In Search of Lake Wobegon, by Bike
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Central Lakes Trail
A ribbon of trail curls through the bucolic countryside in the heart of Minnesota, providing 127 smooth, paved miles of biking. It’s currently the longest continuous stretch of bike trail in the state, and certainly one of the longest in the country. But the folks in Lake Wobegon don’t brag about such things, so it’s still relatively undiscovered.
Following old railroad bed for the most part, the paved trail rambles across a rural landscape of fields and farms, scattered lakes, and quiet small towns that recall the mythical Lake Wobegon of Garrison Keillor’s radio show stories.
This roughly Y-shaped network is actually a set of three trails that were linked together when two trail segments were paved last summer: the Central Lakes Trail, running for 55 miles between Fergus Falls and Osakis; the Lake Wobegon Trail, with 49 miles between Osakis and St. Joseph, and another 13 miles in a northern spur from Albany past Holdingford; and the 10-mile Soo Line Trail, extending from this northern spur through Bowlus to Highway 10, a ways south of Little Falls.
With so many towns and trail accesses along the way, it’s easy to choose your own segment for a peaceful ride to take in the pastoral scenery. A colorful array of wildflowers bloom in the meadows. Ducks and egrets hang out in the wetlands, while turtles bask in the sun. Rustic barns dot the rolling plains. Church steeples announce the next town along the trail, where you can stop for lunch or ice cream. A few towns also offer a swimming beach, so riders can take a dip in a lake. While parts of the trail parallel the highway, other stretches go cross-country for a more secluded ride.
There are several organized rides along the trail, so you can join in the fun of a group trek. The Caramel Roll on June 14 starts in St. Joseph and fuels riders with, you guessed it, delicious sweet rolls; there are 8, 15 and 25-mile options, with a return shuttle ride from each of these towns. On August 9, the Central Trails Ride offers two options: a 22 mile round-trip between Osakis and Alexandria, or a 44-mile round-trip between Osakis and Melrose.
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2 Comments »
Posted on Mar 19 2008 | Tagged as: Feature Articles, Spring/Summer
on 22 Mar 2008 at 4:47 pm 1 Judy Van de Walker said …
The trail rides sound interesting. I like the idea of a shuttle ride back. Keep me informed. Is there a cost? Also, do you need a helmet? J. Van de Walker
on 27 Mar 2008 at 1:28 pm 2 James Riemermann said …
Judy,
There is more information on the two trail rides mentioned above, including contact fees information here:
Caramel Roll Ride
Central Trails Ride
There is no Minnestota law requiring bicycle helmets but they are highly recommended for safety. Here are some biking safety tips from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resourcees.
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/biking/safety.html