, \l\\l~~llH\\~~\\i~lJmr1~\~1~\1[\jj\l\\\I. Department ot Natural Resources 3 0318 00001 0520 Waterways Unit Trail Programs Section July 28, 1989 Minnesota Registry of Public Recreational Trail Mileages as of July 1, 1 9 8 9 (pursuant to MN Stat. 85.017) Minnesota Department of Natural Resources 500 Lafayette Road DNR Saint Paul, MN 55155-4052 GV 199.42 This document is made available electronically by the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library as part of an ongoing digital archiving .M6 project. http://www.leg.state.mn.us/lrl/lrl.asp R43 (Funding for document digitization was provided, in part, by a grant from the Minnesota Historical & Cultural Heritage Program.) 1989 MINNESOTA REGISTRY OF PUBLIC RECREATIONAL TRAIL MILEAGES (Pursuant to Minnesota Statutes 85.017) PREPARED BY: MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES TRAILS AND WATERWAYS UNIT TRAIL PROGRAMS SECTION Paul E. Nordell, Trail Inventory Management John Poate, Technical Design (Office of Planning) July 1989 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction and Explanatory Notes i Trail Administration Categories i Counties Indexed by DNR Region and DNR Region Indexed by Counties ... i i i Map of DNR Regions ....... iv County Map Sheet Inventory System v Minnesota Registry of Public Recreational Trail Mileages by DNR Region Region· I - Bemidji (Northwest) 1 Region II - Grand Rapids (Northeast) 4 Region III - Brainerd (North Central) 10 Region IV - New Ulm (Southwest) 14 Region V - Rochester (Southeast) 16 Region VI - Saint Paul (Metro) ..... 19 Distribution of Public and Private Trail Miles by DNR Region 25 Distribution of Trail Miles by Administrative Level ..... 26 Index to Trail Registry by Facility Name 27 INTRODUCTION This trail mileage registry is identified by written policy of the mandated under Minnesota Statutes 85.017 administrator. Designated uses in this which states: "The Commiss10ner of registry include hiking, skiing, Natural Resources shall compile and horseback riding, biking, and maintain a current registry of snowmobiling. cross-country skiing, hiking, horseback riding and snowmobiling trails in the A trail does not include road state and shall publish and distribute shoulders (i.e., bikeways) which do not the information " It is a provide a physical treadway separation by-product of a recreation facility for the recreationist. However, some inventory first called for in the State roads (i.e., in parks and forests) Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan become trails in winter when they are ( SCORP). designated exclusively for either snowmobiling or cross-country skiing. The SCORP process dates back to the 1964 Land and Water Conservation Fund Since December 1981, nearly all public Act passed by Congress and implemented trails in this file have been updated. in Minnesota under Minnesota Statutes Most snowmobile and cross-country ski 86. 71 ( 1965, Laws of M1 nnesota, Chapter trail information was updated in the fall 910, as amended). of 1988 in preparation for the twin publications by the Office of Tourism: This registry is a comprehensive Explore Minnesota on Skis and Explore listing of the five major recreational Minnesota by Snowmobile. Another recent trail types. It cannot, therefore, update has been the spring 1989 review serve the same functions as does a trail for Minnesota's State Horse Trails. Each user's guide. The number of public of these data updates, as well as other trai 1s listed is intended to be more inventory updates, are reflected in the comprehensive than those in public date of information for each trai 1 brochures. This is because, for a segment as reported in the extreme right variety of reasons, some administrators column. have chosen not to promote their trails in public brochures. The registry does This report is computer generated from not offer a fully detailed description the RECFAC (recreational facility) of all information on the data system. database, which is managed by the DNR 1 s The information presented here, however, Office of Planning on a COMPAQ 386 is useful for a 11 ocati on of funds and micro-computer. planning/management purposes. TRAIL ADMINISTRATION CATEGORIES For a more extensive trail description, an inquirer may contact the Federal; Department of Natural Resources' (DNR) Outdoor Recreation Information Center. U.S. Forest Service (part of the U.S. This center provides an extensive number Department of Agriculture) of trail maps and brochures free to the managed within statutory public, boundaries. The total private trail miles (by DNR U.S. Fish and Wildlife (part of the Region) have been included in this U.S. Department of the Interior) registry for the sake of comp 1eteness. managed within uni ts of Nati ona 1 Parts of this listing are in great need Wildlife Refuges. of updating because it was compiled primarily in the mid-1970s. It has not U.S. Fish and Wildlife (part of the been feasible for the DNR to keep this U.S. Department of the Jnterior) - category current. managed within units of National Waterfowl Production Areas. EXPLANATORY NOTES National Park Service (part of the A "trail" is defined as any continuous U.S. Department of the Interior) - pathway intended for recreational use managed within National Parks. for a period of time (all or part of the year). The "intended" use of a trail is U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (part of determined when it is designated by a the U.S. Department of Defense; trail administrator. The administrator Army Corps, COE, ACE) - managed is the agency or i ndi vi dual having the within Federa 1 water reservoir authority to execute and/or arrange for boundaries. any of the following: acquisition, development, maintenance and management. For a trai 1 or trai 1 activity to be "designated," it must be adverti seab le, useable, and either signed, mapped or State (Department of Natural Other; --rre-5ources); MN Historical Society - managed as Division of Forestry - managed part of a state historical site. inside statutory State Forest boundaries. MN Department of Transportation - managed as part of a state Division of Forestry Outside - highway development. managed outside statutory State Forest boundaries. Minnesota Zoo - managed as an extension of the Zoo's programs. Division of Fish and Wildlife - managed inside statutory Wildlife University of Minnesota - managed as Management Areas or Scientific part of the University's and Natural Areas. educational program. Trails and Waterways Unit - managed State Community Colleges - managed as "State Trai 111 as defined by part of the College's educational statute. program. Division of Parks and Recreation - Other State - managed by other state State Park managed trails. agencies, specifically the Iron Range Resources Rehabilitation County; Board (I RRRB). County Government - managed by a School District - managed as part of county government including a public school system. county foresty, public works, or park departments. Private;** County Government (GIA)* - sponsored Various Private - managed by private by a county government with the entities, including church aid of the DNR's Trails organizations, individuals, or Assistance.Program. other profit or non-profit corporations. Hennepin Parks - managed by the Suburban Hennepin Regional Park District (SHRPD), within its boundaries. Hennepin Parks (GIA)* - managed by the SHRPD,.within its boundaries, with the aid of the DNR's Trails Assistance Program. Minor Civil Division - managed by a local government, including townships, city highway/parkway departments, or other city public works or parks departments. Minor Civil Division (GIA)* - sponsored by a l oca 1 government with the aid of the DNR's Trails Assistance Program. (*) Grants-In-Aid (GIA) trails are single-use trails built by local people, often on privately owned land, sponsored by a local unit of government, and fun~:Jed by the DNR through its Trai 1 s Assistance Program. The Program is used to deve 1op and maintain cross-country skiing and/or snowmobiling trails. Any other use of these trails is incidental, and in certain instances is prohibited. (**) This category has only been summarized. Most of the individual trail listings are in great need of updating. ii COUNTIES INDEXED BY DNR REGION DNR COUNTY DNR COUNTY DNR COUNTY DNR COUNTY REGION NAM~ REGION NAME REGION NAME REGION NAME II Aitkin IV Faribault Mahnomen v Rice VI Anoka v Fillmore Marshall IV Rock Becker v Freeborn IV Martin Roseau Beltrami v Goodhue IV Meeker II St. Louis 111 Benton Grant 111 Mi 11 e Lacs VI Scott IV Big Stone VI Hennepin II I Morrison 111 Sherburne IV Blue Earth v Houston v Mower IV Sibley IV Brown Hubbard IV Murray 111 Stearns II Carlton II I Isanti IV Nicollet v Steele VI Carver II Itasca IV Nobles Stevens II I Cass IV Jackson Norman IV Swift IV Chippewa II I Kanabec v' Olmsted 111 Todd 111 Chisago IV Kandiyohi Otter Tail I Traverse Clay I Kittson Pennington v Wabasha Clearwater II Koochiching I II Pine 111 Wadena II Cook IV Lac Qui Parle IV Pipestone IV Waseca IV Cottonwood II Lake I Polk VI Washington 111 Crow Wing Lake of the Woods Pope IV Watonwan VI Dakota IV Le Sueur VI Ramsey Wilkin v Dodge IV Lincoln Red Lake v Winona Douglas IV Lyon IV Redwood 111 Wright IV Mcleod IV Renville IV Yellow Medicine DNR REGION INDEXED BY COUNTIES DNR COUNTY DNR COUNTY DNR COUNTY DNR COUNTY REGION NAME REGION NAME REGION NAME REGION NAME Becker II Aitkin IV Big Stone IV Sibley Beltrami Carlton IV Blue Earth IV Swift Clay II" Cook IV Brown IV Waseca Clearwater II Itasca IV Chippewa IV Watonwan Douglas II Koochiching IV Cottonwood IV Ye 11 ow Medicine Grant II