The planning and work towards the 100 mile Minnesota Driftless Hiking Trail (MHDT) is really starting to coalesce. As a reminder, the trail is a multi-year effort to create a hiking/backpacking trail in southeastern Minnesota similar to the Ice Age Trail.
It's been six months since the last update so let's take a peek
The map that the group produced originally has been updated below to show the work that has been accomplished and the coming year's plans. The gray area on the map shows a wide swath of land between Chatfield Mn and the Mississippi River where the trail might go. That gray area contains public land like wildlife and state management areas, state forests, state parks and private lands that could possibly be connected to create the trail. The MDHT group plan is to work with willing landowners and partner with them to procure easements to allow the trail to pass through portions of their land. They are also working with communities to have trails pass through them so hikers can enjoy all that southeastern Minnesota has to offer.
So what's new?
The area in green above shows where the planners have secured access, This area includes the 6.5 mile Lost Creek Hiking Trail near Chatfield as well a designated 2.5 mile trail through Chatfield.
The area in yellow, which includes Eagle Bluff Environmental Center and the Big Woods/Newburg area and Beaver Creek Valley State Park to the Caledonia area, are area that are going to be worked on in 2026.
Grant funds secured from the MN Environmental and Natural Resource Trust Fund in 2024 allowed the group to hire a full-time director and purchase trail building equipment that will make building trails easier. Grant writing is underway to secure additional funds.
To read details of the 2026 plans, please stop here.
To stay updated, you can follow their FB page, stop by their website and/or subscribe to their newsletter. All in all, it's pretty exciting.
Additional posts on the Minnesota Driftless Hiking Trail:
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