Most of Minnesota’s 25 paved state trails offer long-distance bicycling adventures, connecting cities and—when you’re lucky—parks. The Cuyuna Lakes State Trail does all that, but it also serves a more dynamic role: it acts as a central artery running through the 70-mile mountain bike trail system within Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area in central Minnesota.
Cyclists traveling the paved trail end-to-end encounter a distinctive energy along the way, as mountain bikers of all skill levels hop on and off at various access points. The state trail currently stretches roughly nine miles, though a half-mile gap between the eastern edge of Crosby and western Deerwood requires riders to detour briefly onto a county highway.
While the state trail winds through much of the state recreation area, it stops just short of one of its most exciting additions: the Sagamore unit. Opened in recent years, Sagamore features 7.5 miles of adaptive mountain biking trails—purpose-built to accommodate three-wheeled bicycles used by riders with physical disabilities. Designed with gentle grades and free of ride-stopping obstacles or tipping hazards, these trails are ideal for beginners, families, and anyone seeking a more relaxed riding experience.
Currently, the Riverton Trailhead marks the western end of the state trail. “Right now, trail users need to navigate their way from the Riverton Trailhead along two county roads for approximately one-third of a mile,” explains Chuck Carlson, vice president of the Cuyuna Lakes Trail Association. “We’ve been working with local landowners to secure the land needed to make a safe connection.”
That effort reached a major milestone this year. The nonprofit Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota assisted the local effort by acquiring the final piece of private land between the Riverton Trailhead and the Sagamore Unit. Combined with a nearby parcel Parks & Trails Council acquired in 2022, as well as land owned by the DNR and city of Riverton, the pieces are now in place to extend the trail.
“These are small parcels that will have a big connectivity impact,” says Brett Feldman, Parks & Trails Council president. “That’s ultimately the purpose of state trails—connecting people to high-quality outdoor experiences.”
Unlike many state trails built on former railroad corridors, this connection required assembling land from multiple private owners—often the most complex and time-consuming part of trail development. These behind-the-scenes efforts can take years of negotiation, coordination, and due diligence, work that Parks & Trails Council is uniquely equipped to lead.
“Our member-supporters make this work possible by sustaining our operations,” Feldman adds. The organization also draws on its dedicated land fund to cover acquisition costs, which are replenished once the land is transferred to public ownership.
Looking ahead, the Cuyuna Lakes Trail Association is working with the city of Riverton to finalize the route through town. If all goes as planned, a natural-surface connection could be in place as early as 2026. “At the same time, we’ll begin securing funding to pave this segment,” says Carlson, “creating a continuous route through downtown Riverton and into the Sagamore Unit.”