Whether you're looking for a trail for a leisurely stroll, a bike ride with the family, or something a bit more challenging, you'll find it in this comprehensive trail guide highlighting the best, most highly rated trails in Minnesota. Many of the trails were converted from unused railroad corridors to become some of the best multiuse rail-trails in the state. In this guidebook, experts from Rail-to-Trails Conservancy present their final list of 48 of the best trails and rail-trails in Minnesota. Experience first-hand how Minnesota earned the nickname "Land of 10,000 Lakes" by taking one of several paths through the various lake districts, including the 121-mile Paul Bunyan State Trail, one of the longest rail-trails in the United States. In addition to details about each trail, Rail-Trails Minnesota also provides information about trail amenities, including restrooms, parking facilities, and water fountains.

In this edition in the popular series, the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy presents the best of the Great Lakes rail-trails, home to the most rail-trails in the country. With 113 rural, suburban, and urban trails threading through nearly 2300 miles, Rail-Trails Midwest: Great Lakes covers Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Many rail-trails are paved and run through the most popular parts of town, such as the 61-mile Illinois Prairie Path, which links Chicago-area suburbs. Others take you back in time for a look at regional history, like Ohio's 11-mile Holmes County Trail. The Midwest has thousands of miles of rail corridor that have been turned into 360 rail-trails in the Great Lakes alone. Every trip has a detailed map that includes start and end points, trailhead, parking, restroom facilities, and other amenities. Many of the level rail-trails are suitable for walking, jogging, bicycling, inline skating, wheelchairs, and horses.

Details 41 routes from short easy rambles for beginners to multi-day classics for touring cyclists.

Hidden in and around Minneapolis and St. Paul are some great roads, trails, and bike paths that are fun to explore. Best Bike Rides Minneapolis and St. Paul describes 40 great recreational rides in the metro areas. With most rides between 5 and 30 miles—including road rides, rail trails, bike paths, and mountain bike rides—it’s easy to find an interesting place to ride. Each route includes complete directions, a map, a text description of the area you’ll be riding, the GPS coordinates of the start/finish point, and color photos of one the ride’s features. Also included is information on local restaurants, lodging, maps, bicycle shops, other facilities for cyclists, and community resources. Features: • Detailed maps and directions • Rides that explore the city as well as the surrounding area. • A variety of rides, from 5-mile trail rides to 60-mile destination rides and everything in between • In-depth information about each ride, including length, terrain, traffic conditions, and road hazards • Interesting facts about each area • Options to create longer or shorter rides

Whether you're looking for a trail for a leisurely stroll, a bike ride with the family, or something a bit more challenging, you'll find it in Rail-Trails Michigan and Wisconsin, highlighting the best, most highly rated trails in these two states. Many of the trails were converted from unused railroad corridors to become some of the best multiuse rail-trails in the region. In this guidebook, experts from the Rail-to-Trails Conservancy present their list of 64 of the best trails and rail-trails in Michigan and Wisconsin. Tour Michigan's state capital on the Lansing River Trail, which winds along scenic riverbanks for 8 miles from the campus of Michigan State University to Old Town Lansing. Witness the effects of ancient ice floes on the landscape in Wisconsin along the 52-mile Glacial Drumlin State Trail. See the native tall-grass prairie, explore hardwood forests and waterways, and visit quintessential American small towns along the Midwest's many rail-trails. In addition to details about each trail, Rail-Trails Michigan and Wisconsin also provides information about trail amenities, including restrooms, parking facilities, and water fountains.

Best Rail Trails Illinois is the complete guide to walking, jogging, biking, and cross-country skiing more than forty of the most popular rail trails in Illinois. Written by an author with expert knowledge of the Prairie State, this easy-to-use book provides mile-by-mile descriptions of the top rural and urban rail trails--from the Chicago area's Prairie Path, one of America's first rail trails, to trails in the St. Louis area and those set in the breathtaking beauty of the Shawnee National Forest, as well as numerous other urban, suburban, and rural rail trails statewide. Look inside to find: - Full trail profiles, including length, access points, difficulty rating, and surface type - Detailed trail maps - At-a-glance icons for easy identification of rail trails that best suit one's interests - Information on wheelchair accessibility, parking, restrooms, where to rent bikes, and points of interest along the trail - Location of ranger stations, visitor centers, and depot museums - Local trail support organizations and how to get involved - Directions to each trailhead including public transportation access

If, as Wallace Stegner said, the national park is “the best idea we ever had,” the rail-trail is certainly a close runner-up. Part transportation corridor, part park, the rail-trail has revolutionized the way America creates high-quality, car-free pathways for bicyclists, runners, walkers, equestrians, and more. It was only a few decades after railroad barons had run roughshod over America’s economy and politics that they began to shed nearly one hundred thousand miles of unneeded railroad corridor. At the same time, bicyclists were being so thoroughly pushed off ever-more-intimidating roadways they came close to extinction. Through political organizing and lawyerly grit, an unlikely, formerly marginalized advocacy arose, seized on seemingly worthless strips of land, and created a resource that is treasured by millions of Americans today for recreation, purposeful travel, tourism, conservation, and historical interpretation. From Rails to Trails is the fascinating tale of the rails-to-trails movement as well as a consideration of what the continued creation of rail-trails means for the future of Americans’ health, nonmotorized transportation networks, and communities across the country.