SE MN trails

[Ryan_V]

Has anyone ridden the Trout Valley and the Snake Creek trails in SE minnesota?? If so how are the trails?? How long of a day is it if you do both? I'd like to try them but it's kind of a long drive for a 13.5 and a 7 mile trail system. Are there any other trails down there? Thanks for the info guys (and girls)!!! Some good riding coming up this fall!

[Dave S]

It's very scenic. There's actually 4 trails within an hour of each other down there that you can make a good day out of it.

Snake Creek and Trout Valley IMO would be worth the drive from Hutch. They both have some nice scenery overlooking the bluff country.

There's also the SE MN trail that runs from Stockton to Altura. I'm not 100% sure it reopened after the Stockton flood. It's not a loop so you back-track on the same trail. Some of it consists of a few county roads that do have a maximum speed limit of 15 mph (condition to open the trail to appease property owners). It also crosses through cow pastures so travel with caution so you don't spook the livestock. There are some areas of the SE MN trail that I'm glad I had 4 wheel drive due to the steep grade of the hill and the rocks that cover the trail. But 2 wheel drive will be more than sufficient.

The trail head in Stockton is on the west side of town at the entrance to the trailer park just off HWY 14.

I'm also not sure if it's still open, but there was also a Chatfield MN trail that I've never ridden.

In all, Trout Valley and Snake Creek are worth the day trip for me but I'm an hour closer than you. if the other 2 trails are open, that's just an added bonus.

Beautiful country down there and this weekend is also the opener for small game if I'm not mistaken. So you may encounter a few hunters.

[ruapache]

Snake creek and trout valley are very senic and the Altura to Stockton like it was stated is one way also I rode the Chatfield trail about 6wk ago for the first time, it was pretty good not very long I think it was 14 miles or near that, also a small sand pit to play in. It is about a little over a mile east of Chatfield parking on south side of hwy 30. You can do a couple in the am and the other 2 in the afternoon. A good little place to stop for lunch is in Utica on Hwy 14, if you take county rd 33 to county rd 6 to hwy 30 toward Chatfied from Utica, cant remember the name of it but its right on the hwy 14.

[bottom-bouncer]

the restaurant in utica is called the golden horn.

[ruapache]

I think the name was changed to Golden Harvest, same people own it as the one in Eyota as far as I know.

[bottom-bouncer]

ruapache you are correct! I asked the wife last night before I typed it on here and she told me golden harvest and typed golden horn anyway oops!