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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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 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 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...
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...
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....
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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...
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...
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...
A straightforward asphalt sidepath trail, the St. Bridgets Bike Path runs along the side of its namesake roadway in southern Rochester, in a residential and commercial pocket just off Highway 63....
Running through the Meadow Park neighborhood in southern Rochester, the Meadow Park Bike Path provides a convenient connection for residents of the nearby neighborhoods to reach popular local parks...
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...
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 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 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...
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...
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 Salem Road Bike Path is an asphalt sidepath trail that runs along Salem Road and West Frontage Road in a pretty, suburban section of southern Rochester. The pathway picks up where the West Circle...
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...
Paralleling South Broadway and 16th Street in the heart of Rochester, the Graham Park Trail provides a nice alternative to the busy roadways for cyclists and pedestrians, leading trail users along a...
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...
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...
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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...
The Wapsi–Great Western Line Trail is a 27-mile pathway on the former Chicago Great Western Railroad. The trail passes through a plethora of backdrops, including wide, rolling landscapes, Iowa...
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...
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...
Running alongside Marion Road in southern Rochester, the Marion Road Bike Path provides an asphalt sidepath trail for cyclists and pedestrians to use - together with the Bear Creek Trail and 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...
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...
Paralleling South Broadway and 16th Street in the heart of Rochester, the Graham Park Trail provides a nice alternative to the busy roadways for cyclists and pedestrians, leading trail users along a...
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 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 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 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...
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....
A straightforward asphalt sidepath trail, the St. Bridgets Bike Path runs along the side of its namesake roadway in southern Rochester, in a residential and commercial pocket just off Highway 63....
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 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 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...
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...
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...
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...
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,...
Running alongside Marion Road in southern Rochester, the Marion Road Bike Path provides an asphalt sidepath trail for cyclists and pedestrians to use - together with the Bear Creek Trail and the...
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 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 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...
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 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...
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 Wapsi–Great Western Line Trail is a 27-mile pathway on the former Chicago Great Western Railroad. The trail passes through a plethora of backdrops, including wide, rolling landscapes, Iowa...
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...
A straightforward asphalt sidepath trail, the St. Bridgets Bike Path runs along the side of its namesake roadway in southern Rochester, in a residential and commercial pocket just off Highway 63....
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...
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 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 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 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 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...
Rode Norh from Riceville to end of paved trail ~10 miles. In McIntire watch for signs on the back of street signs to navigate through town and checkout Goosey's bar an grill if you are hungry. Saw Amish horses and farms.
The pavement is in great condition, bridges are smooth. Check ahead for business hours if you are visiting on a weekday and want lunch on the trail. We stayed at the Stone Mill Inn in Lanesboro and they have a bike shed available, I recommend them.
We went yesterday and honestly one of the best trails I’ve ever been on. Beautiful and easy to ride. Love, love, loved it!!!
If you live in the La Crossse area, this is a great trail to experience. It's an easy walk, jog, or bike experience from Onalaska to Trempleau.
However, there are no (MAYBE one) bathroom facilities on this trail. You may be tempted to just jump off trail into the shrubbery only to find out you made a critical mistake: poison ivy.
Be warned, if you start itching get checkout ASAP, don't wait 2 weeks like I did and feel awesome for 3 months.
This trail is an easy 3.5 out of 5 stars. Is there a potential for 4 stars, by all means yes.
We traversed the trail from Marshland to Onalaska. We split our ride over 2 days. Staying at the Trempealeau Hotel and heading north to Marshland the first day and then south to Onalaska the second. The Trempealeau Hotel was nice. The bar and restaurant were closed the day we stayed there, so more peace and quiet than maybe usual - we loved it.
The owner also was very helpful helping us find restaurants during our trip that complied fully with Covid guidance.
The trail is in excellant shape. Many parts are shaded which is wonderful especially on a 95 degree day! There are NOT a lot of views of the Mississippi River. We biked through Trempealeau and through Perrot State Park which provided beautiful views of the river. There is access back onto the trail in the State Park campgrounds- right before site #87. The trail is bordered by the beauty of nature-trees, marsh, meadows and its quiet-not near any major roads. It does parallel an active railroad in the section south of Trempealeau but that was kind of cool to bike next to a train going by and only one train did. There are many small bridges and one beautiful old railroad tressel bridge not too far south of Trempealeau. Also had a bike repair done at the Trempealeau Driftless Bike N' Bean store that allowed us to continue our adventure. The owner was helpful and friendly. In Onalaska there was a beautiful visitor center and across the street a delightuful place to eat- David Reay's Modern Diner- with outdoor dining and all staff wearing masks. Food was excellant and definately try the cheese curds. The best I have ever had
I am not sure what they are doing with everyone's $5 as both trail heads were a very rough ride. The trail is mostly flat and straight which gets quite boring. Our ride was less than 700ft of elevation for a 50+ mile ride if you go down the Hayward trail as well (which was smoother than the CVT).
The trail was very busy to the point of being a nuisance.
Pros would be a view of the river, few road crossing and the trail is sheltered/shaded for 95% of the ride.
I will not do this ride again, there are too many better rides out there.
Rode from Hay Creek Campground along riverbank and horse trail. In good condition and a fun pig tail under Pioneer Road.
The whole thing is a circle, so getting back is easy
I rode this trail as it branched off of the Cannon Valley Trail going into Cannon Falls. The first segment looks like an ancient city trail that is very narrow with rough pavement. After a mile or so it sends you into a little park on dirt, down a hill then back up on gravel. I bypass this by going through the parking lot and then the road where the new segment starts which has smooth pavement and a few hills with an underpass under Hwy 52 and a view of the Cannon River.
This leads to a nice park/campground--Lake Byllesby. It has recently been re-modeled. There are a few old sites along the lake that have shade & grass. The rest of the new sites (over 60 of them) have no shade or grass, just an asphalt pad, some gravel, electricity and a grill or fire pit. It has very nice bathroom facilities. The swimming beach was closed when I was here in late July, although you can swim on the Goodhue side of the park.
As far as the rest of the trail goes there are some huge gaps once you're done with Northfield and Cannon Falls. Some day when it's all connected it will be worth the extra effort.
This is a nice, pleasant trail but is in need of TLC. Lots of ruts & broken cracked pavement. There are several very nice new bridges west of Welch into Cannon Falls which also have new pavement nearby. It's mostly uphill towards Cannon, so if the wind isn't opposing you it will be almost a coast back to Welch.
The trail fee at least keeps up basic maintenance such as mowing, blowing, cutting fallen branches, etc. The trail head at Welch could definatly use some upgrades such as the rest rooms which probably go back 30-40 years. The water is awful but there probably isn't much that can be done about that. The cell coverage is very poor at Welch but improves at both ends.
As far as any amenities along the way, there isn't much--bring your own water & snacks. Much better choices are available if you ride into Red Wing which also has some scenic trails along the Mississippi River.
Started at Welch and road to cannon falls. About 20 miles round trip. The scenery is great. Great mile markets and benches or picnic tables along the way. The reason i did not give a 5 is because the asphalt trail itself is inconsistent. Some areas it’s smooth, other areas it is bumpy or lots of patches.
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