Tag Archives: Mississippi National River and Recreation Area

Bike Pic Nov 21, 7 months and counting for a reshoot

With summer now a cherished memory, we are counting the months before we can reshoot another Minnesota summer bike pic memory. This photo was taken along the Mississippi River Trail last season.

So, adjust to the cold and get into the zone when continuing your time outdoors and your #NextBikeAdventure. View all the great ideas and bike destinations in the latest Iowa or Minnesota Bike/Hike Guide. Then plan your next outing with family and friends, and check out more stories at Let’s Do MN.

Thanks for viewing today’s bike pic

Now rolling through our 19th year as a bike tourism media, enjoy! As we pedal forward, we aim to encourage more people to bike and have fun while highlighting all the unforgettable places you can ride. As we continue to showcase more places to have fun, we hope the photos we shoot are worth a grin. Enjoy the information and stories we have posted as you scroll through.

Do you have a fun bicycle-related photo of yourself or someone you may know we should post? If so, please send your picture(s) to [email protected]. Please Include a brief caption for the image, who shot it, and where. Photo(s) sent to us should be a minimum of 1,000 pixels wide to be considered. You will receive photo credit and acknowledgment on Facebook and Instagram if we use your photo.

As we continue encouraging more people to bike, please view our Destination section at HaveFunBiking.com for your #NextBikeAdventure. Also, check out the MN Bike Guide, now mobile-friendly in our 14th year of producing this handy information booklet full of maps.

Bookmark HaveFunBiking.com on your cell phone and find your next adventure at your fingertips! Please share our pics with your friends, and don’t forget to smile. With one of our cameras ready to document your next cameo appearance while you are riding and having fun, we may be around the corner. You could be in one of our next Pic of the Day.

Have a great day with a safe and memorable fall!

Bike Pic July 18, Mississippi River Trail, with round-the-river loops

This bike pic Tuesday, a fun experience is biking along Ol’ Man River, on the Mississippi River Trail (MRT), through Minneapolis Northwest (Brooklyn Center and Brooklyn Park. This segment of the trail, a part of a National Park, offers the perfect round-the-river bike loops with a 13 and 26-mile option, using the Coon Rapids Dam as a crossing. A great choice for nature lovers and families alike, showcasing some of the best the river offers.

So, get into the zone when continuing your time outdoors and your #NextBikeAdventure. View all the great ideas and bike destinations in the latest Iowa or Minnesota Bike/Hike Guide. Then plan your next outing with family and friends, and check out more stories at Let’s Do MN.

Thanks for viewing our latest bike pic

Do you have a fun bicycle-related photo of yourself or someone you may know we should post? If so, please send your picture(s) to [email protected]. Please Include a brief caption for the image, who shot it, and where. Photo(s) sent to us should be a minimum of 1,000 pixels wide to be considered. If we use your photo, you will receive photo credit and acknowledgment on Facebook and Instagram.

As we continue encouraging more people to bike, please view our Destination section at HaveFunBiking.com for your #NextBikeAdventure. Also, check out the MN Bike Guide, now mobile-friendly, as we enter our 14th year of producing this handy information booklet full of maps.

Have a great day with a safe and memorable summer!

Bike Pic July 06, rolling down the Mississippi River Trail together

In this bike pic Thursday, a tandem bike couple enjoys riding down the Mississippi River Trail (MRT) through the Minneapolis Northwest Area. The MRT, running through the Twin Cities, is part of the National Park System.

Thanks for viewing our latest bike pic

Do you have a fun bicycle-related photo of yourself or someone you may know we should post? If so, please send your picture(s) to [email protected]. Please Include a brief caption for the image, who shot it, and where. Photo(s) sent to us should be a minimum of 1,000 pixels wide to be considered. If we use your photo, you will receive photo credit and acknowledgment on Facebook and Instagram.

As we continue encouraging more people to bike, please view our Destination section at HaveFunBiking.com for your #NextBikeAdventure. Also, check out the MN Bike Guide, now mobile-friendly, as we enter our 14th year of producing this handy information booklet full of maps.

Have a great day with a safe and memorable summer!

Bike Pic Sept 05, round the river family fun this Labor Day

With this bike pic, walking the dog or taking the kid out for a spin on this Labor Day. Here in this photo, mom enjoys riding the Mississippi River Trail along the East River Road, in St Paul, MN,

Get into the zone when continuing your time outdoors and your #NextBikeAdventure. View all the great ideas and bike destinations in the latest Iowa or Minnesota Bike/Hike Guide. Then plan your next outing with family and friends in one of Minnesota’s HaveFunBiking destinations. And now, check out more stories at Let’s Do MN.

Thanks for viewing our latest bike pic

Now rolling through our 18th year as a bike tourism media, enjoy! As we pedal forward, we aim to encourage more people to bike and have fun while highlighting all the unforgettable places you can ride. As we continue to showcase more places to have fun, we hope the photos we shoot are worth a grin. Enjoy the information and stories we have posted as you scroll through.

Do you have a fun bicycle-related photo of yourself or someone you may know we should post? If so, please send your picture(s) to [email protected]. Please Include a brief caption to the image, who shot it, and where. Photo(s) should be a minimum of 1,000 pixels wide or larger to be considered. You will receive photo credit and acknowledgment on Facebook and Instagram if we use your photo.

As we continue encouraging more people to bike, please view our Destination section at HaveFunBiking.com for your #NextBikeAdventure. Also, check out the MN Bike Guide, now mobile-friendly, as we enter our 13th year of producing this handy information booklet full of maps.

Remember, bookmark HaveFunBiking.com on your cell phone and find your next adventure at your fingertips! Please share our pics with your friends, and don’t forget to smile. We may be around the corner with one of our cameras ready to document your next cameo appearance while you are riding and having fun. You could be in one of our next Pic of the Day.

Have a great day with a safe and memorable year ahead!

Bike Pic Sept 11, even rover is having fun riding down Summit Avenue

This bike pic Saturday, as we remember those lost due to 9/11, here is rover enjoying a ride down Summit Ave, in St. Paul, MN with his family.

Get into the zone when continuing your time outdoors and your #NextBikeAdventure. View all the great ideas and bike destinations in the latest Iowa or Minnesota Bike/Hike Guide. Then plan your next outing with family and friends in one of Minnesota’s HaveFunBiking Destinations. An now, check out more stories at Let’s Do MN.

Thanks for viewing our latest bike pic

Now rolling through our 16th year as a bike tourism media, enjoy! As we pedal forward, our goal is to encourage more people to bike and have fun while highlighting all the unforgettable places for you to ride. As we continue to showcase more places to have fun, we hope the photos we shoot are worth a grin. Enjoy the information and stories we have posted as you scroll through.

Do you have a fun bicycle-related photo of yourself or someone you may know we should post? If so, please send your picture(s) to [email protected]. Include a brief caption (for each) of who is in the photo (if you know) and where the pic was shot? Photo(s) should be a minimum of 1,000 pixels wide or larger to be considered. If we use your photo, you will receive photo credit and acknowledgment on Facebook and Instagram.

As we continue to encourage more people to bike, please view our Destination section at HaveFunBiking.com for your #NextBikeAdventure. Also, check out the MN Bike Guide, now mobile-friendly as we enter into our 13th year of producing this handy information booklet full of maps.

Have a great day with a safe, memorable 2021!

Bike Pic Sept 7, Saint Paul Classic showcases many parks of the city

The Saint Paul Classic Bike Tour, in its 23rd year, spotlights several of the scenic parks and parkways of Saint Paul. This year’s annual ride will take place on Sunday, September 10, 2017. Don’t miss this family-friendly Saint Paul tradition!

What better way to continue your summer fun and your #NextBikeAdventure. View all the great ideas and bike destinations in the latest Minnesota Bike/Hike Guide. Then plan your next outing with family and friends in one of Minnesota’s HaveFunBiking Destinations.

Thanks for Viewing Our ‘Saint Paul Classic’ of the Day

We are now rolling into our 10th year as a bike tourism media. As we pedal forward our goal is to continue to encourage more people to bike and have fun while we highlight all the unforgettable places for you to ride. As we continue to showcase more places to have fun, we hope the photos we shoot are worth a grin. Enjoy the information and stories we have posted as you scroll through.

Do you have a fun bicycle related photo of yourself or someone you may know that we should post? If so, please send your picture(s) to: [email protected]. Include a brief caption (for each) of who is in the photo (if you know) and where the picture was taken. Photo(s) should be a minimum of 1,000 pixels wide or larger to be considered. If we use your photo, you will receive photo credit and acknowledgment on Facebook and Instagram.

As we continue to encourage more people to bike, please view our Destination section at HaveFunBiking.com for your #NextBikeAdventure – Also, check out the MN Bike Guide, now mobile friendly, as we enter into our 8th year of producing this hand information booklet full of maps.

Remember, bookmark HaveFunBiking.com on your cell phone and find your next adventure at your fingertips! Please share our pics with your friends and don’t forget to smile. We may be around the corner with one of our cameras ready to document your next cameo apperance while you are riding and having fun. You could be in one of our next Pic’s of the Day.

Have a great day!

Twin Cities Gateway Train & Mississippi River Trail Tour

Have you ever considered riding your bike along the Mississippi River Trail (MRT)? Not sure if you have the time or ability to do a multi-day bike trip through Minnesota or a tour all the way to New Orleans? Consider trying this single day, self-guided Twin Cities Gateway Train & Trail Loop Tour.

Here cyclists depart the Northstar Train to pedal back to the Twin Cities Gateway on the Mississippi River Trail.

This single day tour is a multi-modal adventure that will give you a chance to see if riding along the MRT is right for you. With three mileage options to consider, the ride can be a fun family outing or a chance to check out bicycle touring. Also, it is a great trip to enjoy with friends. There is plenty of time to go pedaling along the river and visit a few river towns along the way.

With your bike, board the Northstar Commuter Rail for a train ride to Big Lake. Leaving from Anoka by train, it is a 25-miles ride back. Board the train in Coon Rapid for a 27-mile bike ride back. For a 36-mile route, depart from the Fridley Station and ride your bike back further down the MRT.

Riding back to the Twin Cities Gateway on the Mississippi River Trail you will pass the landscaped grounds of the Dayton Mansion.

Riding back on the Mississippi River Trail you will pass the landscaped grounds of the Dayton Mansion.

As you pedal along the Mississippi river on the MRT, visit the river communities of Elk River. Visiting Dayton and Champlin are great opportunities for a rest stop and lunch. Approaching Dayton, both the river and the MRT enters into the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area for the next 60 miles. This area is managed by the National Park Service. Riding this stretch of the Mississippi River Trail offers cyclists several spectacular views as they bike the Great River Road.

To plan a MRT Loop Tour, check the schedule of the Northstar Commuter Rail Line here. Then, download and print this PDF sheet which is a Turn-by-Turn Direction Sheet for your next Twin Cities Gateway bicycle adventure.

For map options see MnDOT’s series of bike maps by county and have fun!

A Mississippi River Trail bike loop in one of our National Parks

An experience you are sure to want share is biking along Ol’ Man River. Ol’ Man River is a National Park treasure you will discover while visiting the Twin Cities Gateway. If you are new to the Mississippi River Trail (MRT) system, this segment of the trail offers the perfect round-the-river bike loop with a 13 and 26-mile option. This is a great choice for nature lovers and families alike showcasing some of the best the river has to offer.

MRT Loop a part of the Mississippi River Recreation Area

In the middle of a bustling Minnesota urban setting is the scenic MRT. MRT is a part of the 72-mile Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, managed by the National Park Service (NSP). The trail starts in the historic downtown area of Anoka (a Gateway City at the point where the Rum and Mississippi Rivers meet). Here, cyclists can consider a number of unique eating establishments, before or after their ride.

Touring this MRT Loop offers a chance to pedal through several parks, a national wildlife refuge, and along city streets. These streets are filled with stunning homes with beautiful landscapes. Beginning in historic downtown Anoka, the suggested route takes the East MRT Trail along the quiet city streets there. You will pass through the historic Christian Hill and McCauley’s Pond neighborhoods. Soon riders are cruising along a trail that parallels the local boulevard in the Gateway City of Coon Rapids. Then, along Mississippi Boulevard, a low traffic street that takes you to the Coon Rapids Dam, your first river crossing option.

Bike riding the Mississippi River Trail, in Twin Cities Gateway community of Coon Rapid, MN.

Coon Rapids Dam makes the perfect place for a picnic

Here, seven miles into the ride, you will find the perfect place to bring a picnic lunch or cross over the river, for the 14-mile loop. The dam, built in the early 1900’s, today offers some of the best bird watching in the Twin Cities Metro Area. The 446-acre park boasts an extensive trail system. This is great for bicyclists, roller-bladders, and hikers alike.

For those riding the 26-mile loop, continue along the MRT‘s East bank trail. You will be riding from one river community neighborhood to the next. Soon you are in the Gateway City of Fridley. This is the halfway point of your ride where you will head North after crossing the I-694/Mississippi River Bridge crossing. Now, on the West bank, the MRT takes you back up to the Coon Rapids Dam. Then, the trail continues up to Champlin, where the Loop crosses Hwy 169/Bridge into Anoka.

For more information on the MRT and the Twin Cities Gateway, click here.