Bike 'N' Ride: Minnehaha Falls to Fort Snelling

By JILL BOOGREN

Have a bike? Or want to use a Nice Ride? Take the Blue Line to the 50th St./Minnehaha Park Station and then pedal the short distance to Fort Snelling, where you can visit the historic fort atop the bluff or the state park along the river bottom.

To get to Historic Fort Snelling, take the little road from 54th St. (at Minnehaha Park’s southern end) to Coldwater Springs, then follow the bike trail that runs parallel to the highway about a mile to the fort. Inside, costumed interpreters, demonstrations, and exhibits tell the story of Minnesota's native people, soldiers, settlers, traders, and servants from 1820 until 1946, when it closed. Even if you don't go in, you can still enjoy sweeping vistas of the Mississippi River and the Minneapolis skyline in the distance.

If you love fife and drum music or want to experience canon and musket firings, you may want to visit on "Civil War Weekend: 1864" to take place Sat., Aug. 16 through Sun., Aug. 17. Otherwise, regular hours are Tues.-Sat. (admission: $11 adults, $9 seniors, students, active military personnel, $6 children 6-17, free for age 5 and under and Minnesota Historical Society members). www.historicfortsnelling.org

When it’s not under water, Fort Snelling State Park (closed as this went to press due to flooding) is a great place to explore. To get there, follow the trail marked "MRT" (Mississippi River Trail) that begins at 54th St. just steps east of the Nice Ride bike station. Here you'll ride a beautiful shaded trail overlooking the Mississippi River 1.6 miles until you reach the Thomas C. Savage Visitor Center. Park your bike and head indoors to learn more about life in a forested flood plain. Outside is a memorial honoring the 1,600 Dakota people who were imprisoned at Fort Snelling after the 1862 U.S. Dakota War. Take a walk on Pike Island to the confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers. Bald eagles, deer, and wild turkeys are spotted regularly here.

Check the website www.dnr. state.mn.us/state_parks/fort_snelling for updates. If the park is closed, you can still ride the MRT and access the path that takes you up to the fort (most people have to walk their bikes up this one).

Tip for using Nice Ride Minnesota: The Minnehaha Park Nice Ride station is at the roundabout where Minnehaha Ave. meets Minnehaha Pkwy. Grab a bike here, then another at Coldwater (1.2 miles south at 54th St.). Park the bike at the fort (there’s a station at the state park, too, that is currently out of service). Remember to dock your bike within 30 minutes of each ride to avoid fees. Must be 18+ (16+ if included in adult membership) to use Nice Ride bikes (www.niceridemn.org).

Tip if you have your own bike: Train cabs have vertical slots for parking your bike. If your bike needs servicing, The Hub Bicycle Co-Op (3020 Minnehaha Ave., two blocks east of the E. Lake St. Station) is open daily.

Happy pedaling!