A grant helped the Stearns County Parks Department pave a 10-mile portion of Minnesota’s popular Lake Wobegon Trail, increasing the off-street bike route to 45 miles. The long-term plan is to expand the path network in several directions, potentially linking hundreds of miles of multi-use paths. Bikes Belong’s funding—together with money from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Stearns County, the towns of Albany and Holdingford, and private foundations—matched a federal TEA-21 grant earmarked for the project. Congressman James Oberstar (D-MN), an avid cyclist and bicycling proponent, also championed the path.

Waite Park, Minnesota