Join the hiking group for a hike in Minneapolis/St. Louis Park along the "rail-to-trails" Cedar Lake trail. In 1988, the Cedar Lake Park Association was formed to save from development a large parcel of land on the north and east sides of Cedar Lake. Cedar Lake is situated within the banks of an ancient riverbed that eventually became the Minneapolis Chain of Lakes. Until about 1980, the huge railroad yards on the north and east sides of Cedar Lake ceased operations and vacated the flatlands between the base of the Bryn Mawr bluff and the northern shoreline of Cedar Lake. The trail is located in areas that were formerly railroad yards for the Great Northern RailRoad and the Minneapolis & St. Louis RailRoad. When the Burlington Northern RailRoad (the successor to Great Northern RailRoad) consolidated its facilities elsewhere, and the Chicago Northwestern RailRoad (the successor to Minneapolis & St. Louis RailRoad) dismantled the MSTL facilities, the land became available for use as parkland. The trail connects with the Hutch Spur Connection in the West, the Kenilworth and Midtown Greenway trails in the midsection, and the proposed Bassett Creek trail in the East.
If Driving: Take I-394 to the Penn Avenue exit and go north on Penn Avenue about 100 feet to immediate first right turn, 8th Avenue SE. Turn right and park on the street as soon as you can see Bryn Mawr Park. (If you miss the first turn, the second right turn, on Mount View Avenue, also works, with a right turn on Oliver Avenue South to come back to the park.) Meet by the first ball field in Bryn Mawr Park.
Interested hikers will reassemble for dessert or dinner after the hike at a nearby restaurant (Punch Pizza, 3226 W Lake Street, Minneapolis.)
Map to the hike start point:
Penn Avenue & 8th Avenue SE, Minneapolis
North Cedar Lake trail (to Highway 100) map
North Cedar Lake trail (in St. Louis Park) map
North Cedar Lake attractions map
Kenwood Water Tower
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This webpage was last updated on August 26, 2010.
