Join the hiking group for a hike in Arden Hills on a portion of the North Rice Creek Trail through a 113 acre portion of the former Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant/Arsenal area. The Rice Creek North Regional Trail is a pedestrian and bicycle trail running southwesterly along Rice Creek from Rice Creek Chain of Lakes Park Reserve in Anoka County to Long Lake Regional Park in Ramsey County. The Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant (TCAAP) was built in 1941 and 1942 on four square miles of farmland to function as a self-contained community to support the national defense. During World War II, the plant produced more than 4 billion rounds of ammunition. After World War II, it engaged in repacking ammunition (completed in 1947) and demilitarizing unusable ammunition (completed in 1951.) The plant began producing ammunition again in 1950 and from 1950 to 1957, 3.5 billion rounds of small arms ammunition, 3.2 million 195-mm artillery shell metal parts, and 715,000 155-mm shell metal parts were produced. On standby status from 1958 until 1965, the plant was reactivated in 1966 and produced more than 10 billion rounds of various types of ammunition for the Vietnam War. An enclosed range was built on the site in the late 1960s to proof test cartridges.
Directions: The group will meet at the County Road I parking lot of the Rice Creek trail, east of I-35W. Take I-35W North from Minneapolis, exit on County Road I, and go East (right.) The parking lot is about 1/4 mile East of I-35W and is on the North side of the road.
Overall location map to the Arden Hills/North Rice Creek Trail/TCAAP trail
Map to hike start point; County Road I & I-35W
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This page was last updated on May 3, 2015.
