Tag: Luce Line Trail

DNR: Luce Line open for winter fat tire biking

December 15th, 2014

Minnesota state parks and trails has expanded the number of trails open for winter fat bike riding, including opportunities at five state parks and four state trails. These new riding opportunities are in addition to 20 miles of existing trails at Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area, a world-class mountain bike ride center, as rated by the International Mountain Bicycling Association. The winter fat bike riding opportunities in Minnesota state parks and trails now total 78 miles.

“Getting out on a fat bike is a fun and healthy way to enjoy the outdoors in winter,” said Andrew Korsberg, trail program coordinator for Minnesota state parks and trails. “We’re excited to offer some more places to ride for this new and expanding winter sport.”

The Luce Line State Trail near Wayzata has 7 miles of multi-use trails open to fatbiking.

Fat bikes are bicycles with large, low-pressure tires designed for travel over snow or sandy soil. The bike tires are often larger than 3.5 inches with tire pressure less than 10 PSI.

Outdoors enthusiasts can now ride fat bikes at the following locations:

Northern Minnesota

Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area (Ironton): 20 miles of groomed trails for fat biking.
Jay Cooke State Park (Carlton): 5.4 miles of trails to be groomed for fat biking.
Split Rock Lighthouse State Park (Two Harbors): 8.7 miles of trails to be groomed for fat biking and skate-skiing.

Metro Area

Fort Snelling State Park (St. Paul): 6 miles of multi-use trails packed for nonmotorized recreation, including fat biking.
Luce Line State Trail (Wayzata): 7 miles of multi-use trails groomed for nonmotorized recreation, including fat biking.
Gateway State Trail ((St. Paul): The trail from Cayuga Street to Jamaca Avenue (11.9 miles) is plowed and open to all winter biking, but east from Jamaca Avenue is groomed for cross-country skiing only.

Southern Minnesota

Douglas State Trail (Rochester-Pine Island): 13 miles of multi-use trails groomed for nonmotorized recreation, including fat biking.
Blazing Star State Trail/Myre-Big Island State Park (Albert Lea): 6 miles of multi-use trails groomed for nonmotorized recreation, including fat biking.
The DNR advises anyone riding a fat bike to avoid snowmobile and cross-country ski trails, because almost all of these trails are not open to other uses during the winter. Skier and snowmobiler user fees pay for grooming and maintenance of these trails.

For more information on fat biking and where to ride in Minnesota, visit www.mndnr.gov/fatbike or contact the DNR Information Center at info.dnr@state.mn.us or 651-296-6157 or 888-646-6367 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

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MNDOT: Luce Line Trail Bridge Work Postponed to April 1

March 31st, 2009

From MNDOT:

ROSEVILLE, Minn. – Removal of the Luce Line Trail bridge over Highway 12 at the east end of Long Lake and Orono is postponed due to impending inclement weather. The removal is rescheduled from 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 1 until 5 a.m. Thursday, April 2. During the work, Wayzata Boulevard will be closed and detoured. Traffic will follow a signed detour using Old Long Lake Boulevard.

The old bicycle/pedestrian bridge will be replaced with a refurbished historic bridge that was removed during construction of the new Highway 12 alignment between Wayzata Boulevard and Hennepin County Road 6.

While new abutments are built for the bridge, the Luce Line Trail will be closed for approximately seven weeks. Once the abutments are completed, a second closure of Wayzata Boulevard will be required to raise and place the refurbished structure.

Work on the new five-mile alignment of Highway 12 began in summer 2003 and will be completed in summer 2009.

Further information about the Highway 12 project is available at http://www.dot.state.mn.us/metro/projects/hwy12/index.html.

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WEEKLY ROUNDUP: Wayzata.com’s Top 5 Stories of the week, Mar 23-Mar 29, 2009

March 30th, 2009
Good morning Wayzata, and thanks for joining Wayzata.com for the Top 5 Stories of the week. Last week saw the passing of a Wayzata resident who was a Two Time World Series Champion, a young hockey team from Wayzata won a State Championship, a local sailor is recovering after a downhill ski accident, and much more. Here are the Top 5 Stories of the week for March 23 – March 29, 2009

Brought to you this time around by: Jon D. Williams Cotillions, [Social Skills and Etiquette Training] being held at the Wayzata Country Club, and by John Roti at M&I Mortgage, for all your residential lending needs. Call John at 952-697-4516 to refi your mortgage at historically low rates!
1. Johnny Blanchard passed away. The Wayzata resident was a former catcher for New York Yankees, and played with the likes of Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, and Roger Marris. Blanchard appeared with the Yankees in the World Series 5 times– and helped the Bronx Bombers win the Series in 1961 and 1962. Apparently he was also good enough to play for the Minneapolis Lakers, but was prevented from doing so by his baseball team.
2. In one of the final notes on the Hockey Season, your Wayzata Bantam A hockey team won the State Championship. The team beat Rochester 3 to 1 in championship game on Sunday, March 22, 2009 in Thief River Falls.
3. Cappy Capper, Executive Director of the Wayzata Community Sailing Center, is recovering after a ski accident, and is expected to return home in a couple of weeks.
4. Wayzata Sophomore Sarah Urke May Qualify for the US National Junior Team in Synchronized Swimming. Sarah has been a member of the Wayzata High School Varsity Synchronized Swim Team for three (3) years–and has contributing to Wayzata’s winning the Minnesota State High School Championship for the last two years. She also has been competing in synchronized swimming for eight (8) eight years as club swimmer with Minnesota Synchronettes, which practices in Wayzata. Her ultimate goal is to make the US Olympic Team.
5. The Luce Line Trail made the news a couple of times this week: MNDOT will be removing the old Luce Line Bridge today and as a result there will be a detour for Highway 12 through Long Lake and Orono today. Additionally, the DNR closed the Luce Line Trail to horses from Vicksburg Lane to Winsted due to deteriorating trail conditions.
Honorable Mention:

Wayzata Public Schools is on Spring Break this week. Students will be taking it easy away from school and traveling to warmer parts of the Country

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DNR: Luce Line Horse Trail from Vicksburg Lane to Winsted Closed Due to Unsuitable Conditions, Bridge Work Will Close Portion of State Trail

March 26th, 2009
From the DNR’s website:

NOTICE! The horse trail from Vicksburg Lane to Winsted is closed, effective 3/23/09 through 05/15/09 due to unsuitable conditions.

NOTICE! A portion of the Luce Line State Trail will be closed for bridgework beginning March 21, 2009. The trail will be closed between Old Long Lake Road in Wayzata and Hardin/Green Glen Park in Long Lake. Reference Map Work is expected to be completed around the middle of May. Please watch this website for updates.

Here is some more info on the Luce Line Trail from the DNR:
The Luce Line State Trail is a 63 mile long former railroad grade which is developed for biking, hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, snowmobiling, and skiing. The limestone surfaced trail runs from Plymouth 30 miles west to Winsted, with a parallel treadway for horseback riding. From Winsted to Hutchinson, the trail is gravel, from Hutchinson to Cedar Mills it is crushed granite and Cedar Mills to Cosmos it is Natural (mowed grass). Snowmobiles are allowed on the trail west of Stubb’s Bay Road.

Stretching across the varied landscapes of metropolitan and rural Minnesota, the Luce Line is a preserved strip of countryside alive with many varieties of plants and animals. In the east the influence is woodland, a carry-over from the Big Woods that once occupied the area. Rolling stands of sugar maple and basswood, along with many colorful forest floor ground-cover plants can be found here. From Hutchinson westward, the Big Woods give way to remnants of the tall-grass prairie, with some prairie plants still visible.

Wildlife inhabitants range from deer, fox and mink to owls and pheasant. Many adjacent lakes also support ducks and geese. The Luce Line is truly like a jaunt down a quiet country road.

Parking
- Plymouth, off of 10th Ave. No. and Vicksburg Lane.
- Long Lake, off Stubbs Bay Road.
- Lyndale, off County Road 92.
- Off of Carver County Road 127, south of County Road 20.
- In the towns of Watertown, Winsted, Hutchinson and Cosmos.
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Luce Line / Dakota Rail Trail Connection Open House Scheduled for Tuesday, October 14, 2008, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Wayzata City Hall

October 13th, 2008

From the City of Wayzata:

The City of Wayzata has been awarded funds from Hennepin County to conduct a planning effort to identify a potential bike and pedestrian trail connection through downtown Wayzata, linking the Dakota Rail and Luce Line Trails. This planning effort was one of ten Hennepin County Community Works Corridor Planning grants awarded through a competitive process to communities in 2008. The City of Wayzata, Hennepin County, and Three Rivers Park District are partnering to conduct this collaborative planning effort. SRF Consulting Group, Inc. has been retained to lead this effort, and engage the community in this process.

An Open House is scheduled for Tuesday, October 14, 2008, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Wayzata City Hall, for interested parties to provide comments and concerns about the project.

Need to know where the Dakota Rail Trail is? Visit this page: Ask Dan! – Where is the trail head for Dakota Rail Trail from Wayzata to St. Bonifacious trail?

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Luce Line / Dakota Rail Trail Connection Open House

October 11th, 2008

From the City of Wayzata:

The City of Wayzata has been awarded funds from Hennepin County to conduct a planning effort to identify a potential bike and pedestrian trail connection through downtown Wayzata, linking the Dakota Rail and Luce Line Trails. This planning effort was one of ten Hennepin County Community Works Corridor Planning grants awarded through a competitive process to communities in 2008. The City of Wayzata, Hennepin County, and Three Rivers Park District are partnering to conduct this collaborative planning effort. SRF Consulting Group, Inc. has been retained to lead this effort, and engage the community in this process.

An Open House is scheduled for Tuesday, October 14, 2008, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.at Wayzata City Hall, for interested parties to provided comments and concerns about the project.

For more information on the trail connection project, contact Bryan Gadow at bgadow@wayzata.org .

Need to know where the Dakota Rail Trail is? Visit this page: Ask Dan! – Where is the trail head for Dakota Rail Trail from Wayzata to St. Bonifacious trail?

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CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO WAYZATA.COM ALERTS!