Trail Celebrates Opening of Extension from Albany to Holdingford
The Albany to Holdingford section of the Lake Wobegon Trail is paved, and a celebration was held Tuesday, October 21, 2003 to mark the occasion. Approximately 50 people attended the dedication ceremony held at the Trailhead Park in Holdingford, which is on County Road 17.
Albany and Holdingford City officials, County Commissioners, Park Commission members, the State Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and other biking organizations were on hand to commemorate the event, along with members of the public.
The Albany and Holdingford section of the Wobegon Trail runs 9.4 miles, over three bridges and runs by Two Rivers Lake. It is a former Soo Line Rail Corridor.
Avon to St. Joseph Section of Wobegon Trail Officially Opens
Stearns County officials are opening the Avon to St. Joseph segment of the Lake Wobegon Trail for public use Friday morning, October 17, 2003.
This project includes a 10-foot wide bituminous pathway with 2-foot grass shoulders. This 9-mile trail extension brings the total trail length to 46 miles. There will be a dual winter use treadway from Old Collegeville Road to County Road #3, just west of St. Joseph. The trail will be used for bicycling, hiking, in-line skating, and snowmobiling (without metal traction devices).
The availability of this former Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad corridor comes through a cooperative agreement with the Minnesota Department of Transportation, which manages the corridor for the State through its "Railbank Program."
The National Park Service and U.S. Department of the Interior recognized the Lake Wobegon Trail in 2002 as a NATIONAL RECREATION TRAIL. The White House also recognized the trail as a Millennium trail in 2000.
Decisions Made on Lake Wobegon Trail Usage
At its meeting on November 19, 2002, the Stearns County
Board continued its discussion of winter use of the Avon to St. Joseph (9.3
miles) segment of the Lake Wobegon Trail. The County wants to have the Lake
Wobegon Trail open for snowmobilers this winter with help from local snowmobile
enthusiasts. The St. Joe Snow Joes, will help put up signs and will groom the
trails. The county plans to allow runners and walker to use a two-mile path from
Collegeville Station to Stearns County Road 3. St. John’s University has agreed
to clear the path for foot traffic. In addition, the board decided to create
burmes at Collegeville Station to provide a buffer for three houses; reforest
areas within Collegeville Station for screening; and post snowmobile speed
limits of 30 m.p.h. in dual use areas with 15 m.p.h at the approaches to Old
Collegeville Road; provide fence boundary installation by landowners in trespass
areas. If construction funding runs short, the screening of the three homes in
Collegeville Station will be a high priority and plowing the trail will be a low
priority.
The project will cost about $1.1 million. The county has
received money from the Department of Natural Resources and the federal
government. To comply with the rules of one DNR grant, snowmobiling must be
allowed the entire length of the trail.
SRF Consulting will submit trail construction plans soon
after a signed Project Memorandum is received back from the Minnesota Department
of Transportation. After construction documents are approved by the state and
federal reviewers, the goal will be to construct the bike trail in the summer of
2003. It will connect to the existing Lake Wobegon Trail that runs from Avon to
Sauk Centre.
More Funding Received
for Trail
The City of Holdingford pledged $10,000 to the County if
the County would blacktop the Lake Wobegon Trail from Albany to Holdingford in
2003. The City encouraged the County to pave the 9.4 mile gravel segment of
trail. This donation matches $10,000 that was previously pledged by the Albany
Jaycees for the project.
In 2002, Stearns County was awarded a $100,000 National
Recreational Trail grant from Minnesota DNR for blacktopping. The grant expires
December 31, 2003. The Board indicated a willingness to use some of its capital
improvement bond funds to help pay for the local match, but encouraged the Park
Department to come up with as many grants and donations as possible to improve
the trail.
The City of Holdingford has worked hard to create the
northernmost trailhead on the Lake Wobegon Trail. City crews and volunteers
cleared, constructed and landscaped the trailhead claiming to be “the Gateway to
Lake Wobegon,” as noted on the huge granite engraved sign. The City has placed a
box car from the old Canadian Pacific Soo Line Railroad at the trailhead as part
of it construction. When the rail salvagers came to Holdingford they slid the
rails out from beneath the box car and exclaimed they were only there to salvage
rails, not box cars.
Trail Gains National
Status
The Lake Wobegon Trail is Stearns County is one of 26
trails around the country Interior Secretary Gayle Norton has designated as
national recreation trails. National recreation trails are chosen for having
unique features. The County applied for the trail designation describing the
journey the trail has taken from concept to completion and how the trail’s name,
taken with permission from author Garrison Keillor, reflects the area’s
character. Receiving the designation is a boost to the Lake Wobegon Trail’s
prestige and is expected to increase its chances of federal and state funding
for future improvements.
We are working on an updated listing for 2003.
These
events will probably be very near the same dates for 2004.
