Outdoor fun and fitness

A path worn in a wilderness is meant to be followed.  It leads to adventure and newly discovered worlds.  It was created for a purpose.  Perhaps that is one reason why trails are so popular today.  Northfield's Heritage Preservation Commission published At Home in Northfield: A Walking & Biking Tour focusing on Central Park's neighborhood of grand buildings original to the town.  A peek into the past here serves as inspiration for the future.  Click here for more information.

The Northfield Bike Club loves their paths paved, and rides together on the roads around town.  Join them for a spin or check out one of their favorite routes at their website here.  A map of Bike Trails and Paths in Northfield is available here from the City of Northfield.  The Northfield Trail System is a multi-use system winding through neighborhoods and nature areas.

For those hankering for a more rustic trail with a view, Rice County offers several parks with hiking and biking trails with a woodsy feel, such as Caron Park near Nerstrand Woods State Park, Cannon River Wilderness Area near Faribault, and the Cowling Arboretum at Carleton College.  A work in progress is the Mill Towns State Trail.  It will run about 25 miles when it is completed linking the Sakatah Singing Hills State Trail in Faribault with the Cannon Valley Trail in Cannon Falls.  At present three sections of the trail are open for use.  The brochure map shows where.  Click here for helpful information on Minnesota State Trails at the Department of Natural Resources website. Happy trails!

_{CREDIT: Northfield Bike Club and MN Bike Trail Navigator}