The best traffic-free bike rides in Hennepin County

The Rush Creek Regional Trail offers a delightful touring cycling experience, winding through a diverse landscape that shifts from open prairies and farmlands to dense woods. You'll find yourself immersed in nature, with tree plantings often shielding the path, creating a remote feel even within suburban areas. Keep an eye out for wildlife, especially near the Mississippi River views by the Coon Rapids Dam, as the scenery transitions from a "farm look" in Brooklyn Park to a more "northern look" with abundant trees in Maple Grove.

This easy 21.2-mile (34.1 km) route, with a gentle 345 feet (105 metres) of elevation gain, is perfect for a relaxed ride, taking approximately 1 hour and 57 minutes. You'll find plenty of access points with parking, restrooms, and drinking fountains along the way. The trail is maintained year-round, with some sections even cleared of snow, making it a reliable option for a pleasant outing in any season.

What makes the Rush Creek Regional Trail truly stand out is its excellent connectivity; it links major parks like Elm Creek Park Reserve and Mississippi Gateway Regional Park. This makes it a fantastic hub for extending your ride onto other regional trails, offering endless possibilities for longer adventures. Its smooth, wide, and mostly flat terrain also makes it a family-friendly option, welcoming cyclists of all ages and abilities.

The Nine Mile Creek and Bloomington Ferry Trail Loop offers a fascinating contrast, starting on smooth asphalt and extensive wooden boardwalks that traverse wetlands and urban green spaces, including views of Shady Oak Lake. You'll then transition to the more rugged, unpaved hardpack singletrack of the Bloomington Ferry Trail, which winds through the lush Minnesota River floodplain. This diverse terrain provides a unique journey from urban parkland to a more wilderness-like feel, with highlights like the Nine Mile Creek Bridge.

This moderate 24.0-mile (38.7 km) touring bicycle route, with 764 feet (233 metres) of elevation gain, typically takes around 2 hours and 21 minutes. While the Nine Mile Creek section is family-friendly, the unpaved Bloomington Ferry Trail can be sandy and challenging, sometimes prone to flooding. For the best experience, a hybrid, mountain, or fat bike is recommended to handle the varied surfaces.

What truly sets this loop apart is its extensive boardwalks, some stretching for nearly a mile, offering an immersive experience through wetlands even within developed communities. The trail also boasts a unique river crossing via a portage on a raft over Nine Mile Creek, adding an adventurous twist. It's a great option for cyclists looking for a dynamic ride that combines natural beauty with connectivity to other regional trails in Hennepin County, Minnesota.

The Mississippi, Rush Creek & Shingle Creek Trails Loop offers a delightful touring cycling experience through varied landscapes right in the Minneapolis area. You'll glide along mostly paved and wide paths, enjoying views of the Mississippi River, traversing wetlands on the Shingle Creek Trail, and circling the lush Palmer Lake Park, which is home to abundant wildlife. It's a smooth, relatively flat ride that feels like a journey through urban nature.

This moderate 24.2-mile (38.9 km) loop, with a minimal 256 feet (78 metres) of elevation gain, can be comfortably completed in about 2 hours and 11 minutes. It's an excellent choice for families or beginner touring cyclists looking for accessible bike trails. The route's connectivity to other regional parks means you can easily extend your ride if you're feeling ambitious, but the loop itself is a perfect standalone outing.

What sets this route apart is its seamless blend of urban park settings and natural preserves, offering a chance to spot wildlife without leaving the city's reach. The Shingle Creek Trail and Rush Creek Regional Trail segments are part of a larger network, highlighting the region's commitment to multi-use paths. It's a fantastic way to experience the natural beauty of the Twin Cities, providing scenic viewpoints and a user-friendly cycling environment.

The Rush Creek and Mississippi River Trail Loop offers a delightful touring cycling experience, guiding you through a mosaic of Minnesota landscapes. You'll pedal along paved paths that transition from the wooded and rural stretches of the Rush Creek Regional Trail to the scenic river views of the Mississippi River Trail, and then past the greenery and marshlands of the Shingle Creek Trail. It's a journey that feels both natural and urban, with plenty of visual interest.

This easy route is perfect for those new to cycling or looking for a relaxed outing, covering 17.2 miles (27.7 km) with a gentle 181 feet (55 metres) of elevation gain. You can comfortably complete it in about 1 hour and 34 minutes. Its accessible terrain makes it a great choice for family-friendly cycling, and you'll find it easy to get out on, even if you're an inexperienced rider.

What makes this Rush Creek Mississippi River Trail Loop cycling route stand out is its unique combination of natural beauty and urban accessibility. It's part of the larger Mississippi River Trail system, offering connections to extensive networks and allowing you to experience hardwood forests, river bluffs, and urban parks. Keep an eye out for the Coon Rapids Dam, a notable landmark along the way.