Reviews and Reports on over 70 bicycle paths in the Minneapolis/Saint Paul area!

Hello, and welcome to Metro Bike Trails Guide. My name is Seamus Flynn. This website contains reviews of most paved bicycle trails in the Minneapolis/St. Paul five-county metro area, as well as good routes that use my favorite trails. Here in the Twin Cities we have a growing, and already huge, number of bike trails. Whether you're out for a short lakeside ride or a statewide trek, I hope you find this site helpful for locating new places to bike. 

UPDATE: I've just turned maintenance of this site over to my cousin Patrick Haney. His bio is coming soon. It has been a pleasure creating and operating this site for the past decade.

Factors that influence my rating system:
Beauty -- I prefer trails that are away from roads and travel through nature.
Maintenance -- Is the trail well-kept? Is the surface cracking or washing away? 
Ease of navigation -- Is there signage? Can you follow the trail without your own map?
Traffic -- Trails that are so busy that this presents a potential safety hazard are often docked. Trails that are little-known and nice are often voted up.
Difficulty -- This does not influence my rating system, though I try to mention it if the trail has many hills. 
5 is the highest rating, and 1 is the lowest. 

FAQs

What is your favorite trail?
It would be unfair to name a single favorite. My favorite trails are those that feature lush woods, secluded meadows, and fun hills, such as the Reservoir Woods Trail and the Elm Creek Park Trail. I also flip for wetlands such as those found on the Northern Segment of the Rice Creek North Trail and the Snail Lake Trail. 

Do you need a pass to bike on any trails in this area?
Not on any trails in the Twin Cities! On some rural trails, a pass is required -- more details can be found in those trails' reviews.

What are some of the nicest trails around for beginners?
Rail trails pop to mind, however, some are very busy and have steep trailside drop-offs that are unfenced (as a small child, I took a bad plunge off the edge of the Gateway Trail). Trails that are in flat wetlands and floodplains are great for beginners (like the Snail Lake Trail and the Lilydale - Harriet Island Trail, both of which have small loops and few road crossings). 

Sources

These are some of the websites that helped me locate and find more information on the trails I biked and reviewed.