Northfield bike trails

[FarmerBEN]

Just wondering if anyone had heard of any MTB trails in Northfield area, I was on dirtworld.com and found mention of a trail called "ghetto Charls" I have never heard of it, but then again I guess I never really sought one out either. the link is
http://www.dirtworld.com/trails/trail.asp?id=12331&trail_name=Ghetto%20Charls%20Mountain%20Bike%20Tra il

if anyone knows anything about it I was wondering if it was legit and/or worth checking out
thanks
ben

[Buck]

Dusty is from Northfield he might know best if the trails are legit or not. Good luck, I chased a jump area once and drove an hour to ****ty over grown jumps.
L8R
Buck

[Trialsaddict]

I haven't heard of that, but I can check around as well. I have some mtb places I ride, but don't have names for them. Feel free to PM if needed.

[Paul Swenson]

I grew up in Northfield and used to mountain bike in the arb on a regualr basis. Of course this was twenty years so I'm sure somthings have changed.

From the description the trail would be by the RR tracks if I'm not mistaken. 6.2 mile trail with 500 ft of elevation change? that part doesn't sound right.:confused:

[minnesota_freerider]

I've ridden back near Viking Terrace and I've never once seen any kind of trail in the years that I have been biking. Might have to take a closer look sometime though. I really doubt that there is any trail back there because the article said a 500ft elevation change, but that area is basically flat.

[Trialsaddict]

Yeah, the only large elevation change I know about for off road trails, is the loop I do through the St. Olaf property... I've never seen anything along the RR tracks either, just the one short cut trail that the trailer park people use...but Dusty and I have been on that.

[Paul Swenson]

Also if you take a left on the road between DQ and Viking Terrace you end up downtown in about 2 miles.

Do you Northfield guys ever ride in the Arb? There were a couple of spots you could catch some decent air. It was a while ago (decades) since I last rode there and what was big air then on a MTB I'm sure is pretty wimpy now.

[minnesota_freerider]

I still ride in the arb once in awhile and I don't think there are any spots on the trail that you can catch any air now. There used to be one spot that i knew of for sure, but that slowly went away.

[FarmerBEN]

yeah I have yet to be real impressed with dirtworld's listing. they had listed kruger down by kellogg and that tril by faribault which aren't intended for mountain biking. I am a little puzzled by the anti-bike biasalot of parks have, but I don't think that ingoring park policy is a good way to help our cause.

[At the Gates 2121]

yeah I have yet to be real impressed with dirtworld's listing. they had listed kruger down by kellogg and that tril by faribault which aren't intended for mountain biking. I am a little puzzled by the anti-bike biasalot of parks have, but I don't think that ingoring park policy is a good way to help our cause.

I am origanally from faribault and I know of 2 places just outside faribault none in northfield. I know you can ride at the nature center in faribault and at falls creek park.

The nature center you need to know where you are going the best riding is in the far south west corner of the nature center. not a lot of single track but i know there is more being built from what a friend of mine has told me. best place to enter is a tee pee tonka park near the archery range.

[ChrisTrek]

I live in the Twin Cities, but there is the eastern part of the Hauberg Woods that is not developed. I wonder if the land would support a small mountain bike single track trail?

"Hauberg Woods
Classification: Currently – Nature Area — 52 acres / Future – Expanded for Neighborhood Park and Reserve Land
Character: This is a very appealing nature area that has an asphalt trail leading into a wooded area, at which point it turns into
a natural-surfaced trail. The entrance leading into the wooded section is very inviting, even though it runs past the backyards
of housing. This site is significant in that it contains a high quality rich fen, which is rare to find. The downside is that railroad
tracks split the land into two separate pieces. Currently, only the western side is accessible."

http://www.ci.northfield.mn.us/assets/a/Appendix-A-Grant,-Hauberg-Woods,-Heritage,-Heywood,-Hidden-Valley.pdf

http://www.ci.northfield.mn.us/assets/b/BikeTrailMap_Pamphlet_20090728.pdf

Does Northfield currently have any good MTB trails?

[minnesota_freerider]

Northfield currently doesn't have any mountain bike trails. There is still the carlton arb, but that's just a gravel trail that is wide enough to drive a car on. I don't ride it anymore just because it isn't fun anymore.

I didn't even realize that there was a paved trail that went back by Hauberg Woods. I may have to ride out that way when I have some time just to check it out. I do know that the land in that area is pretty flat, so I'm not sure if it would be an ideal location for a trail. Yes, it would be nice to have a trail only a few miles from where I live, but I don't find riding on flat terrain very enjoyable. If there was more elevation change then I think it would be worth it. I also have no idea how much money or time this would cost to put a trail in place.

[Tjorning]

The one cool spot I've found near nfld is the Rice County Wilderness Park. it's in the middle of nowhere but it's surprisingly awesome - right by the river so it actually has some topography. you go out of town on 3, through dundas aways until a sign shows up for it, left turn, then follow some really strange back roads till you appear at a parking lot. trails are marked as some of them being allowed to bike on. not specifically developed for biking but a hell of a lot better than the arb.

[Derek]

The one cool spot I've found near nfld is the Rice County Wilderness Park. it's in the middle of nowhere but it's surprisingly awesome - right by the river so it actually has some topography. you go out of town on 3, through dundas aways until a sign shows up for it, left turn, then follow some really strange back roads till you appear at a parking lot. trails are marked as some of them being allowed to bike on. not specifically developed for biking but a hell of a lot better than the arb.

Is this east of the land fill?

[Tjorning]

Is this east of the land fill?

I think so, can't remember for sure.

[Hetter]

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=44.369791,-93.230753&num=1&t=h&sll=44.369814,-93.232046&sspn=0.002216,0.00471&hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=44.372674,-93.240194&spn=0.017731,0.03768&z=15
I hope this link works, and if it did the green arrow is where the parking lot is.

The road you turn off of highway 3 is 151st E. Take that road till you can't go any farther. I haven't ever road anything back there. I would think its ok riding. I found the park last year and never got a chance to ride it this year. If anyone gets back there, post up what its like.

[minnesota_freerider]

I think I might have to check that out next weekend if it's not raining. How did you manage to find that place? I've lived in Nfld my entire life and never knew about it.

[Hetter]

I think I might have to check that out next weekend if it's not raining. How did you manage to find that place? I've lived in Nfld my entire life and never knew about it.

Well I grew up in Fairbault. I had a friend that lived out on that road towards the junk yard. And I recently remembered it because of the 4 wheeler pit thats just north of that park on the gravel road this spring.

[newp]

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=44.369791,-93.230753&num=1&t=h&sll=44.369814,-93.232046&sspn=0.002216,0.00471&hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=44.372674,-93.240194&spn=0.017731,0.03768&z=15
I hope this link works, and if it did the green arrow is where the parking lot is.

The road you turn off of highway 3 is 151st E. Take that road till you can't go any farther. I haven't ever road anything back there. I would think its ok riding. I found the park last year and never got a chance to ride it this year. If anyone gets back there, post up what its like.

I grew up riding in the Wildness Park and they have started to frown on bikes over the last decade (my grandma/pa owned the junkyard connected to the park). I still run and bike in there sometimes but there are better places in Faribo to ride then the Wildness Park. PM me if you have a time set to ride and I can show you around on both sides of the river if it works out.