2016 Travels, Bicycling the Root River State Trail, Rushford, Minnesota and the Nature Center and Natural Playground in Huston, Minnesota.

The Root River State Trail, Minnesota. After bicycling the Elroy-Sparta State Trail we went to Rushford, Minnesota to ride the Root River State Trail, another Rails to Trails conversion. We learned about this trail from the "Bike Trails Guide for West Central Wisconsin and Southeast Minnesota", which we picked up at the Sparta Depot. This 42-mile trail along the Root River connects the communities of Houston, Rushford, Peterson, Whalan, Lanesboro and Fountain. All of these towns have campgrounds and lodging to accommodate cyclists. We decide to make Rushford our central location for camping and riding the trail out and back in opposite directions.

Rushford welcomes cyclists on the Root River State Trail.

Rushford had a nice city campground at the edge of town where we camped on a grassy lawn across the road from a trailhead connecting us to the Root River State Trail. The camping fee was $25 for a full-hookup site and $10 for a tent site. We took the tent site since we didn't need any services. There were nice restroom facilities and coin-op showers.

The Rushford City Campground.

About Rushford. The Rushford Depot and Peterson Station Museum serve as the Root River trailhead in Rushford and preserve interesting artifacts and history of the days when this was a cultural center bustling with river travel and railway shipping. A new culture of tourism and bicycling is brightening Rushford's streets these days. There are nice lodging accommodations, restaurants and events during the summer that bring people to this pleasant town tucked in the Blufflands of southeast Minnesota. Some of the events in Rushford include Rushford Days, Taste of the Trail (free food samples), Expo Culinaria, Gammel Dag Fest and the Nanotek Trek Bike Ride.

The Rushford Depot along the Root River State Trail.

Riding the Trail. We have one day to bike the trail so in the morning we ride 25 miles from Rushford to Houston and back. The trail curves peacefully through the woods along the Root River, crossing the river once.

The bridge over the river between Rushford and Houston on the Root River State Trail.

A smooth, dreamy ride on the Root River State Trail.

No one else is on the trail and our ride is smooth and dreamy as we cruise at a good pace through the woods. This section of trail has no road crossings or interface with traffic until we approach Houston.

There's a slight grade as the trail ascends a hill before dropping back to the valley and Houston.

I brake for bird houses. Most of the bike trails we've ridden have bird houses along the open spaces. The Root River State Trail has some unusual constructions. They're made from 4-inch fiberglass pipe with a wood bottom and overhanging roof, mounted to a pole. The roof can be detached from the pipe for cleaning at the end of the season.

I brake for bird houses.

Houses can also be made for smaller birds like wrens and titmice by making the hole smaller to suit the size of the bird. The entry hole on a fiberglass or PVC pipe won't be worn away by the birds pecking or coming and going like entry holes in wood houses. Enlarged holes let larger birds like house sparrows get into the houses and displace or kill the smaller birds. Chickadees, Nuthatches, Wrens and Titmice require a 1and 1/8 inch (3cm.) hole. Bluebirds and Flycatchers require a 1and 5/8 inch (4 cm.) hole.

A simple idea for a bird house.

The countryside becomes more open as we approach Houston.

Jim on the Root River State Trail near Houston.

The Houston trailhead and Natural Playground. The trailhead in Houston is at the Natural Playground and Nature Center. The kids are in school so there's no one around. I'm inspired and impressed by the creativity of people who use what they have to do great things for themselves. They used wood, boulders and old concrete retaining wall slabs to create a fun place for kids to explore and play creatively. It's something any small community can do for very little investment beyond the labor of love. Here's some photos of the playground features.

Natural Playground welcome sign.

The Owl is the playground mascot.

A hill is the center of the playground. Concrete slabs around its base make caves and hideouts for kids to crawl into.

Concrete slabs at the base of the hill make caves and hideouts for kids.

The largest slab structure makes a nice hideout.

A wood climbing wall is built into one side of the hill.

A simple wood climbing wall.

A concrete of "Alice the Owl" inlayed with ceramic tiles sits on the hill top. I love this sculpture. It would be nice in my garden. Houston is the home of the International Festival of Owls so owls are the town mascot.

An owl sculpture is the spirit of the playground.

A detail of the ceramic tiles on the owl sculpture.

A wooden stair leads to the hill top and the slide. Since I'm already up there I may as well take the fast way down.

A slide is the only piece of prefab equipment in the playground.

Kids can also climb up a boulder field to the hilltop.

A boulder field make climbing up the hill more challenging.

No beach? Pump the water down the sluice to make wet sand and build a sand castle.

A hand pump and sluice deliver water to make sand castles.

Just a few logs set in the ground make a balancing course.

Balance course.

Open-ended wooden boxes of different lengths make a musical instrument.

A wooden musical instrument. The mallet was stored in one of the boxes.

Houston is the eastern terminus of the Root River State Trail. The community has a nice downtown area with lodging, dining and annual events like the International Festival of Owls, Taste of the Trails, Root River Triathlon and Houston Hoedown Day.

Playful bike wheel creatures inhabit the wildflower garden at the Houston Nature Center.

The Houston Nature Center. Unfortunately the Nature Center was closed on this day so we walked around the grounds and checked out the bike parts sculptures in the wildflower garden. It almost seems possible that these bikes could work.

Bike sculptures at the Houston Nature Center.

An arbor and flowers made of bike parts.

Ceramic bird condos at the Houston Nature Center.

After we ride back to Rushford we stop at The Creamery Pizza & Ice Cream Restaurant for a delicious codfish sandwich before heading west for a 27 mile round-trip ride from Rushford to Whalan and back.

Starting out on the trail from Rushford to Whalan.

This trail segment is a little different from the morning ride. The trail follows closer to the river and there are more views of the water. We hook up with a local rider and pick up the pace, careening through the woods on a smooth black ribbon.

riding through the woods on the trail to Whalan.

Nice views of the Root River along the trail to Whalan.

I saw this wonderful old barn with a decorative brick silo.

We turned around at Whalan. It was about another 15.8 miles to Fountain at the western terminus of the trail. It's mid afternoon, the sky's clouded up and a few sprinkles begin. We've ridden 50 miles today so we head back to Rushford. The Creamery is calling and we stop there on the way back to camp for a cup of the creamiest ice cream. Don't ask calorie content. We made sure we put in a good days work to indulge.

The total length of the Root River State Trail is 42.3 miles. It would be a fine days ride to do the entire length out and back from either direction. Each town had good food and the ride is easy, flat and scenic. This trail connects with the Harmony Preston Alley State Trail near the western terminus so there is more riding to be done. Something worth coming back for if we pass this way again.

Our next destination is Glenwood Springs in Colorado to ride the Rio Grande Trail from Glenwood Springs to Aspen.

See you down the road.
Jackie