Resources for Planning a Minnesota Summer Biking Vacation

Summer is just around the corner and now is the time to start planning your Summer biking vacation(s).  With so many biking destinations around our great state you may want to get more information to help you decide where to go and where to stay.  There are so many resources available at your fingertips that planning your trip has become easier than ever.  Cities and regions around Minnesota are competing for your travel dollars this summer and they have made it easy to find more information about their destinations to attract you.

Minnesota has a lot to offer cyclists whether your discipline is road cycling, mountain biking, gravel, trail or bikepacking.  A great place to start is the Explore Minnesota website.  There is a lot of information here to help you plan the kind of rides you would like to take.  It contains an array of brochures that you can download, view online or have mailed to you.  Quite a few free regional brochures are listed for all areas of the state that can also be selected for mailing.  Go to the Explore Minnesota Travel Guides page to access these brochures.  There are also planning tools beyond just the website, Explore Minnesota Tourism staffs a travel information center with travel counselors that will help you with customized information (by phone, mail or e-mail) for planning your trip.

The 2015-16 Pedal MN Minnesota Biking Guide is another great place to start.  This free publication is available to view online, download or have mailed to you.  It is full of information on paved trails, on-road touring and mountain biking around the state.  It also contains links to trail maps, events and biking destination areas.  Another useful source of Minnesota cycling information is the Pedal Minnesota website that is filled with upcoming events, places to ride, trail information and trip planning resources.

If you have a destination in mind for your trip, try heading to the tourism or visitor's bureau website for that area or city.  Sites like Visit Duluth, Iron Range Tourism, Cuyuna Lake Chamber of Commerce and Root River Trail Towns are full of information that will help you find lodging, dining, attractions, events and area trails.  You may also visit my MN Tourism Resources page for a huge listing of online resources throughout the state.

The Minnesota DNR website contains all sorts of information on biking including State Trails, State Parks & Recreation Areas, State Forests, camping/lodging and other biking opportunities.  If you're looking to get off the beaten path, do some bikepacking or ride somewhere with great scenery, the DNR website is a great choice to get you started.

Summer is right around the corner, so use the wealth of information available on the Internet to make planning your next biking trip a breeze.  For easy to find trail maps and trail information for the Twin Cities Area, Southern MN, Central MN and Northern MN, don't forget about MN Bike Trail Navigator.  I have already done the research to find the links so you don't have to.

New Fatbike Trails Opening Up Around Minnesota

With the ever-increasing popularity of fatbikes, Winter trail access in Minnesota is growing.  The Minnesota DNR issued a News Release last week adding 58 new miles open to fatbiking in Minnesota State Parks and on State Trails.  These are not the only new places to ride in Minnesota this Winter, more are popping up around the state.

Twin Cities Area

The City of Golden Valley has partnered with the Three Rivers Park District and will groom two multi-use trails at Brookview Golf Course that will be open to fatbiking.  Trail lengths will be 3/4 mile and 3 1/2 miles of unlit corduroy that will be maintained through late February.  The Brookview Grill will be open for food and cocktails Friday through Sunday until February 16th.  For more information see my post Brookview Golf Course Opens to Fatbikes This Winter.

Lake Elmo Park Reserve has 2.5 miles on the Big Bluestem Trail that will be packed multi-use and includes fatbiking.  A Washington County Parks Vehicle Permit is required on all vehicles entering the park.  More information can be found in the Washington County Parks Winter Trails-Lake Elmo Park Reserve Brochure.

Cleary Lake Regional Park in Prior Lake grooms trails for cross-country skiing and according to Explore Minnesota it also has a "fat tire" trail with bike rentals available during the winter.  Call Cleary Lake Regional Park (763-694-7777) for more information.

As part of the announcement from the Minnesota DNR last week, Fort Snelling State Park has added 6 new miles of packed multi-use trails.  The Luce Line State Trail is groomed for multi-use including fatbiking from Vicksburg Lane to Stubbs Bay Road.  The Gateway State Trail is plowed from Cuyuga Street to Jamaca Avenue opening up 11.9 miles of trails to all winter biking.

Southern MN

CROCT (Cannon River Offroad Cycling and Trails) opened their first mtb trail at Sechler Park in Northfield on November 15th.  The 1.2 mile two-way singletrack runs through the wooded floodplain along the Cannon River and is open to Winter biking.  For the latest trail conditions follow @CROCTconditions on Twitter.

Sechler Park River Bottoms Trail

The Mankato Area Mountain Bikers (MAMB) have finished the two loops of mountain bike trails at the Kiwanis Recreation Area and they are open for Winter fatbiking.  The short loop is a 1 mile beginner-rated trail and the long loop is a 4 mile intermediate-rated trail.  For updated trail conditions at the Kiwanis MTB Trail, visit the MAMB Facebook page.

Kiwanis Mountain Bike Trail

The Winona Area Mountain Bikers (WAMB) will be grooming the trails at the top of Cherry Hill and portions of Holzinger Lodge this Winter.  According to a post on the MORC Trail Conditions Forum for Holzinger Lodge, "WAMB has come to an agreement with the City of Winona to groom portions of the trail that are accessible by snow machine. This will include the Low Rollers and the Wildwood Loop at the top. Cistern, Horse Trail and Quarry will not be groomed due to the rough terrain."  For updates on these two trails, visit the WAMB Facebook page.

The Minnesota DNR has opened 13 miles of groomed trails from Pine Island to Rochester on the Douglas State Trail to fatbiking as well as 6 miles of groomed trails at the Blazing Star State Trail/Myre-Big Island State Park.

 

 
Central & Northern MN

Isanti County Parks has added over 15 miles of multi-use (hiking, snow shoeing, fat tire biking or cross country skiing) groomed trails this Winter.  These include 5 miles at Springvale County Park, 3 miles at Becklin Homestead County Park, 3 miles at Irvin and John Anderson County Park, 2 miles at Vegsund Family County Park and 2 miles at Wayside Prairie County Park.  For the latest trail conditions, visit the Isanti County Parks Facebook page or call 763-689-8220.

Image Credit: Stearns County Parks

Stearns County Parks has opened up fatbiking on its multi-use (Winter Walking/Dog Walking/Snowshoeing/Fat Tire Biking) trails in five parks. These parks include Kraemer Lake–Wildwood County Park, Lake Koronis Regional Park, Mississippi River County Park, Quarry Park & Nature Preserve and Warner Lake County Park.  For more information contact Stearns County Parks at 320-255-6172 or by email at parkinfo@co.stearns.mn.us.

Soo Line West

Soo Line East

The Morrison County Board of Commissioners recently reviewed its rules for recreational trails including the use of fatbikes.  The Recreational Trail Rules and Regulations Ordinance that will affect the Soo Line East and Soo Line West trails would allow snowmobiling, fat-tire bicycling and cross country skiing from December 1st through March 31st as long as there is snow cover of three or more inches on the trail.  This will provide 36 miles of trail for fatbiking.  The ordinance also states “the trail is closed and may not be used for any purpose (hiking, biking, skiing, ATVing or snowmobiling) from Nov. 1 through Nov. 30 of each year.”  For more information or questions regarding the use of these trails should contact the Morrison County Public Works Department at 320-632-0121.

COGGS (Cyclists of Gitchee Gumee Shores) will be grooming six miles of newly completed trails at Mission Creek and “purposeful snowshoeing” the trails at Brewers Park in Duluth to pack the trails for fatbike riding.  Brewer Park consists of Brewer Park (beginner), Homebrew, Lollygagger and Kissing Booth and links up with Piedmont across Haines Road.  For trail conditions at Mission Creek visit @COGGSMissionCrk and Piedmont/Brewer Park visit @COGGSPiedmontTC.

Maplelag Resort in Callaway announced last week it will have their snowshoe trail and the three miles of Twin Lakes Singletrack packed and open for fatbiking.  Forest roads in the area will also be another option for fatbike riding.  For more information or questions contact Maplelag Resort by calling them at 218-375-4466 or sending an email to maplelag@tvutel.com.

The Minnesota DNR has 20 miles of groomed trails at Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area.  New trails include 5.4 miles of groomed trails at Jay Cooke State Park and 8.7 miles of groomed trails for fatbikes and ski skating at Split Rock Lighthouse State Park.

Remember to always follow IMBA's Fat Bike Best Practices and help give our sport a good name to gain more trail access in the future.

MN DNR Issues News Release on New Fatbike Riding Opportunities

Minnehaha Trail-Fort Snelling State Park
Image Credit: Bonnie Moebeck

The Minnesota DNR issued a News Release on December 15th that details the expansion of fatbike riding opportunities throughout the state.  These opportunities include 58 new miles open to fatbiking in Minnesota State Parks and on State Trails.  This is in addition to the 20 miles already in use at Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area near Ironton.  Minnesota State Parks and Trails has also implemented a Winter Fat Biking Pilot Project to assist in finding places to ride and they would also like rider feedback that includes comments, suggestions and ways to improve these new winter fatbike trails.

The Minnesota DNR has maps of these new fatbike-friendly trails available for download.  These maps clearly detail fatbike/multi-use trails from snowshoe/ski/hiking only trails through the use of color to distinguish use (see each map's legend).

Image Credit: Minnesota DNR

In Northern Minnesota, Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area has 20 miles of groomed trails, Jay Cooke State Park has added 5.4 miles of trails to be groomed and Split Rock Lighthouse State Park will groom 8.7 miles of trails for fatbikes and ski skating.

Twin Cities Metro Area fatbike trail opportunities include Fort Snelling State Park with 6 miles of packed muti-use trails, the Luce Line State Trail has 7 miles of groomed multi-use trails and the Gateway State Trail is plowed from Cuyuga Street to Jamaca Avenue opening up 11.9 miles of trails to all winter biking.

In Southern Minnesota there are 13 miles of groomed trails from Pine Island to Rochester on the Douglas State Trail and the Blazing Star State Trail/Myre-Big Island State Park has added 6 miles of groomed trails.

Image Credit: Jake Hawkes/IMBA

Other opportunities for fatbiking from the MN DNR include:

Winter fat biking is allowed on trails that are signed and identified on DNR maps as open to fat biking, such as:

• State forest roads or trails that are identified as allowing bicycling, unless they are groomed and tracked for cross-country skiing or snowmobiling only.*
• State park and state recreation area trails designated for bicycling, including some non-motorized multi-use trails that may be shared with skiers, walkers, or snowshoers, unless they are groomed and tracked for cross-country skiing or snowmobiling only.*
• State park roads, where motor vehicles are allowed, except those posted closed for biking.
• State trails, except those groomed and tracked for cross-country skiing or snowmobiling only.

*NOTE: Most ski and snowmobile trails do not allow other uses. Skier and snowmobiler user fees pay for grooming and maintenance.

Areas to avoid riding fatbikes from the MN DNR:

While groomed snowmobile and ski trails can be an appealing ride option, most of those types of trails are not open to other uses due to concerns regarding safety and trail grooming costs that are paid through user fees. Please remember to be thoughtful and courteous as you seek out opportunities to enjoy the sport of winter fat biking.
Winter fat biking is not allowed on:

• Most snowmobile trails, including the grant-in-aid (GIA) trail system. As a general rule for everyone's safety, please avoid fat biking on any snowmobile trail.
• Most groomed and tracked cross-country ski trails, which are for skiing only
• Any trail that is not specifically identified as open for bicycling, including hiking or snowshoeing trails in state parks or state recreation areas.

For more information on where to ride fatbikes in Minnesota, contact the DNR Information Center at info.dnr@state.mn.us or 651-296-6157 or 888-646-6367 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Remember to always follow IMBA's Fat Bike Best Practices.

Best Times and Places For Fall Color Rides With Help From the MN DNR

Image Credit: MN DNR

Fall is one of my favorite times of the year for bicycling and the Minnesota DNR has several tools available to help you experience the color changes throughout the state.  The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Fall Color Map has now gone live and will be updated by State Park and State Recreation Area (SRA's) staff by noon every Thursday.  With the wet Spring Minnesota has had and a good growing season during the Summer, trees are very healthy and a magnificent color display is expected throughout the state now through mid-October. 

To coincide your bike rides with the peak color changes using your smartphone or tablet, the MN DNR also has a Fall Colors Mobile version that is integrated with Google Maps.  It will display a map for typical peak colors around the state and provide a list view or  map view of State Park and SRA's with percentage of color change.  Click on any listing for more details on where to go, what you'll see and other things of interest.  Each listing also has links to events, a map view and the corresponding MN DNR webpage.

Minnesota has 24 State Trails with scenic views to check out the fall colors.  Whether you prefer to ride on paved, aggregate or natural surface trail, there are many miles to explore.  Visit the Minnesota State Trails Start Up Guide to pick a trail that is right for you.

I published a four part series of posts entitled "Favorite Trails for Fall Color Rides" two years ago that list some of my favorite places to ride during the Fall.  These are some really fun trails with great scenery.  They can be read at the following links:  Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4.  Give them a try, they will not disappoint.

Image Credit:  MN DNR

If adventure riding or forest roads are a little more your style the Minnesota DNR has a page with information about biking in Minnesota State Forests.  There are over 2000 miles of forest roads and thousands of logging trails to explore.  See my post Explore Minnesota's State Forests by Mountain Bike With Resources From the MN DNR.

Fall is a wonderful time of year for biking and with a little help from the MN DNR you can find out where and when to go for a great riding experience.

Resources To Help You Plan Your Minnesota Summer Biking Trips

Root River State Trail

Now that the weather is beginning to warm up and summer is fast approaching, you may be thinking about planning your Minnesota biking trip(s).  With so many biking destinations around our great state, you may want to get more information to help you decide where to go and where to stay.  There are so many resources available at your fingertips that planning your trip has become easier than ever.  Cities and regions around Minnesota are competing for your travel dollars this summer and they have made it easy to find more information about their destinations to attract you.

Willard Munger State Trail

A great place to start is the Explore Minnesota website.  There is a lot of information here to help you plan the kind of rides you would like to take.  It contains an array of brochures that you can download, view online or have mailed to you.  Quite a few free regional brochures are listed for all areas of the state that can also be selected for mailing.  Go to the Explore Minnesota Travel Guides page to access these brochures.  There are also planning tools beyond just the website, Explore Minnesota Tourism staffs a travel information center with travel counselors that will help you with customized information (by phone, mail or e-mail) for planning your trip.

Red Jacket Trail

One brochure you may find particularly useful is the 2013/2014 Explore Minnesota Biking Guide.  It contains maps of bike trails, trail information by region (Southern, Central, Northeast, Northwest and Twin Cities area), on-road touring and information about Minnesota's best mountain biking destinations.  The Trail Listings segment informs you about the trails, area businesses and scheduled monthly bike rides complete with website links to bring you more details.  Another useful source of Minnesota cycling information is the Pedal Minnesota website that is filled with upcoming events, places to ride, trail information and trip planning resources.

Lake Wobegon Regional Trail

If you have a destination in mind for your trip, try heading to the tourism or visitor's bureau website for that area or city.  Sites like Visitduluth.com, Minneapolis.org, Cuyunalakes.com and Lanesboro.com are full of information that will help you find lodging, dining, attractions, events and area trails.  Visit my MN Tourism Resources page for a huge listing of online resources throughout the state.

Afton State Park

Minnesota has an abundance of State Parks with scenic trails for biking, mountain biking and hiking.  These State Parks are scattered throughout Minnesota and chances are there is one near you or your vacation destination.  The Minnesota DNR provides a lot of information on it's website about our State Parks and all they have to offer.  Go to the Minnesota State Parks page to find out more.

Summer is right around the corner, so use the wealth of information available on the internet to make planning your next biking trip a breeze.  For easy to find trail maps and trail information for the Twin Cities Area, Southern MN, Central MN, Northern MN and MN MTB Project Trails, don't forget about MN Bike Trail Navigator.  I have already done the research to find the links so you don't have to.