central lakes trail

Nice paved trail for walking/running, biking, pushing a stroller, and rollerblading. Local businesses, attractions, and eating establishments right off the trail, especially around Alexandria. Safe area and family friendly.

This trail is a treasure to the area. Just within a 4 mile diameter of the city you can bike right past over 9 lakes. Connects to numerous towns and facilities, connects to the Lake Wobegon Trail and allows for hundreds of miles of connectivity....so the adventures are endless.

Four of us hired bikes from Jakes in Alexandria, which is very close to the trail and we did a 28 mile return ride along the trail. The trail is very well maintained and flat, so comfortable for most fitness levels. Plenty of nice views across the lakes and countryside. Great way to pass a few hours.

Love this trail. Little towns along the way if you want to go that far. Places you can stop to eat or drink.

My husband and friends biked the Central Lakes Trail in June and loved how well kept up it is, the availability of porta potties at least every 15 miles and the breaktaking lakesy scenery. We saw Pelicans over taking large parts of the trail and snapping turtles on the trail as well. It's a great weekend getaway to get on the bike and go.....

A great, easy ride. You pass lakes, culverts and prairie. Rented our bikes from Jake's right off the trail.

This former railroad trail has gradual grades and a good surface. There are several places in and near Alexandria to park your vehicle :1. In Alexandria, near Big Ole Central Park on 2nd Ave. and Broadway. Summer Saturdays you will find a farmer's market there too. 2. West of Alexandria on W. Lake Cowdry Road NW, turn off of Co. Rd. 22 (a large lot, suitable for trailers). (My preferred lot.)3. In the town of Garfield, Minnesota (about 5 miles west, just a few spots).4. In Nelson, Minnesota (about 5 miles east). 5. The town of Osakis is about 10 or 11 miles east of Alexandria, and has shopping, restaurants, ice cream at the Tip Top Dairy Bar. Because the railroad was developed in the days of steam locomotives, the towns along the trail are about 5 miles apart. Each town has a cafe or a convenience store so you can stop for refreshments. My favorite direction out of Alexandria is to head west, and also include some of the side roads off of the trail, like the paved W. Lake Cowdry road, with its lake breezes. West out of Alexandria passes Lake Cowdry, and its creek, Lakes Stony, Taylor, Union and Brophy. This part of the trail goes past the newly developing Lake Brophy County Park. It's shady in the afternoon.East of Alexandria you find lakes Geneva and Victoria, and some scenic prairie and farmland, on your way to Nelson, Minnesota. There are a few places as you head out of Alex, where you have to cross busy streets, so be careful of that.There are walkers and bikers. A lot of them will say "Hi" as you go by. It is a small town, you know. There are also some geo-cache sites along the trail, but be warned, a couple of them are thick with poison ivy. I suggest to skip them, unless it is the dead of winter. (We had a German guest who almost stepped in the thick of it.) Stay on the trail, and the poison ivy will be no problem. There is bike rental available from Jake's Bikes. The details are on their website, and it's located just a block off of the trail, in Alexandria. Google to find their information.

This bike trail is fun, and the traffic shows it. Head west with a little challenge and lots of lake views. Head east for fewer hills but lots of interesting sights. Because it goes through several small towns so a short stop or lunch is possible. Toilets and rest areas abound. Some groups of teenagers hanging west of town pose some harassment but usually enough others around. Nice if there were some enforcement though, not sure I would head east alone.

The trail is a wonderful place for all ages who are ready to see the country side :) with lakes, bridges, wildlife, great sunsets....the trail is wonderful! but do not have the expectation of being there alone :) ther are times it is very full just think you can meet new friends:) so enjoy!!!

We came from California and took a random stop at a random Tripadvisor attraction along the way which happened to be this trail. It was freezing cold and we were not sure what to expect and it turned out to be a great experience.It's just a few minutes off the highway, has a nice parking lot by the viking statue (I guess the main value of that status is to help finding the parking lot location), walked along the trail for a bit, then just got on the ice of the frozen lake. That was a lot of fun, the ice was smooth and thick, so we could push each other and slide - that was great!I guess for the locals it's something they got used to, but to us it was a highlight of the day.Great place!

We live in Osakis, MN and enjoy the beauty of this trail throughout the year. This is a dual trail system being used in the Spring/Summer/Fall for cycling, rollerblading, roller skis, walking/running/hiking, and in the Winter for snowmobiles.It is extremely well maintained and groomed. Slight grades. Constantly changing view along each segment will find you passing through small towns where you can take a break and eat, shop and/or rest in local venues.You'll pass through expansive farm fields, see beautiful golf courses, lakes, and the occasional harmless critter. ... Don't forget your camera!

This trail is great. It is 14 feet wide so there is lots of room for walkers and cyclists. We rode from Alexandria to a few miles past Osakis. The scenery is great all along the trail.

Love the bike trail! It winds through the lakes, with lots of nature to see! If you are visiting without your bike, it's a great place to walk too.

We enjoyed the well maintained, paved trail through and around Alexandria. As novice bikers, we appreciated the generally flat trail, the easy to read mile markers and the plentiful afternoon shade. The trail made biking an enjoyable way to get our exercise while on vacation.

This trail is perfectly maintained for road biking! My husband and I have ridden from Osakis to Ashby and the entire trail is smooth, with only a few well-patched cracks in the pavement.There's a good mix of shade and sun in the mornings and later afternoon, but during mid-day, the sun can be pretty intense on some stretches. Also take note of the wind direction before going too far! The wind can be quite strong from the South/Southeast in the summer, which can make for a rather grueling return trip if you're traveling back down towards Osakis! Most towns along the route have cute, clean, covered shelters with picnic tables, and there are plenty of convenience stores available to refill water or grab a snack. There are also some very scenic views of lakes and wetlands. We saw many types of birds, including pelicans, ducks, herons and egrets. If you're looking for a beautiful, flat trail for a bike ride, definitely consider the Central Lakes Trail!