Douglas State Trail

Description: This trail follows an abandoned rail line from Pine Island to the northwest corner of Rochester. It's billed as one of the oldest paved trails in Minnesota, and one look at the surface will tell you why. The pavement is in very rough condition and is practically unskateable, like the west side of Cedar Lake.

Getting there:

To get to the Pine Island trailhead, take Highway 52 south from Rosemount to the County Road 11 exit in Pine Island. Turn right (west), and the trailhead will be on the south side as you pull into town. There is also a trailhead in Douglas and one in the northwest section of Rochester, somewhere around the corner of County Roads 8 and 22.

Length: The trail is 12.5 miles long. I only skated the first 2.5 miles of it because it was in such poor condition.

Other nearby trails: The Cannon Valley Trail is in the same general area and would make a much, much better choice for skating.

Links: Minnesota DNR - Douglas State Trail