Nice trail system and great views from all around the city, well maintained and safe as far as I…read morecan tell, bikers tend to speed by fast so beware!

Wonderful bike, walking, horse trail that takes you from oronoco to pine island if you wish, mostly…read morelined with trees with some open sunny spots--typically very remote and quite every time I have explored the trail. I don't often see more than a few small critters or other folks.

Hay Creek Day Use Area is part of the Richard J. Doer State Forest. My daughter and I are in Red…read moreWing, MN for a few days and this place is my favorite. A trout creek (shallow during my visit) meanders for miles, and we just did some tent camping on state forest land (dispersed allowed) and wading, biking and hiking. You'll probably see deer and other gentler wildlife. It's legal to pick blackberries and nuts. :) There are some really nice paved trails for biking, and dirt trails for mountain biking. For hiking you'll find meandering paths through the woods. I read that this is one of the busier places because it's near Minneapolis (and touristy Red Wing and Mississippi River), but I didn't find it too busy, but not overly secluded either. For getting out and getting exercise and fresh air and getting into nature or escaping life for a while without having to use survival skills, this is a great place. You can download maps at the Department of Natural Resources website (do a search for "Hay Creek" - the Hay Creek area is within the Richard J. Doer State Forest area - there's limitations within the Day Use area). The Red Wing Public Library also has flyers at the entrance that has a rough outline of locations. Nearby is the paved Pioneer Goodhue Trail (paved for biking) which I believe turns into the Hay Creek trail. (Red Wing is very bike friendly.) "Hay Trail Road" is the primary point of access and is a gravel road a few miles long. 305th street and 310th street (or Recrecation Road) aren't marked (unless I missed it). Private and Public property does interrupt each other, signage is weak but exists. Fishing is allowed (we didn't fish), and there's snowmobiling paths. I do believe hunting is allowed in some spots (check the map). Someone official with papers did stop to ask if we were fishing, pleasant man, we weren't - but if you fish or hunt I'd make sure you had a license if required. (My daughter is only 13 so license is not required for her. Personally, the water was waaaay too shallow to fish where we were so the question seemed funny unless I was fishing for minnows.) Creek water was very clear. Unfortunately, I don't have a horse or an RV, but there's stables (Hay Creek Stables) that offer trail rides, and there's definitely a presence of horseback riders here. Everyone I've met around the area has been very friendly. Down the road is the Hay Creek Campground for RVs and horse owners. Very horse friendly area. I called the office, and "dispersed camping" (free camping in non-designated spots) is allowed on State Forest land but not in the Day Use Area, but parking is limited and you need a good map to see boundaries, although there are some signs that say "State Forest Land." It's not bear country, but they do list coyotes. If I had any reason to pass through here again, this would be a definitely "always stop here" place on my map. Unfortunately, it's about 900 miles from home. Oh ya, and it's free! No parking fees!! (Don't expect restrooms or porta-johns though.) Highly recommend for outdoor horseback riding, hiking, biking, and drinking coffee at the creek in the morning.

The CVT is a rail-to-trail (the historic railroads story is interesting here too). Wheel Passes are…read morerequired on the trail ($7 daily/$30 season passes)-pedestrians, wheelchairs & strollers are exempt. Lots of nice hiking & biking on this trail along the Cannon River. The CVT extends from Cannon Falls to Red Wing, with great connections to other trails (Goodhue Pioneer Trail, Mill Towns State Trail, Cannon Falls City Trail). No pets are allowed on the trail (but I have witnessed dog walkers there).

Gorgeous trail. Ran here after work on a Wednesday and essentially had the trail to myself! The…read moreleaves have just started to change down there, and the views were really beautiful. I'd like to come back soon to try biking it, since it is a very long trail and I can only get so far running (it's a taper week so I didn't go far). So if you're a biker and are looking for a quiet, pretty trail, this seems to be the place!!

Favorite road bike trail! Long, straight and tree covered,…read moreyou won't get sunburned or blown away. This feels like a rural trail as you pass ponds, farm fields, cows and horse stables. Love that there are only two major street crossings. Two bridges and two tunnels keep you moving. From the parking lot at 694/36 it is 9 miles to the end if you go straight. (There is a horse trail that is next to the paved trail so keep your eye out. I rode my mountain bike on it for something different once. It was a killer 18 total miles though...Whew!) I love that they added an extension at mile 6 where you can go to the right at the split and bike all the way into Stillwater! There is plenty of bike parking so bring your lock and walk along the river or have lunch before heading back. The 5 mile ride from the split into Stillwater is a fast decline. That being said, you are going to have to work a little harder to get back to your car... It is so worth it! You follow a wooded creek and there are bench stops/ photo op's along the way. (This is 22 miles round trip, just so you know. I need a nap after. lol)

We enjoyed early spring on the trail with the frogs singing in the surrounding wetlands. We were…read moremostly shaded by trees which helped keep us cool.

I brought my family to this park for their annual triathlon and the whole place is just incredible…read more Second tri ever for me, and the park offers so much for kids and families. Beautiful lake, ample parking, AWESOME playground for the littles. I only live half an hour away and I'd never been here before, but I'll be back! Always great to find a new place.

This park is a total gem! Lots of slides and things for the kiddos to climb. My 5 and 12 year old…read moreboth had fun finding the hidden animals throughout the playground. Looking forward to coming back again in the Spring!

Calling all bikers! If you have checked out the Gateway…read moreTrail, the Greenway and Cedar Lake Trail and are looking for something a little more quiet and rural feeling, this will be your jam! Leave your road bike at home and take out the cruiser, the cross or the mountain bike because this trail is crushed limestone the entire way. It is flat, shaded in parts, passing by lakes and between farm fields. Most of it you feel like you are out in the middle of beautiful nowhere. There is a parking lot at the trail head. There are porta-potty's strategically spaced along your ride. We came across maps occasionally. What was lacking were the hoards of people! Shhhhhhhhhhhh... maybe we should keep this a secret?! This trail goes 28.5 miles out to Winstead. Then you call a van to come get you? We didn't go that far as we had to make it back to the car at the trailhead. Twenty three miles round trip was plenty far for my burning legs. Whew. That was only half. I can only imagine how wonderful the other half might be. Someday... For those more hardcore, enjoy!!!!

The Luce Line is an all purpose trail which starts on the Western edge of Plymouth, Mn and extends…read moreWest to Cosmos, Mn. Check the DNR website for entrances with parking lots and which areas are allotted for snowmobiles and horseback riding. The trail from Plymouth is crushed gravel and passes through mostly wetlands, hilly areas and light forests. There are some massive mansions not too far off on either side so you are advised not stray off the trails onto private property. The Long Lake entrance has a rough gravel parking lot and a porta potty!

Love this place! Tubing, snowboarding, skiing, cross country skiing! We did the snow tubing and…read morethey had 10 nicely groomed lanes and even at max capacity there was not that long of a wait. Easy to go online and reserve your two hour time slot which is plenty of time. Staff was friendly and helped give a push to start off if needed.

Love coming to this park! Lots of trails, there is a huge beach and a wonderful park as well!read more

Perfectly adequate experience for hiking. Definitely got the impression that this park is more…read moregeared towards winter cross-country skiing purposes. Though there is also a mountain biking path. There is both an East and a West entrance to this park. The East entrance seems to more be the main entrance with a tennis court, hockey rink, children's playground, and little free library. The West end however has a younger children's playground and a gazebo with ample picnic tables and a grill. Both ends have trash/recycling bins and a port-a-potty. No plumbed toilet facilities and no water fountains (this fact admittedly lowered my rating of the place). Trails are all pretty wide (again, to accommodate the cross-country skiers), and there are a decently number of maps posted periodically along the route to help you keep track of where you are. The outermost loop is 3.2 miles, so this would be a decent place to practice your 5k, especially if you want frequent elevation changes. I didn't find the scenery to be all that stunning compared to some other spots I've found around MN, but it was still reasonably pretty here and there. Nice large parking lots on either end.

I love this Burnsville area! Feels like I am hours away from the city. The trails here were nice…read more Took my dog around the loop. Very peaceful....

We had four of us there going there today. All four of us are a little bit computer, illiterate and…read moresigning into their website to save the money on the lift ticket. Prices was absolutely the worst thing I've ever done in my life. It was so bad we packed up our year and left Welch Village left missed out on over 500 bucks today lift tickets a couple beers food They have to make the systems easier somehow

If I could rate it zero stars I would. I took my friend to Welch on 11 January 2026 to teach him…read morehow to ski. We got there at about noon and we had paid for a full day pass (totaling $90 per ticket) and he had also paid for ski rentals to learn (totaling another $45). Everything was going good up until a few hours in my ski lift ticket had fallen off of my jacket due to the flimsy plastic zip ties they give you to put the lift ticket on your jacket. instead of continuing to ski I decided to do "the right thing" and go inside to get a replacement. once inside I dealt with a rude woman at the front desk and had asked her if I could get a replacement ticket because mine fell off. Keep in mind once a ticket is purchased via Welch's website you are given a barcode to get your ticket. I had the barcode pulled up on my phone while I was asking to get a replacement ticket and the woman looked at me like I had 2 heads refusing to scan my barcode.. then asked for my name not 30 seconds later she comes back to me and says I can't get a new one without buying one or I could have my friend (who is learning how to ski) ride the chairlifts to "track it down". I've gone to Welch for over 10 years now and have never had something so ridiculous happen while I was there. Do better Welch...

In walks the lady looking for help in adjusting her bike fit…read more Out walks the lady who had her bike seat adjusted, handlebar extension installed, and overall fit analyzed by proficient and professional Scot. Wow! Some of the best customer service I have ever received. Smith's Bike Shop is the best.

Today Erik (Smith's Shop Owner) really went above and beyond. While on a ride, I had stopped to…read morefigure out the source of a rattle. Erik, also on a ride, sees me and stops, Despite my protests, he figures it out in 30 seconds. He then gave me input on how to fix it when I got home. Fast forward. I finish my ride and the piece has fallen off. I am back walking the trails looking for the part and I receive a call. Erik has not only found my part on the trail, he has dropped it off at my house! What a great human. I am appreciative of the midwest nice here in LaCrosse, and the amazing bike community. Thank you! Go Smiths!