About trails in Dakota County, Minnesota

Dakota County has 83 named trails on the map, covering 263 miles in total, an average of 3.2 miles per trail. That is the 10th largest mapped trail network among 68 counties in Minnesota. 51 of them are tagged for hiking and 45 for mountain biking.

The longest single trail is Mississippi River Greenway, at 53.3 miles. 16 trails run 5 miles or longer. Mapped points of interest in the county include 8 trailheads, 17 campsites, 2 waterfalls, and 22 boat launches. The nearest towns to these trails are Cottage Grove and Northfield.

What the trails in Dakota County are like

By length, 41 are under a mile, 26 run 1 to 5 miles, and 16 are 5 miles or longer. 9 are loops, ending where they start; the longest is Lone Rock Loop, at 9.4 miles.

Every one carries a difficulty rating: 75 easy and 8 moderate. Of the 81 with measured elevation, Mississippi River Greenway climbs the most, about 1,738 ft, and 2 gain 1,000 ft or more.

Explore by activity

263Total miles

17Campsites

22Boat launches

2Waterfalls

8Trailheads

Mississippi River GreenwayMTB53.3 mi Pilot Knob TrailMTB19.0 mi River to River GreenwayMTB15.7 mi Lake Marion GreenwayMTB14.3 mi Lebanon Hills SingletrackMTB11.0 mi Lone Rock LoopHike9.4 mi Cliff Road TrailMTB8.4 mi Big Rivers Regional TrailMTB6.9 mi Voyageur TrekHike6.9 mi Wetland LoopHike6.7 mi North Creek GreenwayMTB6.4 mi Minnesota River GreenwayMTB6.2 mi Cedar Ave TrailMTB6.1 mi Mendota TrailHikeMTB5.7 mi Vermillion River GreenwayMTB5.7 mi West Lake Marion Mountain Bike TrailMTB5.6 mi Blackhawk Road TrailMTB4.5 mi Salem HillsMTB4.3 mi Intermediate LoopMTB4.2 mi Prairie Loop (south)HikeMTB3.5 mi Veterans Memorial GreenwayMTB3.4 mi Farm LoopHike3.3 mi Northern Voyageur TrekHike3.2 mi Nicollet Ave BikewayMTB3.1 mi Southern Voyageur TrekHike2.8 mi 70th St TrailMTB2.5 mi Terrace OaksMTB2.3 mi Cedar Bridge ConnectionMTB2.3 mi Main LoopMTB2.0 mi Pine LoopHike1.8 mi Cliff Fen TrailHike1.7 mi Red LoopMTB1.7 mi Mendota-Lebanon Hills GreenwayMTB1.5 mi Highline TrailHikeMTB1.5 mi Oakland Ave BikewayMTB1.5 mi Black Dog TrailHike1.4 mi Burma Trail MMR1.4 mi Upper Green LoopMTB1.3 mi New Hope Trail1.3 mi Treetop TrailHike1.3 mi BlackMTB1.2 mi Shulze Lake TrailHike1.2 mi Carleton Arboretum TrailHike0.9 mi Northside Caponi FootpathsHike0.8 mi Discovery TrailHike0.8 mi Caponi South PathsHike0.8 mi Lilydale Regional TrailHikeMTB0.8 mi Aspen Loop (north)HikeMTB0.8 mi Koch Memorial TrailHikeMTB0.7 mi Lower Green LoopMTB0.7 mi Trail along the shore of Spring LakeHike0.7 mi Southeast PathHike0.6 mi Northwest PathHikeMTB0.6 mi 35W Bicycle & Pedestrian CrossingHikeMTB0.6 mi BlueMTB0.6 mi Vista View Park PathHike0.5 mi Hunters CourtHikeMTB0.4 mi Central PathHikeMTB0.4 mi Skills Park0.4 mi Arboretum TrailHike0.4 mi Elderberry TrailHike0.3 mi Rock IslandHikeMTB0.3 mi Weesner Wetland WalkwayHike0.2 mi Dakota Heights PathHike0.2 mi Lightner TrailHike0.2 mi Waterford Mill Pond Wing DamHike0.2 mi Sugar Bush TrailHike0.2 mi Wakota BridgeHikeMTB0.2 mi Advanced LoopMTB0.2 mi Walking trail through the woodsHike0.2 mi Lowland PathHike0.2 mi Hagstrom Park PathHike0.2 mi Photoblind TrailHike0.2 mi Path to Caponi Art Park gateHikeMTB0.2 mi Preschool TrailHike0.1 mi Charlton TrailHike0.1 mi Rock Island Swing BridgeHikeMTB0.1 mi Cherryview PathHike0.1 mi Evergreen TrailHike0.1 mi Mississippi River TrailHikeMTB0.1 mi Barenscheer TrailHike0.1 mi Small Dog Area PathHike0.1 mi River Crossing Regional TrailHikeMTB0.1 mi

Trails by town in Dakota County

Northfield

1 trail nearby

More Minnesota counties

731 trails · 1,892 mi

Hennepin County

331 trails · 1,051 mi

Lake County

300 trails · 795 mi

← All of Minnesota

Trail geometry from OpenStreetMap contributors, licensed ODbL. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Compiled and published by Trailmonger · trail data last rebuilt October 25, 2026.