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When the Southern Minnesota
Railway Company cut its right-of-way through the bluffs of southeast
Minnesota circa 1860, no one could have guessed that it would
someday become one of the most popular recreational trails in
the nation. The Root River State Trail System boasts more
than 60 miles of paved surface bounded on the west by the city
of Fountain, on the south by Harmony and on the east by Houston.
Other towns on the trail are Preston, Whalan, Peterson and, of
course, Lanesboro, the hub of the Root River Trail. Thousands
of cyclists, roller-bladers and hikers each year experience the
beauty of the Root River Valley via this magnificent trail as
it meanders along the peaceful Root River. The Minnesota Department
of Natural Resources owns and maintains the trail and charges
no use fees, except for cross-country skiing during the winter.
The Root River Trail generates millions of dollars each year
spent in Fillmore and Houston Counties, the result of the robust
tourism industry which has grown along side it. |
