- In recognition of Stearns County being the top dairy producer in Minnesota the name “Dairyland Trail” was recommended for this project.
- The trail will ultimately run through western Stearns County from Albany to Brooten on the former Canadian Pacific Soo Line rail corridor,
- It has been owned by the Stearns County Regional Rail Authority since 1999.
- The trail will run through a landscape dotted with dairy farms, cornfields and remnant prairie.
- It will travel through the cities of Elrosa, Greenwald, New Munich and Albany.
- The Dairyland Trail will have an aggregate surface allowing it to become the longest equestrian trail in Stearns County.
- It will also be used for snowmobiling and link into the State of Minnesota’s Grant-in-Aid Snowmobile trail system.
- Biking will be allowed on the trail as well as hiking.
Phase One development is from Elrosa to Greenwald.
- The distance developed for the project is 8 miles long.
- This first phase will stay between the North Fork of the Crow River and the Sauk River.
- SRF Consulting Firm will be designing and engineering the trail
- There will be trailheads in Elrosa and Greenwald.
Phase One is complete. Please enjoy the pictures of Phase One below.
Join us for the Grand Opening of the Dairyland Trail on April 27, 2013.
January 31, 2012 County Board-Final Feasibility Report and Bidding Request.
Dairyland Trail Public Open House.
Map with bridge and mileposts
Dairyland Trail Time Line.pdf
Dairyland Trail Concept Design.pdf
Elrosa Trailhead map.
Open House being held at the Meier Grove Community Center changed from Weds. 2/29/2012 to Thursday, March 15, 2012 from 2:00-3:30PM. Read more.
Comments about the project can be emailed to: parkinfo@co.stearns.mn.us
Dairyland Trail Chronology (former Soo Line Rail Corridor)
- Developed as a railroad about 1908
- March 27, 1996 - Soo Line Railroad Corridor from Brooten to Genola abandoned.
- 1996 - Soo Line corridor was placed in County Bikeway Plan (adopted 5/7/96)
- 1998 - 1st segment of Lake Wobegon Trail opens from Sauk Centre to Avon – 27 miles.
- 1999 - acquisition of the 552 acres for $168,720 of county money, and state railbank grant of $393,680 ($562,400 total).
- 1999 - held Elrosa (Oct. 12) & Albany (Nov. 16) public hearings on "potential uses of the corridor from Brooten to Albany."
- December 19, 2000 - the County Board unanimously approved snowmobiling on the corridor beginning in the 2001 - 02 season (petitions were received by County Board)
- 2000 & 2001 - County gives 11.4 acres of excess station land to New Munich and 6 acres to Elrosa, and 10.76 acres to Greenwald (28 acres donated to local cities in the project area).
- March 2002 - Grove Twp unanimously passes resolution supporting hiking, biking & skiing on the corridor but opposed ATV use;
- 2006 - County Public Opinion Survey: 37% want walking/biking trails; 6% want snowmobile trails; 4% want ATV trails on former Soo Line
- 54% were willing to have their taxes raised for hike/bike/horse/snowmobile trail on the Soo Line;
- Support for raising their taxes for ATV Trail on the Soo Line: 68% NO and 26% YES.
- 2008 - County Board allocates $250,000 from Capital Improvement Plan for trail
- 2009 - DNR Federal Recreation Grant of $150,000 to match county CIP allocation
- 2010 - State of MN awards $250,000 development grant.