Agassiz Recreational Trail is a 53-mile multi-use rail trail

Rail trail

A rail trail is the conversion of a disused railway easement into a multi-use path, typically for walking, cycling and sometimes horse riding. The characteristics of former tracks—flat, long, frequently running through historical areas—are appealing for various development. The term sometimes also...

 in northwest Minnesota

Minnesota

Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...

 between Crookston, MN

Minnesota

Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...

 and Ulen

Ulen, Minnesota

As of the census of 2000, there were 532 people, 203 households, and 120 families residing in the city. The population density was 488.9 people per square mile . There were 228 housing units at an average density of 209.5 per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 99.25% White and 0.75%...

, MN

Minnesota

Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...

. Hiking, bicycling, horseback riding, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, and ATV riding are allowed on the naturally surfaced trail. The trail is owned by Clay

Clay County, Minnesota

Clay County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population was 58,999. Its name is in honor of American statesman Henry Clay, member of the United States Senate from Kentucky and United States Secretary of State in the 19th century. Its county seat is Moorhead...

, Norman, and Polk

Polk County, Minnesota

As of the census of 2000, there were 31,369 people, 12,070 households, and 8,050 families residing in the county. The population density was 16 people per square mile . There were 14,008 housing units at an average density of 7 per square mile...

 counties. Representatives from each county serving on a joint powers board operate the trail.

Route Description

The Agassiz Recreational Trail was converted from an abandoned rail bed running parallel to state highways 32

Minnesota State Highway 32

Minnesota State Highway 32 is a highway in west-central and northwest Minnesota, which runs from its intersection with State Highway 34 in Tansem Township near Barnesville and continues north to its northern terminus at its intersection with State Highway 11 in Greenbush at Roseau County.Highway 32...

 and 102

Minnesota State Highway 102

Minnesota State Highway 102 is a highway in northwest Minnesota, which runs from its intersection with State Highway 32 outside Fertile and continues northwest to its northern terminus at its intersection with State Highway 9 Minnesota State Highway 102 is a highway in northwest Minnesota, which...

. It passes through the following towns (in order from south to north):

• Ulen
  Ulen, Minnesota
  As of the census of 2000, there were 532 people, 203 households, and 120 families residing in the city. The population density was 488.9 people per square mile . There were 228 housing units at an average density of 209.5 per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 99.25% White and 0.75%...
  
   (southern terminus)
• Twin Valley
  Twin Valley, Minnesota
  As of the census of 2000, there were 865 people, 360 households, and 192 families residing in the city. The population density was 987.0 people per square mile . There were 399 housing units at an average density of 455.3 per square mile...
  
  
• Gary
  Gary, Minnesota
  Gary is a city in Norman County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 214 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
  
  
• Fertile
  Fertile, Minnesota
  As of the census of 2000, there were 893 people, 396 households, and 220 families residing in the city. The population density was 471.9 people per square mile . There were 433 housing units at an average density of 228.8 per square mile...
  
  
• Crookston
  Crookston, Minnesota
  As of the census of 2000, there were 8,192 people, 3,078 households, and 1,819 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,658.8 people per square mile . There were 3,382 housing units at an average density of 684.8 per square mile...
  
   (northern terminus)

The trail runs through sparsely wooded rural farmland. It crosses over a number of rivers and creeks along its route, including the Sand Hill

Sand Hill River

The Sand Hill River is a tributary of the Red River of the North in northwestern Minnesota in the United States. Via the Red River, Lake Winnipeg, and the Nelson River, it is part of the watershed of Hudson Bay, and drains an area of .- Course :...

, Wild Rice

Wild Rice River (Minnesota)

The Wild Rice River is a tributary of the Red River of the North in northwestern Minnesota in the United States. It is long. Via the Red River, Lake Winnipeg and the Nelson River, it is part of the watershed of Hudson Bay...

, and South Branch Wild Rice Rivers, and Mashaug Creek.