A neighborhood offshoot of the longer Zumbro South Trail, the Mayowood Bike Path is an asphalt sidepath trail that parallels Mayowood Road in southern Rochester. The trail is relatively flat, running...
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...
Although only stretching a half mile, the paved Red Wing Riverfront Trail, which opened in 2016, offers an important connection between two parks along the Mississippi River in the charming community...
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 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...
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...
A short sidepath trail that runs through a neighborhood in the southern reaches of Rochester, the Hart Farms Trail offers a pleasant asphalt path for local residents. Sharing the roadside with a row...
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 short sidepath trail that runs through a neighborhood in the southern reaches of Rochester, the Hart Farms Trail offers a pleasant asphalt path for local residents. Sharing the roadside with a row...
The Batchelder Trail is a local walking and biking path in Faribault, Minnesota, a city south of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro. The asphalt trail starts on Park Avenue and winds behind a residential...
Although only stretching a half mile, the paved Red Wing Riverfront Trail, which opened in 2016, offers an important connection between two parks along the Mississippi River in the charming community...
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 Southern Woods Trail is a short, paved trail that runs through a pretty section of suburban southern Rochester. The trail starts in the north where the 48th Street Bike Path crosses over Willow...
The Essex Park Trail is a short, paved trail that connects neighborhoods in northern Rochester with the verdant grounds of Essex Park, home to playgrounds and plenty of open recreation space. The...
Forming a circuit around a suburban development in southern Rochester, The Gardens Trail offers a dose of natural beauty and recreation just off of the busy nearby highway. The trail branches off from...
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 Harmony–Preston Valley State Trail runs 18 miles on a north-south line between the town of Harmony and the Root River State Trail, which it meets between Lanesboro and Fountain. The paved trail is...
The 30.4-mile Chippewa River State Trail kicks off at the confluence of the Eau Claire and Chippewa Rivers in downtown Eau Claire’s Phoenix Park, where visitors can access a walking labyrinth,...
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...
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...
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...
Rochester, Minnesota is home to a whole host of excellent multi-use pathways and trails, giving cyclists and pedestrians ample opportunity to explore the outdoors and get in plenty of safe recreation...
Connecting neighborhoods and trails in southern Rochester with the important Cascade Creek Trail corridor, the South Frontage Bike Path serves a key role in the off-road transportation network,...
The Prairie Farmer Recreational Trail follows part of the former Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad corridor, which traces its origins as far back as 1866. Its history lives on in...
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...
Located within the wooded acres of Quarry Hill Park, a popular recreation destination in Rochester, the Quarry Hill Family Trail is a flat, paved multi-use trail that serves as a connection in the...
A short offshoot of the longer Zumbro North Trail, the Elton Hills Run Trail provides a quick and convenient connection to the neighborhoods to the west of the river, as well as the small local park...
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...
Connecting neighborhoods and trails in southern Rochester with the important Cascade Creek Trail corridor, the South Frontage Bike Path serves a key role in the off-road transportation network,...
The East Circle Drive Bike Path is an asphalt sidepath in northern Rochester that helps provide a connection between the John Wellner Memorial Trail and the Zumbro North Trail, two key components of...
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 30.4-mile Chippewa River State Trail kicks off at the confluence of the Eau Claire and Chippewa Rivers in downtown Eau Claire’s Phoenix Park, where visitors can access a walking labyrinth,...
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....
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...
Rochester, Minnesota is home to a whole host of excellent multi-use pathways and trails, giving cyclists and pedestrians ample opportunity to explore the outdoors and get in plenty of safe recreation...
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...
The Southern Woods Trail is a short, paved trail that runs through a pretty section of suburban southern Rochester. The trail starts in the north where the 48th Street Bike Path crosses over Willow...
The Valleyhigh Road Bike Path is a paved asphalt sidepath trail that provides a short connection between several paths in Rochester's system of multi-use trails. The western end marks the beginning of...
The Great River Ridge State Trail runs for 13 miles between County Road 9 just north of Eyota and Third Street Southwest just north of Wabasha Street in the town of Plainview, which serves as the...
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...
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The great thing about Rochester's extensive trail system is that it gives you the best of both words: not only are the trails great for recreation out in nature, they are also convenient for commuters...
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...
The Essex Park Trail is a short, paved trail that connects neighborhoods in northern Rochester with the verdant grounds of Essex Park, home to playgrounds and plenty of open recreation space. The...
The Todd Park Bike Trail makes use of an old railroad grade to connect recreational destinations in Austin. The paved trail links Todd Park to Mill Pond on the Cedar River. The trail traverses Todd...
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...
I rode from Pine Island to a park in northern Rochester and back, total of 22 miles R/T. 95% of the ride was under tree canopy, so perfect trail for you "shade worshippers" like me (having recently been diagnosed with skin cancer). Condition of trail is not perfect (which trails are?), but certainly very good. A few spots are rough and in need of some maintenance. Very flat and comfortable ride. Weren't a lot of "creatures" along the way, but did see squirrels, gophers, Baltimore Oriole and a lone deer.
Only negative comment I have is that there were several road crossings that slowed me down, but they were gravel roads with minimal vehicle traffic.
Definitely near the top of my "best" list.
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 picked up the trail at Riverside Park and found a good amount if the trail was on the streets, in neighborhoods not very scenic.
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.
This review is for the three segments of the Root River Trail that we cycled. We began each ride from Sylvan City Park in Lanesboro. The rides were out-and-back on hybrid, non e-bikes. We were quite surprised at how many people now have e-bikes! Overall, highly recommend the trail. For theatre lovers, try to catch a play at the Commonweal Theatre in Lanesboro. I was surprised at the quality of the plays produced in such a small town.
Lanesboro to Whalan (+3 miles beyond Whalan): This segment of the trail is very popular since the trail went into the small village of Whalan which is famous for its pie shop (open only on the weekends now). The trail surface was excellent and the trail was flat. The trail is mostly shaded and runs parallel to the river at some points. There are a couple of dirt rural road crossings. Besides the pie shop, there is a recently renovated train depot in Whalan that has snacks, water, soda, etc and WiFi. The biggest complaint I had about this segment and all the segments we rode was the low overhanging tree branches. Good thing we wore helmets and sunglasses to avoid getting brushed or poked in the eye with branches. Total roundtrip about 17 miles.
Lanesboro to Fountain: This segment of the trail surface was also excellent. Except for the starting and ending points of Lanesboro and Fountain, there are no amenities on the trail. About 5 miles before reaching Fountain, the trail begins a mild uphill grade into Fountain making for a great 5 mile downhill on the way back. The trail is mostly shaded. Total roundtrip about 20 miles.
Lanesboro to Preston: The trail surface on this segment of the trail was the worse of the three. The trail was bumpy. There were tree roots on the trail, holes, and ruts. As with the other segments, the trail was mostly shaded and ended at the trailhead parking lot just outside of downtown Preston. Preston has some amenities like a brewery, sandwich shop and grocery store. This section would be very nice if the trail surface was fixed. Total roundtrip about 20 miles.
We started at the trailhead in Calmar near the depot museum. According to a sign in the depot museum window, the museum and bathrooms were closed indefinitely.
The first 3/4 mile of the trail was a little rough. There were wide cracks in the pavement and tree roots. After that, the trail improved. It is a mostly shaded trail which is good to block the wind but there were some open spaces. There are a number of rural dirt roads that you have to cross which weren’t a problem. In a couple of spots, the bike trail runs parallel to a non-paved rural road. If you get a truck or FedEx van zipping by, there is a lot of dust that is kicked up.
Except for two small shelters with a picnic table, there are no amenities along the trail. Ridgeway has a small park with a vault toilet, benches and tables just before you enter the town.
In Calmar, there is on-street parking and a few parking spaces directly across from the depot next to the train tracks. We drive a 25 ft van and we found a gravel public parking lot across from the Calmar Library at 101 Washington Street that worked for us.
Overall, a nice ride.
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.
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.
Biked from Eau Claire to Red Cedar Trail. 1st 10 miles could use maintenance. Minimal effort at upkeep. Only rest room is located in Caryville at mile 12. Nice little store in Caryville for essentials. From Caryville to Meridean trail starts to degrade even more . Beautiful ride but gotta watch the trail. Meridean to Red Cedar is in severe disrepair. If you’re gonna bike In the Eau Claire area, head towards Chippewa on the old Abe trail. Runs all the way to Cornell and a much better trail.
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