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Battle Creek Regional Park

Saint Paul, Minnesota
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3 Trip Reports
4 out of 5
Battle Creek Regional Park is often included in lists detailing the best trails to ride in the state of Minnesota—not just in the Twin Cities. That’s probably because there’s a beautiful mixture of dense oak forest and open meadows with substantial flora and fauna that you’d never expect to find so close to urbanity. Here we take you through 4 of the 10 total trail miles available, dancing amidst the 750 acres that make up this park. Here’s the deal, folks. If you don’t think you should be riding on the mountain-biking equivalent of a black diamond—take extreme caution on this trail.
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Battle Creek Regional Park

Battle Creek Regional Park Professional Guide

Detailed Trail Description from our Guidebook

"Battle Creek Regional Park is often included in lists detailing the best trails to ride in the state of Minnesota—not just in the Twin Cities. That’s probably because there’s a beautiful mixture of dense oak forest and open meadows with substantial flora and fauna that you’d never expect to find so close to urbanity.

Here we take you through 4 of the 10 total trail miles available, dancing amidst the 750 acres that make up this park. Here’s the deal, folks. If you don’t think you should be riding on the mountain-biking equivalent of a black diamond—take extreme caution on this trail."

--Joe Baur, Best Outdoor Adventures Near Minneapolis and Saint Paul: Hiking, Paddling, and Cycling (Falcon Guides).

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Battle Creek Regional Park Trail Trip Reports

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Matt M.
Saint Paul, MN
Pathfinder | 60 pts
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8/6/2010
This is a great trail network and it's close to downtown St. Paul. I parked on the East end near the community center, thus I started off going mostly downhill and had to climb back up, but there's lots of broken glass in the parking lot on the West end, and I didn't feel safe leaving my car there, even though I prefer to start off going uphill and finish by going down. Lots of great single track. The main thing to watch out for is a few sandy spots where you'll bog down, and the occasional root across the trail.
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scott S.
Saint Paul, MN
Explorer | 40 pts
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6/11/2006
Outstanding for suburbia location. Mountain biking consists of many short spurs, some very challenging. Trails are in good condition, a bit sandy right now. View of the river from the far western section is outstanding, it's better in winter. For as near as this park is to MSP and it's high quality, it is very uncrowded, as most of the traffic is in the dog unleashed section and in the cave section in the far west. Venture a little further and you will find some solitude in the midsts of suburbia.
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Nate H.
Fosston, MN
Pathfinder | 71 pts
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10/27/2000
Battle Creek IS the best riding spot within the Twin Cities. There is a lot more than 1 mile of trails, although many of them are closed or being closed due to erosion. The terrain is varied, but tends to be on the wide side for single track. Still, some excellent climbing and descending including technical sections. PLEASE obey all rules and stay off closed trails or we will lose this gem of a trail system for good.
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More Battle Creek Regional Park Professional Guides

Detailed Trail Descriptions from Our Guidebooks

Best Bike Rides - Minneapolis and St. Paul (Falcon Guides)
Steve Johnson
"Battle Creek Regional Park’s 750 acres of open meadows and dense oak forest is one of those wilderness-hidden-in-the-city places, packed with flora and fauna commonly found in much larger reserves far removed from urban centers. Explore 4 of the 10 total trail miles scribbled among the hilly woods, from easy-to-handle ski trails to technical singletrack."
60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Minneapolis and St. Paul (Menasha Ridge Press)
Tom Watson
"Battle Creek Regional Park has three distinct units. The northern half of the eastern unit is made up of a picnic area, playgrounds, and other amenities centered on a small lake; the western unit is a network of unpaved trails leading from a trailhead at the end of the ravine through which Battle Creek flows; and the southern half of the eastern unit is a meandering weave of trails through mature oaks and around the marsh—and the location of this hike. Begin at the parking lot off Lower Afton Road. At the far end of the lot are a trailhead for the Pet Trail on the left and a trailhead sign for the bike/hike trail that parallels the parking lot. There are no maps for Battle Creek other than one posted at the trailhead or acquired online, so the simple rule for this hike is to just stay on the paved trail."

Trail Information

Saint Paul
Nearby City
Dog-friendly, Kid-friendly
Accessibility
4.2
Distance
Loop/Lollipop
Trail Type
Difficult
Technical Difficulty
Difficult
Physical Difficulty
Hilly with a mixture of climbs and steep descents over packed singletrack
Terrain
Easy
Skill Level
45-60 mins
Duration
These trails are typically open from April through November with closures taking place for maintenance or following wet weather.
Season
Biking
Additional Use
DeLorme: Minnesota Atlas & Gazetteer map 71
Local Maps

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