State Trails in Southern Minnesota

We are so very fortunate in Southern Minnesota to have the state trail systems.

The root river trail sees high usage and is an amazing way to unwind and visit many small towns, many of which have done a great job of promoting tourism around the trails.

The shooting star trail offers a totally different experience through the prairie land, and crosses through Lake Louise State Park and the city of Adams parks for nice resting areas.

Harmony-Preston is a good branch off the root river, and offers a long hill climb, ice cream shops at both ends, and a neat little shelter/clearing which is great to relax or have a picnic.

The Great River Ridge isn't quite as scenic, but is a nice trail connecting many small towns.

Overall we've done an excellent job of keeping these maintained and accessible to everyone. There is a always a wide variety of ages using them, and keeping them free for cycling/walking ensures everyone has access.

Some areas for improvement:

* People have been driving ATVs and golf carts on the trails which is very concerning - I am not sure how to enforce this, signage is already in place. It creates extra wear on the trails and is not safe for pedestrians and bicyclists. I've seen this on Preston-Harmony and the Root River, and it seems to usually be local residents who live along the trails.

* More overnight dispersed/first come first serve camping locations along state trails.