Luce Line Trail is a 74.9-mile (120.5 km), shared-use path in Minnesota, United States, that stretches from Cosmos to Minneapolis.[1] The trail system was built after 1995 when the Luce Line Railroad was abandoned west of Interstate 494. The previous line extended 104 miles (167 km) to Gluek.[2] The multi-use trail has varying surface features, though it is primarily made up of crushed limestone or aggregate base, and the section from Cosmos to Cedar Mills is undeveloped, as are the sections from just west of Hutchinson to Winsted and east of Plymouth. The trail is maintained by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources west of Vicksburg Lane, where it is named Luce Line State Trail. East of Vicksburg Lane, it is maintained by the Three Rivers Park District and named Luce Line Regional Trail.
Route description
State trail
Western portion
The trail begins in Cosmos, by Thompson Lake. There is a parking lot, a campground, and facilities. It crosses MN 4 and MN 7, and will parallel MN 7 for 24.5 miles (39.4 km). At this point, the trail leaves the town and is undeveloped with a natural surface. After 10 miles (16 km), it reaches Cedar Mills and transforms into an aggregate surface. It becomes paved and goes by Otter Lake as it enters Hutchinson. It parallels the Crow River and passes under several bridges, including MN 15. It leaves town and crosses over MN 22 on a bridge. It passes under Minnesota Highway 7 again and continues east. It goes south of Swan Lake and into Silver Lake. It leaves Minnesota Highway 7 and continues northeast, and intersects several farm roads. Just west of Winsted, the trail turns south on a new section to avoid the Winsted Airport. The western segment ends at County Road 20. The western segment is 33 miles (53 km) long.[3]
Eastern portion
After following Winsted streets, the trail passes south of Winsted Lake and a parking lot. It continues due east and passes by several roads. It goes by a parking lot at Vega Avenue. It enters Watertown, and crosses the Crow River. It leaves Watertown and goes by several lakes. It changes directions a few times and goes into the small hamlet of Lyndale in Independence. It crosses county roads 92, 110, and 19, south of Maple Plain. It enters the Lake Minnetonka area and passes by Stubbs Bay. Past this point, no snowmobiles are allowed. The scenery begins to be more suburban, and it crosses local roads. It passes under Brown Road and over Orono Orchard Road. It passes US 12 and the railroad tracks and Wayzata Boulevard on a restored bridge. It goes south, running parallel to US 12 for a while. It passes north of Wayzata, and tunnels under CSAH 101. It passes into Gleason Lake. This section ends at Vicksburg Lane. The eastern segment is 37 miles (60 km) long.[4][3]
Regional trail
East of Vicksburg Lane, the trail is paved and known as the Luce Line Regional Trail. It is managed by the Three Rivers Park District. It passes south of Parkers Lake and has several spur trails serving the lake and the surrounding neighborhoods. It enters a tunnel under I-494, and goes by several industries afterward. It crosses Xenium Lane on a bridge and leaves the industrial area. It crosses several defunct railroad crossings. It crosses under MN 55 and turns slightly southeast. It enters the Medicine Lake area. Due to right-of-way issues, the trail narrows to about half its width. This happens for about 0.25 miles (0.40 km), and then the trail goes over two boardwalks. It intersects the Medicine Lake Regional Trail, and parallels 13th Avenue. It goes under US 169. It leaves Plymouth Avenue and goes back to the railway tracks. It crosses Winnetka Avenue and turns south to avoid the Golden Valley Country Club. It turns east again, paralleling Country Club Drive and turns north on Douglas Drive. It crosses the Canadian Pacific Railway tracks and crosses under MN 100 and avoids a pond by circling south. It goes by Schaper Park and goes into Theodore Wirth Park. It intersects several mountain bike trails, and ends at Theodore Wirth Parkway. The Three Rivers Park District regional trail segment is 9 miles (14 km) long.[5]
The Electric Short Line Railway was a system that was built from 1917-1927. It extended from Minneapolis to Gluek, serving the small towns in between. The railway changed hands a few times before being abandoned throughout the late 1960s to early 1970s. The new trail was completed west of Plymouth after the line was abandoned. The trail was built after the railroad was dismantled in 1995.[6]
20 miles (32 km) of the DNR Segment was paved in 2014, from Winsted to Hutchinson. The project cost $2.2 million, and is the longest paved section built at one time by the DNR. The DNR hopes to pave the entire trail east of Hutchinson.[7]
