by Russ Lowthian, HaveFunBiking.com
With a great mix of busy and calm the Mounds View 10-mile bike loop lets you ride your bike along creekside trails from park to park. One of nine Twin Cities Gateway communities, it’s a perfect destination for a bike vacation with all the trail opportunities and connections here. Plus, their annual Festival in the Park event is something to plan for if you want to watch bike racers testing their cycling skills with blood, sweat, and gears. Maybe you want to give it a try yourself at the events beginner race?
Enjoy watching the Festival in the Park bike races or try it yourself.
Regardless when you visit here it’s fun to pedal through many quiet neighborhoods that connect you to trails that comfortably take you from park to parks. Along the way, especially on this 10-mile route, you may catch a true Minnesota wildlife experience along the Rice Creek Trail.
The Mounds View 10-mile bike loop
This bike loop travels clockwise and begins in the parking lot of the Mermaid Entertainment Center or your nearby hotel. Leaving to the west on the paved trail, on County Road H, once you see the soccer field, turn south into Long Lake Park. Now, on Rice Creek North Regional Trail, enjoy the scenery as you pedal along the east bank of the creek. Now heading west, over the next few miles, you will pedal along the railroad tracks. At Stinson Boulevard the trail turns to the south.
Riding the Rice Creek Trail system is an adventure in itself.
A TrueNorth touch of nature along the Rice Creek
Leaving the RR tracks you will soon be in sight of Rice Creek, as it flows towards the Mississippi River. Here you will take the trail Y to the right and resume riding along the creek to the west. This section of the trail will put you in touch with nature, the forest air, sounds, and wilderness sightings. It will open your TrueNorth senses!
Connecting to trails from bike-friendly streets is easy in Mounds View.
A sweet option, before the next section of the trail
As the trail nears Central Avenue, you have an option. If you have a sweet tooth or the weather is hot, ride 1/2-mile south on the trail parallelling Central Avenue, to Grandpa’s Ice Cream. Otherwise, the Mounds View 10-mile bike loop continues west under the Highway 65 trail tunnel.
It’s always fun when riding in the Twin Cities Gateway to stop for ice cream.
After crossing under the highway take the upper trail where you will enter into Locke County Park, with restroom facilities. A little further, just past the dog park, the route turns north over the RR tracks and comes out at 73rd Avenue. Here on the south side of the street, you will find a trail that runs parallel as the route now turns back to the east.
Another park and wildlife hatchery
With a slight jog to the northeast first, up through another peaceful neighborhood, the route turns east again to Silver View Park. On the north side of the park, you will find several rest stop options and Cars Bike Shop. The 10-mile loop utilizes the trail around the north side of the little lake here in the park. In the spring of the year, through mid-summer, it is common to waterfowl with their broods of ducklings and goslings sunning themselves along the trail.
Ducks are easily spotted throughout the summer along the trail.
Now on the trail alongside Long Lake Road, the route jogs through a few more neighborhoods on the way back to County Road H and the trail on the south side. Back at the parking lot at the Mermaid checkout a nearby eating establishment and plan another bike adventure in the Twin Cities Gateway Area. Consider the Rice Creek North Regional Trail up to a chain of lakes?
Printable map and Q (cue)-sheet)
For a printable bike map of Mounds View click here
For a turn-by-turn, Q-sheet of Mounds View click here
