Watertown & Mayer
COMMUNITY GUIDE 2025
Trails offer chance to get outdoors
Seeking long, flat stretches of paved trail through scenic Carver County? You’ re in luck as the Dakota Rail Regional Trail passes through northern Carver County.
The Dakota Rail Regional Trail is currently 26.5 miles long and traces the path of the former Dakota Rail Corridor, which represents the route taken by millions of bushels of wheat and grain as they went from Great Plains farms toward the flour milling centers in Minneapolis.
Initially, the trail was 13.5 miles long and went east from St. Bonifacius through Minnetrista, Mound, Spring Park, Minnetonka Beach, Orono, and ended in Wayzata. This portion was constructed in 2008 and is operated by the Three Rivers Park District.
Carver County entered the mix in 2010, when seven miles of paved trail was constructed from the Hennepin County line east to Hidden Crossing Road in Mayer.
Another 5.5 miles of paved trail was added in 2012, extending the trail west from Hidden Crossing Road west to the Carver / McLeod county line, which is located just west of New Germany. A grand opening was held in early June 2013 to celebrate this second extension of the trail.
In Carver County, the trail is 12.5 miles in length and operated by the Carver County Parks Department.
In the coming years, the trail will extend west into McLeod County, ending in Lester Prairie. Once complete, the Dakota Rail Trail will be 44 miles long.
For people in the area, the best spots to get on the trail are in Mayer or St. Bonifacius.
In Mayer, park at the trailhead, which is located just off of Highway 25, or head to St. Bonifacius and park on Kennedy Memorial Drive, which is just a block north of Highway 7. A map of the trail is located in both places and while on the trail, users will notice that a map is available every two miles. If one needs a snack or a break, there are businesses in both communities that are worth a visit, including Spokes Bike Shop, which is located a block or so off the trail in St. Bonifacius. For more information about the Dakota Rail Trail, visit www. dakotarailtrail. com.
Another nearby trail that’ s similar to the Dakota Rail Trail is the Luce Line Trail, which stretches 63 miles from the western metro suburb of Plymouth to the small town of Cosmos. Watertown is a great place to access the Luce Line Trail. For more information, visit www. luceline. com.
36 | WATERTOWN & MAYER | Community Guide 2025