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The popular Red Jacket Trail, which runs south from Mankato, utilizes three converted railroad trestles, including the stunning Red Jacket Trestle, which is more than 80 feet high and 550 feet long and traverses the Le Sueur River and busy MN 66 near the trail’s southern end. Two smaller bridges cross just a mile or two south of the Red Jacket Trestle.
About the Route
The Red Jacket Trail extends southward away from downtown Mankato, passing commercial properties before cutting directly through one of the city’s older neighborhoods. After about 1 mile, the scenery changes to heavily wooded forest; this landscape continues for the rest of the trek to Rapidan.
Before reaching Rapidan, be sure to spend time at Red Jacket Trail Park. The park contains a picnic shelter, canoe launch, and parking lot, and offers breathtaking views of the trestle. In Rapidan, follow the paved shoulder on 552nd Avenue a short distance south to access the heart of the small village.
A noteworthy side trip is to follow CR 9 west from Rapidan about 2 miles to Rapidan Dam Park for more parking, restrooms, and an expansive view of the Blue Earth River Valley.
Connections
At the northern end of the trail, the Red Jacket Trail connects with the North Minnesota River Trail, which continues along the waterway to the Sakatah Singing Hills State Trail.
At Hawthorn Road, a short section of trail is shared with the South Route Trail, which takes bikers and walkers northwest along County Road 90 for about 4 miles to the southern section of Minneopa State Park.
Trail History
Named after a Seneca chief who lived in the area until the 1830s, the Red Jacket Trail runs along an old Milwaukee Road (formerly the Minnesota Railroad and the Central Railroad) right-of-way that became inactive in 1978.
The Red Jacket Trail runs between the North Minnesota River Trail (Mankato) and Huffy Lane (Rapidan).
Parking is available at:
These are approximate addresses. Please see TrailLink Map for detailed directions.
We cycled from the Land of Memories Campground to the Mankato Family YMCA and started there. The first part of the trail passes through residential areas with a number of street crossings. The trail was rather narrow compared to other bike trails we have ridden. There are no mileage markers along the way.
The trail is shaded for most of the way and ends abruptly at Huffy Lane. There is no indication or sign that we had reached the end of the trail so we continued on the road for a couple of blocks to the small village of Rapidan. Not much there. The route towards Rapidan was a slight uphill grade so made for an easy ride back to Mankato. The trail is paved but could use a bit of maintenance in some sections. The trail was OK but nothing to rave about.
I was hesitant to ride today because of all the wind but this trail is so wooded it was perfect. It’s in decent shape but is beginning to show its age with quite a few cracks. The views were great following a river for quite a few miles and a few nice bridges to cross. I would recommend this nice trail for a lovely outing in Mankato.
Wanted to try out this trail for the first time on Saturday and it is closed. Maybe try it next year.
I road this trail end-to-end starting at the very nice Red Jacket Trail Park near the LeSeur River trestle, riding south to the trail end (no parking, ends at a country road), and then doubling back to ride to the north end in Mankato.
I even did an unintended but worthwhile side trip to Minneopa Falls park when I missed a sign at a trail intersection (some challenging hills on this route).
The trail length is definitely overstated in the description, closer to 6.5 miles than 13, but you can easily connect to other trails to extend your ride.
All-in-all a very nice trail that is in quite good condition.
If you make a right onto the Minnesota River trail when the trail ends in Mankato you ride right along the river on the water side of a flood wall. If you go about 3/4's of a mile to the trail entrance at E. Main Street there is some wonderful wall art on the city side of the flood wall.
I had the pleasure to ride this trail on 6-7-2016 and I was not disappointed. Starting off in Mankato introduces you to a private and mostly wooded nicely paved trail as you travel through the neighborhood. There are several side street crossings before becoming more wooded outside of town. There are several dirt footpath or side trails along in certain sections. The views at the trestle crossings are beautiful! The trail seemed to be a slight grade uphill going South but once you turn around there are sections you can simply glide through! There were walkers, riders, and family enjoying the trail so it can get a little crowded during peak times. Being about 6.8 miles in length it is not a long trail, but spend extra time enjoying the views it offers or extend your ride on the North Minnesota River Trail. The Red Jacket Trail ends at a farm road and extends along the road but I turned around where most of who I saw turned around - when it exits the forested area at the end. 4 stars for length but 5 stars for everything else the trail offers!
Some portions a bit hilly, but nice, scenic trail overall.
the trail is only like 5 to 6 miles not 13
The Red Jacket Bridge Trestle is going to be celebrated with a Grand Opening ceremony held on Saturday May 09, 2012 from 10am to 12pm by the Blue Earth County Historical Society. All are welcome to come out and see the ribbon cutting ceremony and ride the trail. The trail across the bridge section that was raised
into place on the new pier has been open for about a month now. This information was taken from the local newspaper, The Mankato Free Press.
There are over 100 miles of connecting paved bike trails in the Mankato, MN. area. For a FREE copy of the
18" X 22", two sided Biking & Hiking color map, contact the Greater Mankato Convention & Visitors Bureau, located in the Civic Center Plaza call (507) 385-6660 or (800) 657-4733. Also: visitors@greatermankato.com or-
www.visitgreatermankato.com
Roger Bock, ICE Trike rider and Claire Bock, Greenspeed Trike rider
While the Red Jacket trail is nice, the central span of the bridge is currently out, due to a washed out tower. It looks like they have the framework for a missing span ready to go, but there was no indication on progress for the support tower . There is a paved detour that takes you over a nearby road bridge and gets you to Rapidan.
I am a little disappointed that the various web sites that publicize this trail have not been updated to reflect the current status. As the bridge is a highlight of the trail, this would only seem to be fair.
I look forward to news that the span has been restored and the bridge is back in service
As in my last comment about missing the turn in Mankato to the Red Jacket, I purposely cruised past the "exit" and ended up in Sibley Park. Rather than turning around I kept following the road until it crossed the Blue Earth River on Olive St. which eventually led to the Minneopa Trail--a nice surprise. This is a smooth, new asphalt trail about 4-5 miles long which runs into Minneopa State Park with only a short segment on marked roadway.
Minneopa is a scenic state park with water falls & walking paths. After a brief rest, I got onto the Red Jacket which parallels Hawthorne Road; taking the RJT this way I avoided some very steep climbs and enjoyed some long down hill runs. I didn't go as far south as Rapidan but took a left and went past Mt. Kato ski hill then back into Mankato where I eventually got onto the Sakatah (as noted previously, the trails in Mankato are poorly marked, so it was a process of trial and error). Crossing busy roads in Mankato (3rd Ave is the worst) is especially hazardous because automobile traffic never slows down. I don't know why they lay all this expensive asphalt then neglect putting up directional & safety signs?
The Red Jacket Trail starts in west Mankato on a busy road in between a high school & YMCA (parking possible either place) across from the Burger King. Getting there from the North Minnesota River Trail (an extension of the Sakatah Trail) is tricky with no signs or maps. There are a couple of other park areas you could wind up at if you miss the turns.
It winds through some neighborhoods unmarked, crossing somewhat busy roads. The "official" start is a sign about a mile down the trail--nothing more. Once on the right track, the trail meanders around some curves, in and out of shade, uphill to the hamlet of Rapidan. It's a pleasant ride with few users. On the way you'll cross an impressive bridge over the LeSueur River with some remarkable views. There isn't much in Rapidan so pack snacks & water (weekends may be better). You can take a county road a few miles out to the Rapidan Dam to tack on extra miles. This is a nice trail to extend a longer ride on the Sakatah which runs about 40 miles east to Faribault.
"I started out on this trail at a parking lot by the Mt. Kato ski area. The trail there is out in the open and travels by the ski area, then intersects with another trail for a short time. From there you climb into the forest and the trail is shaded for the next 4 miles. The trail is quite scenic with a very steep drop-off to the right as you bike towards Rapidan. There are no guardrails either. I felt the ride was worthwhile for the Red Jacket Trestle, which is 80 feet above the ground and overlooks the LeSeuer River. If heights scare you, you can choose to follow an alternate trail that goes down to ground level, and meets up on the other side. There is also a nice rest stop there too. Following that, the trip to Rapidan is very short. The town is quite small with many old buildings. The path ends right after leaving the forest, and you have to bike on the road shoulder, however traffic is very light. If desired, the trip to the Rapidan Dam Park is close by, also on the shoulder of the road, and passes some nice farmland. There is a hill right before reaching the park where I reached speeds of 25 mph. The bottom of the hill crosses the beautiful Blue Earth River. Once reaching the park you can look at the dam and bike through the campground. The ride back on the trail was all downhill. I enjoyed this trail, but put on bug spray since the mosquitos were very thick in the wooded areas. "
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