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The Bruce Vento Regional Trail is named in honor of Bruce Frank Vento, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1977 until he died in 2000, representing Minnesota’s fourth congressional district. Vento is recognized for his efforts to clean up the environment.
The regional trail, which runs for 8.3 miles, links the White Bear Lake area with the Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary on the eastern edge of downtown Saint Paul, near the Mississippi River at the intersection of Commercial St and E. 4th St.
About the Route
The trail leaves off from its northern end along Buerkle Road and heads south along the rail corridor. This section is primarily residential, with some sections briefly following along the roadside. The trail skirts Lake Phalen along a tree-lined corridor. It is difficult to see the lake from this angle, but trail users can hop on the nearby Lake Phalen Trail.
After passing through Eastside Heritage Park, the trail leaves its decidedly urban corridor as it heads south within the scenic ravine that cuts through Swede Hollow Park. Immediately south of Swede Hollow Park, the trail passes through the stone arches of the bridge known as the Seventh Street Improvement Arches. Built-in 1884, it is considered one of the most important feats of engineering in Minnesota history and one of the few examples of this style of construction in the United States—not to mention the only one of its type in Minnesota. Locally quarried limestone was used for most of the stonework: The wing walls and abutments were carved from Saint Paul gray limestone, and buff-colored Kasota limestone came from quarries in the Minnesota River Valley.
The Bruce Vento Regional Trail comes to its southern endpoint shortly after this, located along 4th St. E in the Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary.
Connections
In the Gladstone neighborhood, the trail connects to the Gateway State Trail (Willard Munger State Trail).
Trail users can connect to the Lake Phalen Trail near Lake Phalen.
Just south of Lake Phalen, the Bruce Vento Regional Trail connects to the Johnson Parkway Regional Trail.
At the southern end of the trail, the trail connects to the Indian Mounds Trail.
The Bruce Vento Regional Trail runs between Buerkle Road (White Bear Lake) and Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary (St. Paul).
Parking is available at:
See TrailLink Map for all parking options and detailed directions.
Bumpy ride in Maplewood. St. Paul section was nice, well marked, beware of the hills by the bird sanctuary.
We are able to access this trail right from our home in Maplewood. The trail is very bumpy from Maplewood all the way to Phalen. Perhaps the city is not maintaining it at this time because they want to turn it into a bus line with the trail running along side it. That would be a tragedy for all that use the trail and the homeowners that live along the trail.
Great and easy ride. Some really pretty sections (and some not), but worth the ride!
My experience would be much more pleasant if I had fat tires on my bike, but I ride a bike with thin100 lb pressure tires, so the cracks every 20 feet make for a rough ride and slow my pace. Lots of cross streets.
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.
North of the Mississippi River (it flows EW through downtown St. Paul) the Vento Trail follows an old Phalen Creek railroad to Phalen Lake. South of the river the trail shown on TrailLink as the Cherokee Trail is also signed as part of the Bruce Vento Trail.
This was a great trail and like other reviews stated there is one stretch of it that isn’t great, but doesn’t last long. I would personally start at Lake Phalen and ride north to the end instead of starting in St Paul.
Very nice and smooth trail with beautiful sceneries, lakes,ponds and little channels.
I’ve ridden this trail a few times now. It’s really nice, with smooth surfaces and pretty scenery, including Swede Hollow and the Hamm’s brewery. It’s easily accessible. Definitely a trail to check out.
Rush line bus project 2018. No more Bruce Vento trail!
Most of the trail is very nice. There is a section not far from the St. Paul end that is pretty industrial. Good news: it's a fairly short part of the trail. Leaving the trail to go around Lake Phalen is very nice.
The Bruce Veto trail is always a wonderful ride, but once the EXPRESS BUS LINE (from WBL to downtown St. Paul) is built on the trail it will die. Who wants to ride next to huge stinking diesel busses? Not Me! Don't build on our trail.
This is a beautiful paved trail that rides through the woods. Not difficult as it's mostly all flat. This trail is not very busy. It's never crowded. Quiet, peaceful.
Wide lane and scenic!
This is a mostly straight, flat trail that runs north from St Paul thru its northern suburbs. Mix of woods, fields, and houses for scenery. Lots of flowers, trees, etc. The trail runs directly next to Lake Phalen, which has a very scenic loop trail around it. Highly recommended for some nice relaxation in the St Paul area. It's nothing super-fancy; but is just a nice solid suburban trail in very good condition.
The trail has been extended on the north end as far as Buerkle Road in White Bear Lake and will be extended on the south end into the Bruce Vento Sanctuary by year's end.
"This trail has been renamed the Bruce Vento Trail in honor of the late enviromentalist Congressman. Starting from a parking lot at East 7th Street and Payne Avenue, the trail goes under a stone arch bridge with an unusual spiral-patterned stonework. Here it goes through Swede Hollow -- an historic area once occupied by succeeding groups of immigrants. It then passes by the old Hamm's Brewery.
Next comes an industrial area (some of the 3M Companies' earlier plants) before curving north to pass by Lake Phalen. Here the trail crosses the Gateway State Trail. The trail then continues through suburban Maplewood before ending at St. John's Hospital.
There are hopes of continuing the trail north from here through White Bear Lake all the way to the Anoka County line."
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