Whether you're looking for a trail for a leisurely stroll, a bike ride with the family, or something a bit more challenging, you'll find it in this comprehensive trail guide highlighting the best, most highly rated trails in Minnesota. Many of the trails were converted from unused railroad corridors to become some of the best multiuse rail-trails in the state. In this guidebook, experts from Rail-to-Trails Conservancy present their final list of 48 of the best trails and rail-trails in Minnesota. Experience first-hand how Minnesota earned the nickname "Land of 10,000 Lakes" by taking one of several paths through the various lake districts, including the 121-mile Paul Bunyan State Trail, one of the longest rail-trails in the United States. In addition to details about each trail, Rail-Trails Minnesota also provides information about trail amenities, including restrooms, parking facilities, and water fountains.

The classic guide to hiking the Land of 10,000 Lakes, now updated and in full color! View the spectacular waterfalls, gorges, and canyons of the nationally known Superior Hiking Trail, step back into Native American history alongside the quarries of Pipestone National Monument, or see bald eagles and other wildlife in Bear Head Lake State Park. Highlighting the history and geography of each route, this book introduces more than forty of the finest trails the Gopher State has to offer. Each featured hike includes detailed hike specs and descriptions, trailhead location, mile-by-mile directional cues, gorgeous full-color photography, and a detailed map.

If, as Wallace Stegner said, the national park is “the best idea we ever had,” the rail-trail is certainly a close runner-up. Part transportation corridor, part park, the rail-trail has revolutionized the way America creates high-quality, car-free pathways for bicyclists, runners, walkers, equestrians, and more. It was only a few decades after railroad barons had run roughshod over America’s economy and politics that they began to shed nearly one hundred thousand miles of unneeded railroad corridor. At the same time, bicyclists were being so thoroughly pushed off ever-more-intimidating roadways they came close to extinction. Through political organizing and lawyerly grit, an unlikely, formerly marginalized advocacy arose, seized on seemingly worthless strips of land, and created a resource that is treasured by millions of Americans today for recreation, purposeful travel, tourism, conservation, and historical interpretation. From Rails to Trails is the fascinating tale of the rails-to-trails movement as well as a consideration of what the continued creation of rail-trails means for the future of Americans’ health, nonmotorized transportation networks, and communities across the country.

Follow in the footsteps of the early voyageurs, ramble beside river rapids, trek through tall trees, or savor a scenic overlook as you discover some of Minnesota's finest walking trails. Walkers of every age and ability will find trails covering all corners of the state.

The author lists some favorite parks for special uses such as family camping ; historical sites ; horseback riding ; Nature centers ; picnicking ; swimming ; and winter recreation.

"Managing to Optimize the Beneficial Outcomes of Recreation focuses on the need for public park and recreation agencies to optimize the beneficial outcomes of recreational opportunities they provide and on how such optimization can be achieved. The six chapters in Part 1 of the text explain what Outcomes-Focused Management (OFM) is, how it evolved, why it is needed, why it is credible, how it can and should be implemented by public municipal and wildland recreation park and recreation agencies. These introductory chapters also explain why every segment of a country's population needs to understand the existing science-based knowledge about the benefits of leisure, and why repositioning of people's currently too limited understanding and appreciation of the benefits of leisure is so badly needed. The six chapters of Part 2 describe how OFM has been used to help guide park and recreation policy development by agencies in Australia, Canada, the U.S., and New Zealand. Part 3 is comprised of eight chapters that describe how OFM has been applied to guide the development and implementation of management plans by various public park and recreation agencies. A large proportion of the chapters in Parts 2 and 3 were authored by practitioners who were directly involved in the applications described. Those chapters are rich in their descriptions of what was learned about how to, and how not to, apply and implement OFM. The four chapters of Part 4 describe other applications of OFM such as to promote more attention on the benefits to residents of local communities, determine the local impacts of recreation and tourism, and guide recreation-related health initiatives and wildlife management. The summary chapter critiques what the text and suggests future needed direction. This text was designed for leisure professionals as well as lay persons, politicians, and journalists. The primary hoped-for readers include leisure scientists, academics, and students; leisure professionals who work for municipal park and recreation agencies; and their counterparts who work for agencies that manage public wildlands on which outdoor recreation opportunities are provided. Managing to Optimize the Beneficial Outcomes of Recreation explains what OFM is, why it should be applied more widely to the management of recreation and related amenity resources and programs that are managed by public agencies, and how such management can and should be done." -- Publisher.

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