Dakota Rail Regional Trail
The Dakota Regional Trail connects Lester Prairie to Carver and Hennepin counties .
Where : The trail is a former railroad corridor extending 44 miles from Hutchinson to Wayzata .
Features : The trail is paved from McLeod Co . Rd . 1 in Lester Prairie to the east .
No motorized vehicles are allowed except snowmobiles , which can be used west of McLeod County Road 9 . Snowmobiles are not permitted on the trail anywhere in Carver County . The trail accommodates the planned uses of walking , hiking , biking , jogging , dog walking , and inline skating .
As you travel west from Shaver Park near the beach in Wayzata , you ’ ll pass through the Lake Minnetonka area with its many undulating bays . Spring Park is a great place to watch boats passing under the bridge over the channel between Harrison Bay and Seton Lake .
Next , the trail takes you through more lake area and you continue to the town of Mound . As you travel on , the lakes become fewer , but the trail remains scenic and tree-lined .
Gale Woods Farm , an educational farm with classes and a country store , is a great stop between Mound and St . Bonifacius . Watch for signs to a short , connecting trail .
St . Bonifacius , just north of Lake Waconia is the last town on the Hennepin County stretch of the Dakota Rail trail . Once you reach the northern
The Dakota Rail Regional Trail offers a variety of recreational activities .
edge of the lake , you ’ ll cross into Carver County as the trail hugs the lakeshore .
The next town , Mayer , is only about 20 miles from Wayzata , but things take on a much more rural tone here . Farm fields and grain silos are a commons sight as you make the transition from an urban to an agricultural landscape .
After you pass through New Germany , the trail continues to Lester Prairie .
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